Hip Hop supergroups aren't uncommon, but their longevity is rare. There have been artists who have come together to form collectives that have been deemed supergroups, but one that failed before it was even launched allegedly involved Ja Rule, Jay-Z, and DMX. In a new interview, Ja Rule revealed that the idea of bringing the trio together was the brainchild of Murder Inc. boss Irv Gotti, but getting the artists together proved to be difficult.
“We knew what was going on, but it was kind of like pulling teeth to get it done, is what I’m saying. Never a conversation," Ja told HipHopDX. "Irv was like—It’s the Don King movie and Don King is trying to get f*cking Muhammad Ali and, what’s my dude’s name, ma, George Foreman to do the fight in Africa, but he didn’t have either fighter. That was Gotti. That was Gotti putting together the Murder Inc. group and sh*t.”
Ja went on to reveal that he was the new artist on the block so he was down to make things work, but the others, not so much. “Jay and X, you couldn’t get them in the same room together," said the rapper. “I didn’t give a f*ck. I was the new artist, I was just coming out, so that was an honor for me to be able to walk with those dudes, but for me, it was different because I’d known them for so long. I’d known them before they were who they were and it was like, ‘Okay, I’m rhyming with my partners. My homies.'”
While their music never materialized into a Hip Hop supergroup takeover, Ja Rule didn't mind because it gave him the time to focus on his career and craft a few hits. Check out Ja speaking about the supergroup that never was below.
