Someone once described Manhattan as the "most European" of American cities -- which I thought was odd, considering the huge black, Latin American, and Asian populations. But then I thought about how black folks up north have traditionally waxed Victorian when discussing Southern hip-hop. No that wasn't Trick Daddy your man was playing at that house party, the one where he spent the last 45 minutes on the dance floor with that part-time stripper's butt welded to his crotch. And no he didn't get the ideas for gold fronts from Juvenile. And heaven forbid you ever mention Mannie Fresh and Pete Rock in the same breath.

With that in mind, it's easy to see why Nelly's Country Grammar will be the latest Northeast hit that never happened. Nelly bounces with a vengeance, offering up a convincing addition to the Southern dance-hop canon. His sing-songey delivery is packed with sing-along potential, especially for those who have rubbed their throats raw chanting along with DMX.

The hypnotic title cut, already making the rounds on popular-opinion outlets like The Box, features the St. Louis resident in full country preacher mode. And the slightly distilled southern boom of "Ride Wit Me," "For My" (featuring Cash Money's Lil' Wayne), and "Thicky Thick Girl" adds sonic variety -- just enough to make up for Nelly's often predictable verbal style, which is a bit wearying over the course of an entire release. Which also, of course, works well if you're a back-to-basics Northeastern cat looking for a good excuse to throw on Country Grammar. To wit: "Yeah, my man ain't no rapper but he gots the beats; its good for what it is." Yeah, right. Shut up and go hit that ass.