Nelly Album: “Brass Knuckles [Edited]”

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Personnel: The Wyshmaster (various instruments, programming); Free Agentz (various instruments); Elvis Williams, The Ambassadors, Brian Kennedy (keyboards); Alicia Parker (percussion). <p>Audio Mixers: Demacio "Demo" Castellon; Supa Engineer Duro; Leslie Braithwaite; Jermaine Dupri; Phil Tan; Serban Ghenea; Carl Nappa. <p>It's impressive that Nelly has stayed consistently relevant enough to release his fifth LP in a mere eight years. But upon skirting through BRASS KNUCKLES' relatively trim 13-song set, his ongoing commercial viability is abundantly clear. Remaining resolutely pop-friendly and resting on his sex appeal (while throwing in frequent reminders of hardened machismo), Nelly leaves no demographic unturned, not to mention high-profile cameos; Akon, Ashanti, R. Kelly, LL Cool J, Pharrell, Rick Ross, and T.I. are among the album's guest stars. But it's Chuck D.'s appearance on "Self Esteem" (with its catchy, if simplistic refrain of "I think I can/I know I can) that begins to shed a more complex light on the MC who once inspired a nation of clubs to get naked with "Hot In Here."