Free City

1	Just for You The Introductory Poem 1:22
2	S.T.L. / Murphy Lee 5:17
3	Okay / Murphy Lee 3:47
4	Summer in the City 4:35
5	Mad Baby Daddy Skit, Pt. 1 / Little Rock 1:35
6	Boom D Boom 3:24
7	Midwest Swing / Murphy Lee 4:35
8	Show Em What They Won / Murphy Lee 4:26
9	Let Me in Now / Murphy Lee 4:37
10	Dis Iz da Life / Murphy Lee 4:27
11	MBD Skit, Pt. 2 / Little Rock 1:03
12	Scandalous / Murphy Lee 3:25
13	Groovin Tonight / City Spud 5:17
14	Jang a Lang / Penelope 4:19
15	MBD Skit, Pt. 3 1:41
16	Real N****z / Murphy Lee 4:23
17	Here We Come / Nelly 4:10
18	Love You So / Murphy Lee 3:59
19	MBD Skit, Pt. 4 / Little Rock 3:31

Barnes & Noble

Just as Master P and the Cash Money Millionaires blinged out the Dirty South in the late '90's, Nelly hipped the nation to the twang of his St. Louis Country Grammar and single-handedly established America's heartland as the latest breeding ground for multiplatinum hip-hop talent. Now Nelly fans can experience him as one-sixth of St. Lunatics, the most powerful crew on the STL circuit. On their long-awaited debut disc, Free City, Nelly and his homeys City Spud, Ali, Ky-Juan, Murphy Lee, and Slo-Down give fans more of the singsong rap style that made Grammar such a winner. And while the new album may not have the runaway magnetism of its predecessor, Free City still fires off a couple of blazing shots toward the top of the charts with posse anthems such as the melodic first single, "Midwest Swing," and the bouncy "Jang a Lang." Although much of the album is rife with the glorified ghetto aspirations -- more money, more cash, and more hos -- that tarnish an otherwise innovative musical movement, joints such as the album's stellar spoken-word opener, "Just for You (An Introductory Poem)," which name-drops the conscious rap duo Dead Prez, proves that the St. Lunatics are as much about big thinkin' as they are about big pimpin'. Ron Hart

All Music Guide

If you're looking for protest rap with socially conscious lyrics and dense soundscapes unlike anything you've heard before, then you've come to the wrong place. But if you're looking for songs about cars and girls with sing-song rhymes and bouncy, big-bottom beats, then you may want to hold your party here. As the deliberately off-key, drawling vocals on "Midwest Swing" suggest, these down-to-earth rappers aren't at great risk of taking themselves too seriously; they're more interested in shout outs to St. Louis and having a good time in general. Fans of Nelly will probably enjoy his work on this album, but it should be noted that St. Lunatics is a group and not just a Nelly side-project. Murphy Lee's rougher, faster, and higher-pitched mic style complements Nelly's highly recognizable voice, while Ali, Kyjuan, and City Spud (whose incarceration inspired the album's title) also contribute to this album. Unfortunately, their rhymes and deliveries are often fairly unremarkable, so Nelly remains the dominant voice on Free City, even though he shares time with his peeps. It's producer Jason "Jay E" Epperson, however, who's the album's MVP; he keeps the music interesting even when the raps aren't particularly memorable. There are relatively few guest stars here, but Brian McKnight sings joyfully on the lovers' track "Groovin' Tonight," which features an interesting light jazz loop, and Penelope shows plenty of attitude on "Jan a Lang." Overall, this album isn't quite as catchy as Country Grammar, but it's still a relatively affable party album. ~ Todd Kristel, All Music Guide