Nelly › Lyrics

Nelly is known for his distinctive delivery, with its regionalisms such as "hurr" (here) and "thurr" (there) and not so much for his lyrical depth or dexterity. The St. Louis born-and-bred party rapper, aided by his crew, the St.... Read More

Nelly is known for his distinctive delivery, with its regionalisms such as "hurr" (here) and "thurr" (there) and not so much for his lyrical depth or dexterity. The St. Louis born-and-bred party rapper, aided by his crew, the St. Lunatics, mostly sticks with what sounds good in a club -- sing-song rhymes and chants that focus on precious few topics, notably sex, dope and money.

Being the first rapper of note from St. Louis, Nelly's early efforts sought to promote "the Lou," albeit with lyrics the chamber of commerce probably didn't condone. The first words on his debut album, Country Grammar are, "You can find me in St. Louie/Where the gunplay ring all day/ Some got jobs and some sell yay/Others just smoke and f--- all day." The lyrics of "Ride Wit' Me" are about smoking dope and looking for girls and hints at Nelly's own slightly shady past, as he boasts he's "Making a living off my brain instead of 'caine now." Meanwhile, "Tho Dem Wrappas" offers a group manifesto of sorts: "'Tics live the street life/Eat right, f--- good and reefer thru the pipe."

Through his lyrics, Nelly is constantly macking, and songs like "Thicky Thick Girls," "Flap Your Wings" and "Play It Off" either brag of past conquests or seek new ones. On his hit, "Hot in Herre," he asks the musical question, "What good is all the fame if you ain't f---in' models?"

Conspicuous consumption is Nelly's other favorite topic, and the intensity with which he lyrically states his preferences for everything from cars ("Woodgrain & Leather with a Hole") to sneakers ("Air Force Ones") is impressive. As Nelly's later albums devolved into an endless series of guest appearances (Christina Aguilera, Tim McGraw, etc.), his lyrics seems to lose what edge they had. But for a while, the St. Louis rapper had us right whurr he wanted.