The 333 Best Pop Songs of the 2000s: #271

#271: "Hot in Herre" (2002) - Nelly

Nelly’s often been lambasted by rap and rock critics because, basically, his records are too pop, too geared to the mass market. These critics not only question his sensibilities, but they also question his credibility. Nelly’s not street; he’s frontin’; he’s not real rap. While the latter criticisms may be true (though I don’t know, nor do I care), they don’t mean whit as far as the quality of the music is concerned. And most of Nelly’s singles have been fantastic pop music, dynamic dance records. Though his voice might not have the air of authenticity that most of the highly-regarded rappers have, Nelly certainly knows how to ride a rhythm; his cadence is impeccable, his grunting asides popping on the upbeat, mirroring the rhythm of the guitar.

Nelly also knows how to choose a producer; in this case, it's the Neptunes with just the right balance of synths, drum machines, bass, and guitar, all syncopating in and out of the mix, hearing a cowbell and keyboard here, a guitar and bass there, with the record’s rhythm created not by any single instrument, but by the arrangement of all, and the heat generated by the Neptunes' alacrity of compression. It's a stuffy record, but the humidity mirrors the lyric.

In “Hot in Herre,” Nelly raps/sings about getting naked because the temperature in the room has risen, and the temperature has risen ‘cause everyone’s dancing, and everyone’s dancing ‘cause Nelly is rapping, and Nelly is rapping ‘cause everyone’s dancing—even the girl dancing in front of her mirror. Dancing as a precursor to sex—that’s (part of) what this song’s about, which might explain which some of the rockers don’t like Nelly—but it doesn’t explain the hard-core rappers. Except that maybe—just maybe—most hard-core rap is about violence and intimidation, both of which negate freedom, which is what dancing—clothed or not—is about in the first place.