You have to give rapper Nelly credit for standing up for what he believes.
Even if it’s real debatable.
Nelly says the 2000s era of hip-hop was the most challenging time for artists to break through and succeed.
In an appearance on the show The Shop, the St. Louis native reflected on not even being nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys in 2000 despite the massive success of his debut album Country Grammar. Alicia Keys took home the Grammy that year.
Nelly argued that having to compete against hip-hop titans like Jay-Z, Eminem, DMX, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Ludacris for mainstream popularity made that period from 1999-2008 “the toughest era in hip-hop ever.”
His perspective has some validity. The 2000s marked a pivotal evolution for hip-hop as the genre expanded beyond its East Coast/West Coast boundaries into new regions like the Midwest and South.
This geographic expansion ushered in a new crop of star rappers like Nelly all vying for the top spots alongside established acts like Jay-Z and DMX who carried over success from the 90s.
“You gotta understand, my era of music was the toughest era in hip-hop ever. Ever!” said Nelly. “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 like 2008, 10? It’s the hardest era ever.”
Future GOATs like Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne and Kanye West also exploded onto the scene during this era. The competition was immense.
The 2000s also transformed hip-hop’s sound, revolutionizing the culture and propelling it to become one of the world’s leading musical genres today.
Despite not receiving Grammy recognition early on, Nelly sold so prolifically that he ranked as the 4th best-selling hip-hop artist of all time in the U.S. by 2014.
His recollection highlights how creatively and commercially competitive that period was for hip-hop before streaming dramatically changed the music industry landscape.
