Did Juvenile's '400 Degreez' Outsell Jay-Z and Nas' Best Albums?

Juvenile has long defended the success of Southern rappers, often comparing them to New York City’s Hip-Hop legends. His latest statement reinforces this view. Juvie recently appeared on the HoodClips podcast, where he discussed his third studio album, 400 Degreez, and whether it can be considered a “no skip” classic.

The host of the show mentioned he had a debate with friends who contested his view that 400 Degreez is a classic album. Juvenile believes there’s bias favoring NYC artists, who have their own definition of Hip-Hop. “A hit is a hit. You don’t have to be the best rapper,” he stated.

“Being the best rapper in the world means nothing if you don’t have hits,” he added. “Look at the numbers. People always talk about Nas and Jay-Z, but who sold the most records? Let’s compare their best solo albums with 400 Degreez. Numbers don’t lie.”

His challenge is to base the perception of the best artist on trackable data. According to RIAA, which tracks album sales, Juvenile’s claims hold some truth. When comparing 400 Degreez to Nas’ highest-selling album, It Was Written, Juvenile comes out on top, selling 4 million to Nas’ 3 million as of August 2024. However, Jay-Z tells a different story.

Jay-Z has multiple albums selling over 4 million. The Black Album ties 400 Degreez at 4 million units, while Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life has sold 6 million copies. Watch the Throne has moved 5 million, but that doesn’t count as it’s not a solo work. By Juvenile’s logic, Jay-Z outsells both Nas and himself.

So, is Juvenile’s claim valid? It’s a mixed bag. While he surpasses Nas in sales, Jay-Z easily surpasses both.

Watch the video and examine the data to judge for yourself.