In the early 2000's, from what I remember, East Coast Hip-Hop was shifting into being flashy showing off their wealth and luxuries and clothes in their music. X wasn't that type of rapper. He stayed that grimy street nikka that'll stomp you the fukk out with his timbs, but still ask the lord for forgiveness. He was one of those rappers that showed even the hardest nikkas alive have a conscious. Big L (RIP), Prodigy (RIP) of Mobb Deep, Onyx, Wu-Tang Clan, and DMX especially, made that type of Hardcore Hip-Hop that just made you feel like you can take down any motherfukker that looks at you wrong when you're listening to their music. I would say X is defiantly a pioneer to Hardcore Hip-Hop.