Juvenile compares himself to Jay-Z and Nas: “numbers don’t lie”
Rappers are prone to bold statements and heightened self-assuredness, with Juvenile recently making some divisive claims about his place in the history books. Putting one of his classic records up against those of Jay-Z and Nas, he claimed that he is a more significant rapper when it comes to numbers sold.
The comments concern his 1998 album, 400 Degreez, the record that produced the singles ‘Ha’ and ‘Back That Azz Up’, and peaked at nine on the US Billboard 200. It remains the New Orleans rapper’s best-selling effort, with six million copies sold as of 2021, with it certified quadruple platinum by RIAA in 2000.
Interestingly, 400 Degreez features a remix of ‘Ha’ with Jay-Z, the only guest appearance on the record from outside the Cash Money roster. It marked the first time a rapper on the label worked with an East Coast one.
In a recent interview with HoodClips, Juvenile has backed his place in the annals of rap, by boldly stacking his 1998 masterpiece up against some of Jay-Z and Nas’ best-loved efforts. He claims that to qualify a rapper as a legend of the game, they must have secured hit records alongside their ability to spit fire.
“Some of those cats [up north], they got their own definition of what they call Hip Hop, and Southern Hip Hop just don’t fit the bill at certain points,” he said. “Look, man, some of the best rappers — they got some muthafuckas that can rap they ass off but can’t make a fucking hit. [Being] the best rapper in the world don’t mean nothing if you ain’t got no fucking hits!”
The ‘Ha’ musician then challenged fans to choose their ultimate Jay-Z and Nas albums and compare their sales to those of 400 Degreez. He maintained: “Go check the numbers. N-ggas always talk about, ‘Nas da-da-da. JAY-Z da-da-da.’ Okay, who sold the most records? I think that’s what counts, right?”
Juvie confidently asserted that the “numbers don’t lie”, telling fans to look up the all-time sales per album, and compare where they rank. While he was correct in 400 Degreez being a huge hit, Jay-Z’s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, also from 1998, is certified six times platinum, resoundingly beating his record.
Strangely, though, Nas’ 1994 debut Illmatic, widely deemed one of the most influential rap albums ever, has sold fewer copies than 400 Degreez. Therefore, Juvenile was partially correct in the commercial sense, but culturally, we all know which rappers sit at the head of the table.