Nelly is adamant that Jermaine Dupri would prevail over Diddy in a Verzuz clash.
The Verzuz era might be over, but there are still some debates about some clashes that should’ve happened but didn’t for whatever reason. One such Verzuz that remains elusive is the Jermaine Dupri and Diddy clash. It seems it was in the pipeline but never happened, and from the looks of things now, with the Bad Boy mogul’s current legal troubles, it’s unlike that match-up will ever see the light of day.
Nelly, who recently appeared on the Drink Champs podcast, shared his take on the J.D. and Diddy Verzuz that didn’t happen, saying that the Atlanta producer would be victorious. We should point out that Nelly has a close relationship with J.D., so perhaps his opinion is a little bit skewed, but at least hear him out.
“Him [Jermaine Dupri] and Puff do Verzuz, Puff is gonna get murdered,” Nelly said while stating that Diddy didn’t want the smoke. “Easy. Puffy is smart, he didn’t want no part with J.D. He knew that. Puff is smart he didn’t want that.”
Nelly also pointed out that Diddy was adamant that the Verzuz should be in New York in his territory, which might’ve been part of the reason it didn’t happen. “Why you think he [Diddy] want to hold Verzuz in New York. J.D. can do it anywhere… You do realize when you talking about J.D., you taking it all the back to Kris Kross, what is it he didn’t do?” the “Ride Wit Me” rapper said.
While Diddy and Jermaine Dupri are hugely successful music producers and label executives in their own right, Nelly says Dupri has a more iconic and extensive catalog than the embattled rap mogul.
Nelly says Jermaine Dupri would've murdered Diddy if they had done a Verzuz battle and reveals Diddy only wanted to do the Verzuz in New York.
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Jermaine Dupri made a huge impact on the Southern hip-hop and R&B scenes of the ’90s and 2000s as a producer and label boss. With the creation of So So Def, he catapulted talents like Usher, Bow Wow, and Xscape to stardom. However, his reach went far beyond So So Def, teaming up with big names like Nelly along the way to produce some classics like “Stepped On My J’z” featuring Ciara, released in 2008.
Nelly and J.D. remain friends over the years, with the St. Louis rapper frequently giving him props for his work in hip-hop, often calling him an icon.
While Diddy might not have as diverse a catalog as Jermaine Dupri, he remains one of the most prominent figures in the history of hip-hop and, at one point, had one of the biggest rappers under his Bad Boy Records umbrella, The Notorious B.I.G. Diddy, the iconic mogul behind Bad Boy Records, solidified his empire throughout the ’90s by crafting chart-topping hits for legends like Notorious B.I.G., Lil Kim, and Ma$e. Beyond his musical influence, he made waves in the worlds of fashion, spirits, and television, showcasing his diverse talents and entrepreneurial spirit across multiple industries in the entertainment space, which resulted in his billionaire status.
