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Nelly claims the 1999s and 2000s were the "toughest ever in Hip-Hop ever."
On Tuesday, March 5, "The Shop" dropped a clip from the talk show's Season 7 premiere featuring special guests Nelly, WNBA champion Becky Hammon and comedian Cedric The Entertainer. At one point during their conversation with co-hosts Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera, Nelly was asked about his experience at the GRAMMY Awards in 2000 and the pressure of being an MC from the Midwest. That's when Nelly declared that the era he came up was the "hardest era ever."
"You gotta understand," he said. "My era of music was the toughest era in hip-hop ever. Ever!"
"When I put out songs, I had to go against DMX, JAY-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Luda – all of us are fighting for one spot," he explained. "So from 99 to like 2008, 10? It's the hardest era ever."
His comments sparked plenty of conversations within the comment section. Some believed Nelly had a point due to his array of hits off his debut album Country Grammar alone. Although his debut album missed the cutoff for the 2000 GRAMMY Awards, the St. Louis native was nominated the following year for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance. He won his first golden gramophones in 2003 thanks to "Dilemma" featuring Kelly Rowland, which earned him Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and "Hot In Herre," which won Best Rap Solo Performance.
Others felt like previous eras had it more difficult. One fan in particular brought up the East vs. West Coast beefs that essentially tore the rap game apart for awhile.
"He’s forgetting the 80’s and 90’s… who was competing with NWA?" the fan wrote. "Even when they spilt, NWA still ruled independently. South Side in the 90s wasn’t getting no love cause of the whole East Coast vs West Coast rivalry. I do agree with him, but let’s not forget."
The first episode of "The Shop" Season 7 debuts on Thursday, March 7 on its brand new YouTube channel. Watch the official trailer below.