Nelly Claims His Era Of Music Was The “Toughest” Ever

In 2002’s “Excuse Me Miss,” Jay-Z raps, “Only dudes movin' units, 'Em, Pimp Juice and us.”

Nelly claims that his era of music was the “toughest” regarding the competition in the upcoming season 7 premiere episode of LeBron James’s The Shop. The legendary entertainer explained how competitive artists were while discussing his accolades during the period, including his debut single, “Country Grammar,” selling five million copies. 

“My era of music was the toughest era in hip hop ever … EVER,” said Nelly in the clip. “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. So from ‘99 to 2008… 10. It’s the hardest era ever.”

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The competitive conversation began with Nelly answering the question about the Grammy's acknowledgment of hip-hop. Even though he had the highest-selling single, he wasn't nominated for Best New Artist but said Alicia Keys deserved the title. Nelly has won three Grammys out of the 12 nominations. 

Nelly debuted in 2000 with Country Grammar, which includes hit songs “E.I.,” “Batter Up,” and

“Ride With Me.” The debut album went 9x platinum and set up Nelly’s diamond-selling album Nellyville, which includes the classic “Dilemma.” In the early 2000s, Hip Hop would produce classics like Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and Ludacris Back For The First Time.

Nelly's career continues to flourish and venture into other genres, such as country music. In 2023, he sold part of his catalog for reportedly $50 million to HarbourViews Partners. Last week, he released a new single with Jermaine Dupri, Ashanti, and Juicy J.

Along with Nelly, The Shop episode includes special guests comedian Cedric The Entertainer and Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. The season 7 premiere of The Shop is March 7.