
This happened??
According to JA.
Gotti and Ja took Jay's decision a couple of years ago to skip out on a full-length Ja/Jay/X LP as a slap in the face. Then, in April of this year, Hov pulled out of a Triple Threat Tour slated for June that would have included the Roc-A Fella, Bad Boy and Murder Inc. families. Though Jay initially explained he hoped to record over the summer, he changed his mind and joined the Sprite Liquid Mix tour in August. For Ja and Gotti, the Sprite tour was the last straw.
Ja two-wayed Jay to ask, "Why the backpack nlggas and not me, your nikka?" Ja found Hova's answer to be dis turbing. "[Jay-Z] said, 'I'ma tell you this one time, 'cause I feel I fukked up, but don't ever ask me my personal business again,"' Ja recounts in amazement. "At first, I took offense to it Well, Ja and Irv inverted it after that two-way conversation. Adopting an equally self-serving attitude that they hoped would catapult the Inc. to a place among Bad Boy and Death Row in the heights of hip-hop history, they brought forth a new piece to the center of the board: Jay Z's rival, Nas.
"The Source" September 2002