That Real Shit Nobody sounded like X. If he wasn’t your favorite rapper then he was better than your favorite. He rapped in a way no one else could. He didn’t ride beats so much as drive them, and when they didn’t suit him he rolled right over them. Irv Gotti, then an A&R rep at Def Jam, tried to capitalize off the stunning early success of Ja Rule, Jay-Z and DMX by forming a supergroup called Murder Inc. It fell apart almost immediately, and it’s easy to see why. You can’t have a man gunning for the title of King of New York and Best Rapper Alive in a group with someone who doesn't even seem to recognize the legitimacy of the throne.