Nelly Declares 2000s As Toughest Era In Hip-Hop Ever

Nelly was among the chart-topping, award-winning rap stars who dominated the 2000s decade. The St. Lunatics frontman broke out at the turn of the century with his classic Country Grammar album.

According to Nelly, his generation arrived at a more competitive time for Hip-Hop recording artists. The 49-year-old entertainer reflected on that pre-streaming period while appearing on The Shop: Uninterrupted.

“My era of music was the toughest era in Hip-Hop ever. Ever!” the St. Louis native proclaimed in a preview clip posted to Instagram. “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.”

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Nelly dropped his debut studio album, Country Grammar, in 2000. That same year also saw full-length releases by Common, Eminem, Lil Kim, Cam’ron, Ja Rule, Ludacris, JAY-Z, Outkast, Snoop Dogg and many more.

The RIAA awarded Country Grammar with diamond certification in July 2016. Additionally, Nelly’s catalog contains 2002’s Nellyville (7x-platinum), 2004’s Sweat (platinum) and 2004’s Suit (3x-platinum).

LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The Shop: Uninterrupted featuring Nelly premieres on Thursday (March 7). Comedian Cedric The Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show, Barbershop) also appears on the same episode.