DJ Paul has shared his thoughts on Nelly’s argument about the eras of Hip Hop, concurring that the best era was the 2000s.
TMZ caught up with the Memphis legend on Friday (March 8) to get his thoughts on the debate, and he wasn’t shy in sharing his opinion.
Of course, the Three 6 Mafia producer may be biased considering his group had its most successful run during this decade, including an Oscar win.
He said: “The 2000s was hard…Probably the 2000s was the hardest. The ’90s was kinda like a breeze because that was when we brought out ‘Tear the Club Up’ and all of this…There was really nobody else in our lane in the ’90s…It was like a breeze.”
Paul also explained that the charts didn’t mean as much back in the ’90s.
He said: “I wasn’t tryna be on radio because I knew radio wasn’t gonna play half of this crap that we was talking about. So, I wasn’t looking for charts. I wanted gold plaques and platinum plaques, but I got those on every album that dropped.”
The “Stay Fly” co-producer was then asked about this current era, which he admitted was a difficult one to navigate.
“Now you gotta sell music to people that…don’t even care about music sometimes…Sometimes they just get on there to have a word to say just because they got the power to say it…The social media made it harder because you’re…judged by a million people.”
The debate was sparked earlier this month when Nelly made an appearance on LeBron James‘ The Shop.
The St. Louis rap legend reflected on his breakthrough success in the 2000s and the challenges he faced in trying to stand out in a crowded marketplace full of bona fide stars.
Discussing the Grammys’ hit-and-miss success when it comes to awarding rappers, he said: “Country Grammar sold five million and I didn’t even get nominated as Best New Artist! Because my album came out in 2000 so I wasn’t even on the ballot. In 2001, the great, talented, well-deserving Miss Alicia Keys won — and she should have won.”
“You gotta understand, my era of music was the toughest era in Hip Hop ever. Ever!” he declared. “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 2008-2010, it’s the hardest era ever to get records.”
DJ Paul Narrowly Avoids Nasty Car Crash In Switzerland: ‘Second Time This Year’
Earlier this year, DJ Paul paid tribute to his frequent collaborator, Three 6 Mafia rapper Gangsta Boo, one year after her untimely passing.
On the first day of 2023, the pioneering rapper (real name Chantrelle Lola Mitchell) was found unresponsive at her mother’s home in Memphis, Tennessee and pronounced dead at the scene. It was later reported that she succumbed to an accidental overdose on fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol (alcohol). She was only 43 years old at the time.
The King of Memphis took to Instagram to share several photographs of the departed icon. Complied and edited to make it seem like she was smiling down from heaven, her song “Love Don’t Live (U Abandoned Me)” played over the visuals.
“1 Year Today & I Can Feel It!” the producer captioned his post. “Started Feeling it A Month Ago. Rest Queen, You’ve Worked Hard Enough.”
