Though the bit about Kelly and Nelly having "two chicks wash our a$$" is either pure class or superior raunch (again depends all on your perspective). Despite the bragging and bitch baiting, it's an infectious swaggering blast of stunner shade wearing blitz. Unlike the previous two tracks that had Kelly upfront and the guests laying low in the background providing chorus support, this one comes off more like a collabo, with Nelly dropping the first verse followed by Kelly. It's a slithering club swerve that has Nelly talking about enticing betties with his bling and striving to get those digits. "Tryin to Get a Number," featuring Nelly, is pretty self-explanatory. Snoop kicks in about 3-minutes deep and lets loose with his patented lazy swagger. But since it's obvious that most folks don't sink into lyrics too much these days, the beat is slinky and swervy and definitely a slow burn for the club set looking to unwind after a hard night of sweat and tequila shots. Snoop Dogg dips into the title track wherein the old, familiar Kelly returns, talking about hitting the club with two chicks with dizzy legs, rollin' in his ride with "a freak in front and a freak in back" and all the bits about him having found God and repented for his sins in "The Champ" seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Surprisingly, the braggadocio nature of the track resonates and elevates beyond his normal sexcapades. Swizz Beats kicks things off on the lead-in track "The Champ." The synth ripples sound not unlike something you would hear at a boxing match when the favored pugilist enters the ring, then it flips into faux symphonic swooshes as Kelly swoons and croons about his travails (he even compares himself to MJ). There's only one thing to do and that is…double up."Īs is often the case with artists of Kelly's stature, his latest album features a rogue's gallery of guests. So, where does that leave us in 2007 with Double Up, Kelly's 10th full-length release and the follow-up to 2005's TP.3 Reloaded which contained the most perplexing of all smash hits "Trapped In The Closet" Chapters 1-5? Well, Kelly has been promoting his new joint thusly: Sixteen years. But who am I to judge? This fare seems to resonate with the general populace who keep snatching up Kelly's offerings as if they were going out of style (which they so obviously are not). Many a Kelly tune, when broken down into prose or poetic verse, ends up reading like the juvenile rants of under (or over, depending on what the case may be) sexed teens stuck in drama camp. The problem I have with him is his lyrical fortitude, or lack thereof. I think the man is definitely gifted in terms of beat attitude and his ability to craft catchy grooves is pretty much unparalleled in this day and age.