I don't want to rehash the plant/plug debate but we had long suspected that he didn't get all the attention he got for his last mixtape based solely off of talent.
It's extremely difficult to get national attention as an artist without being connected in some way with someone who has either money, resources or relationships...
Dudes don't really make it just selling music out of their trunk and doing shows without some kind of backing whether it be financial or resourceful. Nelly was a rare case of a bunch of kids who made some local noise... took their McDonald's paycheck money, rented a van to Atlanta & got in Jermaine Dupri's birthday party & Mase's manager just happened to be someone who didn't play them Hollywood...
Most of these artists in hip hop are backed by someone who is putting up tens of thousands into the hundreds of thousands behind them...
The basement to stardom stories are rarely true in rap unfortunately...