Nelly said he battled against true heavyweights in "the toughest era of Hip Hop"

This Thursday (March 7), fans of LeBron James' "The Shop" will be able to check out a new episode that features Nelly. In a clip shared on the show's Instagram account on Tuesday (March 5), the St. Louis-based MC expressed his feelings about the level of competition during the height of his rap career.

"My era of music was the toughest era in Hip Hop, ever. When I put out songs, I had to go against DMX, JAY-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent [and Ludacris]," he said. "All of us are fighting for one spot. So, from 1999 to like 2008, 2010, [it was] the hardest era, ever." Fellow guest Cedric the Entertainer then recited a classic line from JAY-Z's “Excuse Me Miss.” "Only dudes movin' units, Em, Pimp Juice and us!" the comedian rapped as "The Shop" co-host Maverick Carter laughed.

Elsewhere in the short preview, Nelly addressed his issues with the Recording Academy. "It's one of those situations where you just hope that the Grammys get it together," he expressed, echoing sentiments previously made by peers like Meek Mill and Drake. "First of all, I wasn't even nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Understand that. Country Grammar [earned] 5 million [records sold], and I didn't even get nominated as Best New Artist."

He continued, "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. She should have won in 2001."

Notably, Nelly would go on to earn 12 nominations from the Recording Academy during his decorated career. Of that figure, he collected a Best Rap/Sung Performance win for "Dilemma" with Kelly Rowland, a Best Male Rap Solo Performance win for "Hot In Herre," and a Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group win for the Diddy and Murphy Lee-assisted "Shake Ya Tailfeather."

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