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In the two years since Nelly got the nation speaking "Country Grammar," plenty of newcomers have co-opted his chant-heavy St. Louis hip-hop.
Yet though the copycatting has produced worthwhile moments (Toya's "I Do," most of Pretty Willie's debut), nobody does it quite like the man with the trademark Band-Aid.
Which is not to say Nelly's above ripping himself off on his long-awaited sophomore set; "Say Now" and "Air
Force Ones" are Xeroxes--and not especially good ones--of Country Grammar's down-home cadences, and "Work It" is a feeble rewrite of "Girlfriend," Nelly's hit collaboration with *NSYNC. Meanwhile, "#1" and the remixed "Rock The Mic," which respond to criticism from KRS-One, suggest Nelly should concede defeat and move on. Much better is the PG-rated lapdance of the Neptunes-produced
"Hot In Here," a worthy successor to his past hits, while several other cuts--notably "Oh Nelly" and "Dem Boyz"--are packed
with the joyful hooks and clever taglines that mark Nelly's particular genius. Like P. Diddy in his prime or even Jay-Z, Nelly simply knows what the people want, and delivers--which is never as easy as the haters suggest.
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The value of a remix album depends on your definition of "remix." Is it the same old song classified as new thanks to a
different drum loop, or the 16 bars a hot MC wallpapers over the bridge? Or is it authentic reinvention, a fresh look at a
familiar hit? Da Derrty Versions, Nelly's retooling of his biggest singles thus far, has some of the latter moments: "Air Force Ones" gets a great, guitar-heavy
makeover from David Banner, while the vocals of Ronald Isley – Mr. Biggs himself – add adult menace to "Pimp Juice"'s teen preening. And "Ride Wit' Me" brilliantly segues
into John Mayer's AAA anthem "No Such Place," epitomizing the try-anything spirit that makes a remix collection successful. Unfortunately,
the changes here are mostly cosmetic: a third-wheel counterpoint from St. Lunatic Ali on "Dilemma," or the indistinguishably altered beats of "Hot In Herre." And not surprisingly, the best song is new: "Iz
U," which swipes the "People's Court" theme and finds Nelly's singsong, stutter-stepping flow charming as ever. Wait to hear
it surrounded by more new material on his upcoming third album, instead.
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