Nelly tour supports much-delayed 'Brass Knuckles'

Fans of hip-hop maven Nelly will have a chance to see him perform at several rare club events when he tours this fall in support of the much-delayed "Brass Knuckles." The rapper has announced shows in 13 cities so far, starting with a September 12 gig in Reno, NV, and wrapping on October 8 in St. Paul, MN.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Nelly is slated to release "Brass Knuckles", his fifth solo album, on September 16. The album received a lot of hype when it was announced for release in 2007, but the actual in-store date has been pushed back several times. Most recently, the date was pushed from June 24 to August 19 -- and then again to September 16. According to published reports, the decision to delay the album came from Universal Records.

The record is a follow-up to the 2004 separately released set "Sweat / Suit." The latter album ranked higher on charts in the U.S. and UK, and attained multi-platinum sales over the single-platinum "Sweat."

Nelly began rapping with his hometown crew, the St. Lunatics, in 1993. The group had their first hit in 1996 with "Gimme What U Got." Four years later, Nelly began his solo career with "Country Grammar," which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The album, released on Universal, later peaked at No. 1, a position it held for five weeks.

Nelly itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)