Nelly and the St Lunatics, Akon and Savage at Mt Smart Supertop

From this moment on, think of me as a girl. That way you will not think I fancy Nelly when the words sexy, panting and thrusting are used in this review. Plus, Nelly is here for the girls. And the ladies are screaming for him to, indeed, "Take off all your clothes".

Before Nelly, we had Akon. If Nelly is the multi-million dollar superstar musician, then Akon is the man of the moment. His sound goes from deep hip-hop to skanking bravado to simplistic pop. The highlight, apart from Lonely, is the sentimentality of Ghetto, especially when he's shaking hands with the front row while singing.

The inclusion of his collaborations with Kiwi artists (P Money's Keep On Calling, Savage's single, Moonshine) in the set was Aotearoa hip-hop going international.
Then, cut the lights, increase the dry ice, and guess who's thrusting down the stairwell with diamond-studded belt buckle? He opens his mouth and his distinct southern drawl mixed with a sexy snare quickens the masses' panting.

Anyone who thought Nelly was a novelty act was proved wrong. He is a rapper who can also be a pop star.

Nelly busts out Gimmie What You Got - the 1996 track that started it all - to prove his and the St Lunatics' rap credentials. That song is a highlight.

But most fans are here for pop-rap tracks like Hot In Herre, Ride Wit Me, Pimp Juice and several off his latest albums, Suit and Sweat (all accompanied by three booty-shaking-Beyonce dancers).

While Nelly is all class, the Mt Smart Supertop is an embarrassment, a ragged tent in concrete hell.