Jermaine Dupri Says He Understood When 21 Savage Said Nas Isn’t Relevant Because He Had Fans That Never Heard Of Jay-Z Until Their Collab Track ‘Money Ain’t A Thang’: Hip-Hop Ain’t Old Enough For N*gg*s To Know Everything

Jermaine Dupri, Jay-Z, 21 Savage, Nas

Jermaine Dupri Says He Understood When 21 Savage Said Nas Isn’t Relevant Because He Had Fans That Never Heard Of Jay-Z Until Their Collab Track ‘Money Ain’t A Thang’: Hip-Hop Ain’t Old Enough For N*gg*s To Know Everything

Fans down South allegedly had no clue who Jay-Z was before he worked with Jermaine Dupri. 

In a recent interview with the “I Am Athlete” podcast, the Atlanta record producer discussed how he’s managed to stay a legend in the hip-hop industry for decades. During the conversation, Jermaine Dupri also recalled introducing one of hip-hop’s greatest rappers, Jay-Z, to his Atlanta fanbase. Jermaine Dupri said:

“I got records that got played only in Atlanta. I got records that only n*gg*s in the South know. I got n*gg*s from my hood that didn’t never listen to Jay-Z til’ I made ‘Money Ain’t A Thang.’ This is people that told me this, not me. That’s not me saying this.”

Jermaine Dupri

He admitted:

“I knew who Jay-Z was or I wouldn’t have put him on my song. I’m saying that to say I knew who Jay-Z was, but the area, right?”

The 50-year-old, born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin, then shared how he encouraged his southern associates to listen to New York rappers more. 

“Me and Jay-Z came out in 1996. People that worked for me back then, I was telling them ‘yo listen, there’s rappers in New York that n*gg*s in Atlanta don’t never hear.”

He continued:

“The strip clubs used to be so ‘shake your booty’ music that none of this sh*t was never heard in the strip club.”

Tying in 21 Savage’s previous controversial remarks about Nas being irrelevant today to prove his point, Dupri shared:

“So, if you really grew up in this, when you heard 21 say that he felt like Nas wasn’t relevant, it didn’t hit me the way it hit everybody else because I know what he talking about. I knew he was talking about his environment. I knew he talking about — when you walk outside and you hear these cars driving down the street they not playing Nas. They playing whatever the ghetto n*gg* is that’s hot right now.”

He elaborated:

“That stuff just needs to be explained…I’m not trying to be safe I just feel like I understand now when I do interviews that I have to speak from an educational standpoint because people have lost sight that hip-hop ain’t old enough for n*gg*s to know everything.”

As previously reported, in November, a few days after rapper Nas, born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, debuted his 16th studio album, “King’s Disease III,” 21 Savage didn’t hesitate to share his opinion about the New York native’s relevancy. The 30-year-old said: 

“Technically, anybody can [drop an album]. Like, all them n*ggas could drop one if they wanted to. What y’all saying [is] relevant, though? I don’t feel like he’s relevant. I just feel like he got a fanbase.” 

After facing backlash, 21, born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, later clarified his comments on Twitter, disclaiming:

 “I would never disrespect nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it.”

Following the speculated beef,  21 Savage, 30, and Nas, 49, collaborated on a new track titled “One Mic, One Gun.” The three-minute song displays the two Grammy-winning rappers showing that although there’s a generational gap between them, they can still unite.

Do you think ATL fans knew Jay-Z before Jermaine Dupri included him on a “Money Ain’t A Thang?” Tell us below.