This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
I know what you’re thinking: It’s bad enough that every rapper has a posse of marginally talented homies. But must they force us to endure albums by them?
Hot on the heels of Eminem’s inessential D12 come St. Lunatics, a quartet financed and fronted by Nelly. Like Mr. Mathers, Nelly is the most talented member of this bunch. But thankfully, unlike Eminem, Nelly’s Dirty South style and sound pack enough personality to overcome any of his crew’s shortcomings. This 70-minute offering dishes up another helping of the bumptious fatback beats, crackling backing tracks, soulfully funky melodies and motor-mouthed, sing-song rhymes that turned Country Grammar into a left-field hit — no surprise, really, since most of the St. Lunatics had a hand in that album. OK, so sometimes his dogs are more bark than bite. But there’s enough of Nelly’s finger-licking good stuff on these cuts to make Free City more than worth the trip.
