#31: Nelly - Country Grammar
Looking back, I think Nelly was marketed for people like me. The ones who said they listened to rap because of what was being played on mix stations. I even saw once an a VH1 story about Nelly (remember when they used to do those? Good times) that members of the rap community didn't take Nelly seriously because of his pop appeal. But it's what got me at the time. A time when all I could really listen to was mix radio stations. This was before I discovered all the different kind of genres and sub-genres out there. However, please don't think I'm embarrassed of this cd. I think it's just a good point to make that if this cd came out now, I don't think there is any way I would have even thought about buying it.
I can't remember exactly when, but I think I was in middle school (junior high). I think it was actually one of my vacations to California that I bought this cd. I even remember buying it at Target because they were one of the few sold "parental advisory" cds. It's kind of blurry, but I think I had to get my grandpa to get it for me haha. After that, I just remember sitting in my room at my grandparent's house and doing nothing else but listening to it. Not listening to it while I was playing games or reading. I was just laying there, listening to it. Probably thinking I was cool.
I think this cd was just plain... fun. All the radio singles were especially, "Country Grammar," "E.I." and "Ride Wit Me." But I started liking other tracks like "Batter Up" and "Greed, Hate, Envy."
You know how I said earlier that I probably wouldn't have gotten this cd today? Honestly, I would have missed out. Because as much as Nelly was all over the radio at one point, there were some pretty good tracks on this release. As a whole, it was a glimpse into a rapper that at some point would become one of the biggest names in the world.
I listened to this cd again later in life and not only liked it due to nostalgia but some of the tracks hit really hard and I appreciated them even more. Tracks like "St. Louie" and "Thicky Thick Girl," a track I came to understand as I started to discover what traits I liked about the opposite sex.
I don't know what's happened to Nelly in the past, what, 5 years? I know he had a song with Fergie that was pretty good but I feel like nothing ever came of it. All of his releases afterward were pretty straight (read below). Could he hang with the likes of today's rap artists? I'm not sure but I would like to see.
Here are some tracks from "Country Grammar"
From "Nellyville," a cd that I bought the morning it came out and spent an entire summer jammin to
From "Da Derrty Versions," the first explicit cd I bought on my own
And finally, from his two-cd release, "Sweat" and "Suit"
I can't remember exactly when, but I think I was in middle school (junior high). I think it was actually one of my vacations to California that I bought this cd. I even remember buying it at Target because they were one of the few sold "parental advisory" cds. It's kind of blurry, but I think I had to get my grandpa to get it for me haha. After that, I just remember sitting in my room at my grandparent's house and doing nothing else but listening to it. Not listening to it while I was playing games or reading. I was just laying there, listening to it. Probably thinking I was cool.
I think this cd was just plain... fun. All the radio singles were especially, "Country Grammar," "E.I." and "Ride Wit Me." But I started liking other tracks like "Batter Up" and "Greed, Hate, Envy."
You know how I said earlier that I probably wouldn't have gotten this cd today? Honestly, I would have missed out. Because as much as Nelly was all over the radio at one point, there were some pretty good tracks on this release. As a whole, it was a glimpse into a rapper that at some point would become one of the biggest names in the world.
I listened to this cd again later in life and not only liked it due to nostalgia but some of the tracks hit really hard and I appreciated them even more. Tracks like "St. Louie" and "Thicky Thick Girl," a track I came to understand as I started to discover what traits I liked about the opposite sex.
I don't know what's happened to Nelly in the past, what, 5 years? I know he had a song with Fergie that was pretty good but I feel like nothing ever came of it. All of his releases afterward were pretty straight (read below). Could he hang with the likes of today's rap artists? I'm not sure but I would like to see.
Here are some tracks from "Country Grammar"
From "Nellyville," a cd that I bought the morning it came out and spent an entire summer jammin to
From "Da Derrty Versions," the first explicit cd I bought on my own
And finally, from his two-cd release, "Sweat" and "Suit"
I just remember my cousins and I always thought it was hilarious in "ride with me" when it said "If you wanna go and get high wit me
ReplyDeleteSmoke a L in the back of the BENZ-Y, Oh why must I feel this way? (Hey, must be the money!)"
Get it... because it says Benzie... yeah we were reaching on that one haha
I used to be OBSESSED with Nelly.
ReplyDeleteI think this is from a different album, but I always think of "It's Getting Hot in Herre" when I think of Nelly.
ReplyDeleteOnce my friend Scott thought it would be funny to post-it note everything in my kitchen. He put on on the stove that said "It's getting hot in here." Then inside, "So take off all your clothes."
Classy.
@jeanette:
ReplyDeleteReaching? Yes. One of my greatest comments ever? Also yes.
@Jaime:
So did I. Good times.
@Allison:
My roommate once did that. On my door he drew a picture of a wrestler holding a belt haha
I loved this cd and I had it in my cd deck today for the drive to Hayward. Hubs doesn't appreciate the finer things unlike me. I mean, if you can't get down to Country Grammar that makes you either retarded or deaf.
ReplyDelete