For his next release Nelly wanted to experiment with R&B, but didn’t want to abandon his rap roots; as a compromise to his fans, Nelly recorded two separate albums that were simultaneously released in 2004 -
Sweat and
Suit. While
Sweat was a rap album in the same vein as his earlier work,
Suit went off in a slick, groovy R&B direction.
Suit and
Sweat rose to the 1st and 2nd slots, respectively, of the Billboard 200 the week of their release, making Nelly one of only a handful recording artists to ever cinch the top two spots simultaneously. Sweat and Suit produced a number of hits, including
"Flap Your Wings",
"My Place", and
"Over and Over", a balladic crossover single featuring country superstar
Tim McGraw.
Nelly plans to release a fifth album,
Brass Knuckles, in late 2008. The album is rumored to be his most diverse release yet, with
Akon,
Fergie,
Mariah Carey, and
Bruce Springsteen all scheduled to make an appearance. Two singles from
Brass Knuckles have already been released,
"Wadsyaname" and
"Party People".