THE SIGNATURE MUSICAL STYLE AND GENRE OF NELLY SONGS
An intelligent musical artist who knew very well how to cash in on his unique cross-over appeal, the pop-rap artist Nelly seemed like such a novelty when he first came out with his debut album called ‘Country Grammar’. But far from being a one hit wonder, he has worked very hard and produced hit after super hit to establish his name in the industry and gain some well deserved recognition. What makes his style of singing different is his universality which partly stems from his hometown — the Gateway City, officially known as St. Louis, MO. This is what sets Nelly songs apart from those of the rest of the rappers of his generation.
He didn’t belong to either the East Coast or the West Coast school of hip hop, nor did he follow the southern style of rapping. But his music was certainly evidencing his locale and informing people that this young blood is from a whole other place and his rapping style is about to start a revolution in the music world. His music is both country and urban at the same time, so is his dialect which is a combination of a Southern drawl and a Midwestern twang.
Peter Shapiro, the celebrated freelance musical journalist ahs described Nelly’s rapping style as using “unforgettable hooks based on schoolyard songs, double-dutch chants, and nonsense rhymes with a Missouri twang”. No other rapper in the industry sings in such a unique blend of style and tone. And his accent and dialect matches the singularity of his singling style. Another unique feature that only adds to the novelty of Nelly songs is their lyrics. His tongue-twisting hooks are often sung rather than rapped and the lyrics are often described as being tight and diverse.
Plus, Nelly never shied away from a pop-rap approach, embracing that sing-along vocal style that is the main reason behind his hooks being catchier than most other rappers. With his style not fitting into any existing hip hop school or genre, Nelly pictures a situation where his music is capable of crossing practically all boundaries and transcending the regular musical ways of other rappers. And it is exactly this quality that sets him apart and above other rappers that belong to his generation. There simply is no one else like him!
And with this signature musical genius, he has consistently returned to the pop charts with smash hits like “Hot in Herre,” “Grillz,” and “Dilemma”. And it is not just the songs and music where he has been creating benchmarks. Every single Nelly music video is something to watch out for. Nelly music videos are as much trend setters as are his songs. His singles like “Air Force Ones” (a Top Three hit), “Work It” (featuring Justin Timberlake), and “Pimp Juice” were amongst the biggest hits in the year they were released. So were his red-hot singles — “Flap Your Wings” (a club jam) and “My Place” (a slow jam). You can expect him to create a chart topping number every time he comes up with a new song!
About the Author:
James Griffith is a freelance writer from London specialising in writing hiphop r&b music and uk grime music articles. Over the years he has developed an extensive knowledge of urban music and urban music artists and is considered one of the leading authorities on this subject. With a passion for Hip hop and R&B music since childhood, James Griffith brings great knowledge and a great understanding of this exciting music genre and his articles are both informative and entertaining too.
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