Suit
The biggest (and only relevant) member of the St. Lunatics crew fully indulges his rap-meets-R&B; fixations on the enjoyable (if predictable)Suit. Whereas companion CDSweatis geared toward the male thugs in the clubs, this one's for the thugettes. More lyrically compelling thanSweat,Suitshows a softer, more cerebral, less flashy side to St. Louis's favorite son. Check out "Die for You," Nelly's ode to youth, and the calypso-tinged, introspective "In My Life," which reveals a more worldly rap duke underneath the band aids and chunky jewelry. Nelly's unique "singjay" flows tend to take a backseat to the beautiful harmonies of guests such asJahiem, who sounds like a modern-dayTeddy Pendergrasson "My Place," andAnthony Hamilton, whose spot on "Nobody Knows" reminds us why he's the most underrated of the contemporary soul balladeers. When Nelly said he was going to introduce his Midwest style to a wider audience, he wasn't kidding: even country starTim McGrawjoins the fray on "Over and Over."--Dalton Higgins