Published on Jan 21, 2014
Nelly dropped his seventh studio album on us a few months ago and as per usual (with a couple of exceptions), the album divided critics and fans alike. I’m not sure what most people were expecting, but I for one was thoroughly impressed and at least would say that M.O. is on a par with say, 2008’s Brass Knuckles for both quality and entertainment value. My opinion may be biased due to the fact that I have always been a big fan, but that’s the way it goes.
M.O. shifts fantastically well from hip-hop to R&B all the way to straightforward pop; clocking in at a tad over forty-five minutes, it is the most economically sound release of his career. With his previous album, 2010’s 5.0, Nelly served up an overlong and overblown record that featured too many songs that all sounded too similar for their own good. That problem has been rectified here as he oversaw this project as executive producer and made sure to create something far different than the cliché-ridden and pompous 5.0. The usual suspects are here to help out, but Nelly kept a tight rein to help keep things in check with the overall aim.
Trey Songz, Pharrell, 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj and Nelly Furtado offer the most memorable guest spots, but really everyone involved here has stepped up to the plate and hit them outta the park. Pharrell and Minaj hit straight away with the opener “Get Like Me,” which I think is Nelly’s best single since “Hot In Herre” a decade ago, and Minaj’s rap is ice-cool. It’s an uber-cool, minimalist hip-hop track that is easily the album’s most unique moment – but that’s not to say there isn’t more great stuff to be found here. T.I. joins proceedings for the glorious funk track “Rick James,” which both tributes and has a laugh at the late great Super Freak.
“Heaven” (featuring Daley) is a breath of fresh air with its Latin inspired track; it also is the first of several tracks here to feature a rare instrument in hip-hop circles, the humble acoustic guitar. Another killer track is “Maryland, Massachusetts,” which is again right up there with some of Nelly’s best ever work; its smoothness and controlled restrain show great maturity as a songsmith. A couple more standouts are the 2 Chainz track “100k” and “IDGAF,” which features both Pharrell and T.I. and sports a classic Nelly lyric.
There are a couple of low points here, but at least they are stuck together so are easily skipped over. I speak of the bland “U Know U Want To” (which sounds like bad Usher) and the generic pop of “Walk Away,” which is no match for the more potent material on offer here. The album closes strongly, though with two more fantastic tracks, the sweet pop of “Headphones” (a duet with another Nelly Furtado), which is followed by the song that was the album’s lead single, “Hey Porsche.”
Overall, M.O. is a very solid effort and ranks among Nelly’s finest work. It is lots of fun and a lighter mood throughout this time around, making it a welcome change for this fan. “