It was in the year 2002 when I first encountered Nelly in my life. At that time, I was just a simple grade 6 student then who never appreciated rap and rock music. For me, rock and rap music were only played if you wanted to make some noise or annoy some people. I only listened to Mandy Moore, Backstreet Boys, and other artists who's known for singing bubblegum type of music. But when I heard Dilemma and Cleanin' Out My Closet, a song by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child and Eminem respectively, my view on rap and even rock music changed. I started to memorize the lyrics of these songs, sing my heart out whenever I'm in the shower or my room and the rest, as they say, is history.
I'm glad that Nelly's (also Eminem) back this year with his new single, Just a Dream, from the album 5.0. This one is quite different from his past songs such as Hot in Here and Party People because it's more mellow and heartbreaking. This song probably reflects his softer side since we are more used to his tough image, as shown in his previous music videos. I wish this would put him back to the top of the charts again. Afterall, it's been eight years. :)
