Nelly Says Florida Georgia Line Are Producing His Next Project
Florida Georgia Line and rapper Nelly are together again. The "Cruise" collaborators and one-time touring partners are teaming up for a new album.
Talking to V-103 radio at the Tycoon Music Festival in Atlanta earlier this month, Nelly shared tour plans and said, "I also got an EP coming out that's on a whole 'nother side that's executive produced by Florida Georgia Line. It's on some whole other stuff, so yeah. We still movin'."
Taste of Country reached out to Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley's representatives for confirmation and additional details, but the duo have a number of musical side projects keeping them busy when they're not on their own Can't Say I Ain't Country Tour. Thus far, most have been songwriting collaborations and mentorships. RaeLynn, Morgan Wallen and Hardy are a few artists working with or taught by Florida Georgia Line. Canaan Smith and Granger Smith are two more.
Production credits aren't common for either of the singer-songwriters, even on their own albums. Famed rock producer Joey Moi has been at the helm for each of FGL's four studio albums. He's as responsible for their signature sound as Kelley and Hubbard themselves. Aggressive beats, thick guitars and stadium-sized arrangements are typically (at least on their two most recent albums) balanced by soft, more sparse ballads.
How that sound will transfer to rap remains to be seen. Nelly hasn't released a full-length album or EP since 2013. He first became famous with his Country Grammar album in 2000, and later scored No. 1 hits with songs like "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma." In addition to collaborating with Florida Georgia Line on the remix of "Cruise" and touring with them, he cut a version of Thomas Rhett's hit song "Die a Happy Man" in 2016.
In 2004 he recorded the song "Over and Over" with Tim McGraw. It was a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
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