Double 'dirrrrty' on 2 discs

Warning: this is a test. Nelly, the hip-hop sensation out of St. Louis, released two separate albums on the same day, a week ago. The first, Sweat, is a collection of party anthems and club beats, while the second, Suit, is full of mellow, slow jams. Either Nelly is giving his fans a choice of which set to buy, or he is confident that people will drop nearly $30 for both albums.\nIf he passes this test, and his albums duo garner as much attention on the air and on the billboard charts as his last two releases, Country Grammar and Nellyville, Nelly will be catapulted into the realm of such hip-hop/R&B legends as Jay-Z, Outkast and R. Kelly. If the album flops, Nelly will fade into the abyss of flash-in-the-pan rap stars, albeit not without his Bentley. But here is a likely prediction: the album will not flop. \nThere are more than a handful of reasons why Sweat/Suit will be successful: the flurry of publicity, the loyal fan base and the fact that the majority of the songs are pretty damn good. Is it a Chronic 2001? No. But Nelly never had a problem rejecting the more thuggish, black-hearted image of rappers like Dr. Dre in favor of a softer, goofier demeanor, which is reflected in his more recent singles. \nHis songs on Sweat are upbeat and pop-fused and his slower songs on Suit are heartfelt and sensitive. And this doesn't hurt when it comes to women because you know what they say: make a record for the girls, and the boys will follow. \nSweat is a pretty solid record. Don't expect anything especially innovative or different, as Nelly's lyrics deal with the same content and are delivered with the same flow as all of his other singles. It works, however, because the majority of the songs are cleanly-produced and catchy. After a first listen, it is hard to get the hooks out of your head, which is the ultimate goal of any record producer with profit in mind. "Flap Your Wings," the first of Nelly's club releases, is already soaring up the charts, and "Tilt Ya Head Back," featuring Christina Aguilera, is a likely follow-up. Neither song is especially fresh-sounding, which is one of my only gripes, and a few songs could use a heavier bass line and more contrasting choruses. The number of guest artists does add variety, however. Mobb Deep, Missy Elliott and Fat Joe all lend their talents.\nSuit is a very chill set that's perfect for the other half of life that is not spent partying. Again, the melodies are smooth and simple, and Nelly definitely schmoozes the ladies. "Pretty Toes" and "In My Life" are surprisingly romantic, making one wonder if Nelly has forfeited the player life. Highly unlikely, but one such single, "Over and Over," featuring Tim McGraw, definitely shows a softer side to Nelly, and the chorus is so well-produced that it seems a likely follow-up to Suit's "My Place," which is his current R&B hit. Other songs deal with the hard day-to-day life of a multi-platinum rapper, with a song dedicated to his car collection and another to his entourage of "dirrty" friends.\nSo Nelly is not going anywhere it seems. Sweat/Suit is a strong set of records and sure to bring on a bunch of hits. He could have excluded some of the weaker songs on both and combined the two for one extremely good album, but some marketing genius thought better of it. If spending 30 bucks on Nelly CDs is in your budget, it should be worthwhile. This "Midwest Thang" has passed the test of time and is not stopping anytime soon.