5.0

5.0 is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nelly. It was released through Universal Motown Records (Universal Music Group) and Derrty (Universal Music Group) on November 12, 2010. The album features guest appearances from Kelly Rowland, Keri Hilson, DJ Khaled, Baby, Sophie Greene, Ali, Plies, Chris Brown, T.I., Yo Gotti, T-Pain, Akon, Talib Kweli, Avery Storm, Murphy Lee, Dirty Money and Sean Paul while production was handled by Infamous, Dr. Luke, Mr. Bangladesh, Jim Jonsin, Multiman, Polow da Don, Rico Love and The Runners, among others. 5.0 is predominately a hip hop and pop music album with subtle influences of R&B.

The album debuted at ten on the US Billboard 200, selling over 65,000 copies in its first week domestically. Its lead single, "Just a Dream" became the only song from 5.0 to earn mainstream radio airplay and significantly impact worldwide charts. Released on August 16, 2010, it was Nelly's most successful single since his 2005 single "Grillz", and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

On July 8, 2009, Nelly made a public announcement in Las Vegas that he was recording a new album. He would tell DJ Semtex that he was planning to release a self-titled album in the first quarter of 2010. In an interview with MTV's Shaheem Reid, the rapper said he was fuelled by the lukewarm reception of his previous albums to produce something better.

The rapper T.I. features in a track on the album ("She So Fly"), produced by 1500 or Nothin' of The Smash Factory, according to a video in the studio. Hoping to recreate the success of their 2002 Billboard chart-topping single "Dilemma", Nelly has also worked with Kelly Rowland for the sequel ("Gone"), produced by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love. He has collaborated with actress/singer Taraji P. Henson on a Jermaine Dupri-produced song, however it was confirmed later that Taraji was unable to perform on the record.

On June 3, 2010, Nelly announced that the album would be titled Nelly 5.0. The title was inspired by his 2011 Ford Mustang, which is also on the album artwork. He said:

The album's lead single "Just a Dream", was released August 16, 2010 to iTunes Stores around the world for digital download. It was released to Mainstream and Rhythm/Crossover radio on August 10, 2010. "Just a Dream" made its first chart appearance debuting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 12 and peaking at number 3 in its eighth week. The song also debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart, selling 135,000 downloads in its first week. "Just a Dream" is Nelly's highest-charting song since his 2005 single "Grillz" and debuted at number 22 on the Billboard Rap Songs. The song entered the Canadian Hot 100 in August 2010, at number 32. It debuted in Australia (ARIA Charts) on the Singles Chart at number 24, in New Zealand Singles Charts at number 29, and in Switzerland (Media Control AG) at number 52. The Sanji-directed music video premiered on Vevo on September 24, 2010.

The album's second single "Move That Body"; produced by Dr. Luke, along with Mr. Bangladesh and featuring guest appearances from Akon and T-Pain. The song was released for digital download on October 12, 2010. The song made its first chart appearance debuting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 54 and has reached a current peak at number 29 in Australia. The music video for the single was directed by Marc Klasfeld.

The album's third single, titled "Gone" featuring guest appearance from singer Kelly Rowland. It was sent to urban and Urban AC stations on January 4, 2011. It will be sent to Top 40/Mainstream radio on January 18, 2011. On January 6, 2011, Nelly said on his Twitter, "new Nelly single... "Gone" featuring Kelly Rowland video coming very soon #5.0 :-)", the song is set to be released as the third official single from the album. The video for "Gone" was finally debuted to the public on March 12, 2011. In the United States, "Gone" peaked at a lowly number 59 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but has so far fared better in international markets where it has so far charted in Australia and the UK.

The Dutch-produced "Tippin' in da Club" was released as the album's promotional single on August 17, 2010. It is not included on the final track listing. The album's second promotional single "Long Gone" featuring Plies and Chris Brown, was released on November 9, 2010. In November 2010, the song "Liv Tonight" featuring Keri Hilson, which debuted at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart, number 74 on the Canadian Hot 100, and number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100, without release as a single. On the week of June 12, 2011, the song returned to the UK Singles Chart at number 72. A week later, it made a new peak of number 52.

Upon its release, 5.0 received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 52, based on nine reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".

Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly gave 5.0 a B rating and commented that "on 5.0 Nelly makes a reasonably convincing case that he can keep the momentum going. His lyrics are vacuous as ever, but those hooks sure are sticky."

Mariel Concepcion from Billboard said that on "5.0, the rapper proves he still knows what it takes to make a solid, well-rounded album." Concepcion concluded her review by saying that "The 36-year-old artist gives fans the stuff they fell in love with 10 years ago on debut Country Grammar — and with a new pop-driven sound, he demonstrates he hasn't lost a beat."

Ken Capobianco from The Boston Globe said that "Nelly has recruited an all-star supporting cast and emerged with a tuneful mainstream effort that should yield a number of hits." Capobianco said that "Just a Dream" "captures the design of many of these cuts: Hooks are prominent while Nelly's patented tricky flow is often smoothed out." He also praised songs like "Move That Body", "Don't It Feel Good" and "1000 Stacks".

Chuck Eddy from Rolling Stone gave the album two and a half stars (out of five). He said that Nelly "essays a few fashionably global-sounding electro-club tracks, [...] and at least four numbers where he swipes guys' girlfriends. Keri Hilson and Kelly Rowland help him stretch out; Plies, Yo Gotti and T.I. add muscle." Eddy said that the "strut swings most distinctively in "1000 Stacks", where a Biggie sample inspires Nelly to approximate the country grammar he came up on."

Jesse Cataldo from Slant Magazine gave the album a rating of two stars (out of five). Cataldo said that 5.0 is "never overtly awful, but it definitely sinks into the zone of mediocrity occupied by so many mainstream rap albums, where they sit like dishes moldering beneath dirty water." Cataldo said that Nelly has lost his "charm and playfulness he began with" on the albums following Country Grammar. He felt that what is left is "a murky stew of withered affections and grasps at modernity, from siren effects to processed horns and Auto-Tune breakdowns." Cataldo said that the album contains "A collection of collaborations with low-wattage names and also-rans, it basically indicates that even if Nelly is still trying (which he doesn't seem to be), he hasn't sustained the credibility to achieve a plausible comeback."

Andy Kellman from AllMusic also gave the album two stars (out of five). Kellman said that "nothing on the rapper’s sixth studio album encourages repeated listening". He felt that "Nelly’s exuberance often sounds feigned", the "rallying choruses are not effective, and he’s short on ideas". Kellman concluded his review by saying that 5.0 is "by a considerable margin, Nelly’s least essential release to date".

5.0 debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200, selling 63,000 copies in its first week in the United States. It also entered at number 1 on the Billboard's Top Rap Albums and number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album debuted the same week on the Canadian Albums Chart at number 19. As of August 2013, the album has sold 314,000 copies in the United States.

Notes

• Track listing and credits from album booklet.
• (*) signifies a co-producer
• "Making Movies" and "Don't It Feel Good" features uncredited vocals by Rico Love.

Sample credits

• "Long Gone" contains a sample of "Let's Start Love Over", written by Micheal Claxton and performed by Miles Jaye.
• "1000 Stacks" contains a sample of "Everyday Struggle", written by Christopher Wallace, Dave Grusin, Harvey Mason, Norman Glover, Reginald Ellis, embodies portions of "Kick in the Door", written by Christopher Wallace, Christopher Martin and Jalacy Hawkins, both performed by The Notorious B.I.G. and uncredited vocals by Diddy.
• "k.I.s.s" contains portions of "Kissing You", written by Julian Jackson, Brion James, Janice Johnson and Charles Wiggins.

Adapted from AllMusic and album booklet.

Creativity

Performers

Technical

• 5.0 at Metacritic