While Hip Hop’s sound is ever-evolving, Method Man is certain that the competitive nature of artists in the genre has not shifted. The Wu-Tang Clan emcee has decades in the game and has records that have gone up against peers like the late Notorious B.I.G., but when tasked with naming the most challenging era to go bar for bar, he won’t choose just one.

Nelly, however, was absolutely certain that when he broke out onto the scene and made his descent up the charts, the time was like no other. “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]," said the St. Louis native on an episode of “The Shop.” "All of us are fighting for one spot. So, from 1999 to like 2008, [2010, it was] the hardest era, ever."

Method agrees to some extent. “That’s weird to hear him say that, but I get it ‘cause he had nothing else to refer to. I mean, that seems like a tough era, right?” He told “7PM in Brooklyn” hosts Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero. “But I think the toughest era in Hip Hop, f**k it, I say all of ‘em, man, ‘cause we all still fighting for the same f**king position. What is he talking about? We all still fighting for the same f**king position.”

Anthony, Mero and the “Power Book ll: Ghost” actor agreed that Nelly representing the mid-west mostly on his own at that time may have also been a contributing factor to why he thinks the stretch between 1999 and 2010 was ripe with competitors who were all fit to sit at the No. 1 spot.

“He has some validity to that ‘cause it was pretty tough, but at that point in time, Hip Hop was everywhere. So as far as getting on, nah, it was an audience for anybody that could get their s**t heard or put out at that time, whereas back when we started, you ain’t even know what motherf**kers looked like, there wasn’t no video, no album reference, nothin’. S**t, it was just what you heard on the radio and s**t,” added Method. “All those eras were hard, though. I mean, everybody opened doors [so] the next person could have it a little bit easier. Period. But I’m not going to deny what he is saying.”

Hear Method Man’s full commentary in the video below.