"I'm Real" is the name of two songs recorded by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, both primarily for her second studio album, J.Lo (2001).

The original song was released as the album's third single; Ja Rule of Murder Inc. Records wrote and was featured on a newly-written song with completely different lyrics and production titled "I'm Real (Murder Remix)", which was featured on a re-issue of J.Lo in July 2001, on Lopez's remix album, J to tha L–O!

"[4] Prior to its release, she knew how important it was to "stay fresh", and decided to tweak her public image by dying her hair and changing her stage name to J.Lo.

[6] The album was reissued on July 24, 2001 (Lopez's thirty-second birthday), now containing the remix version of "I'm Real" featuring Ja Rule.

Lo had not produced a single that catered to their audiences, and Epic Records knew that they needed the support of both urban and pop radio.

Ja Rule admitted that he was "thrown" when he heard the song, saying: "I don't do dance music, so what do you want me to do to this?"

[15] While saying that the song "sound like it's straight out of 1986", Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called it "a retro pop track reminiscent of Janet Jackson's Control era".

Music wrote that "only the Ja Rule assisted 'I'm Real' and 'Ain't It Funny', that makes something vaguely special out of the original versions, Jen'd be better off just hooking up with him for good and they could become a Cristal-sipping, foulmouthed and bling-blinging Sonny & Cher.

"[20] While reviewing Ja Rule's Pain Is Love album, Soren Baker of Los Angeles Times noted "I'm Real" to be "one of the album's stronger songs, as Rule's rough voice and Lopez's sugary tones make a surprisingly appealing blend".

[28] "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" was a staple on R&B/hip hop and pop radio during the summer and fall of 2001, spending fifteen weeks in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100.

[29] The success of "I'm Real (Murder Remix)", which became the biggest hit of Lopez's career at the time,[30] propelled the album J.Lo from number 90 on the Billboard 200 back to the top ten according to Nielsen SoundScan.

[7] The chart position of the Murder Remix was boosted by radio play of the album track, which led to complaints of unfairness and change of Billboard policy in 2002.

[8] Following the release of "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)", Chuck Taylor of Billboard noted: "Sony has got to be kidding, calling it "Ain't it Funny" when not one note of it is held in common with the original", calling it a "disturbing trend".

[37] The original version's music video depicts Lopez driving a motorcycle in the countryside, with Meyers noting that it "looked very country".

"[8] The second music video features a variety of settings including a dilapidated house, swimming pool and basketball court.

"[8] Ja Rule described the process of making the remix and filming the video as a "the fastest turnaround probably ever for a record.

"[8] The pink velour Juicy Couture tracksuit worn by Lopez in the Murder remix video became iconic according to Vogue.

[38] CNN's Marianna Cerini noted that the tracksuit "created a craze -- and one of the most ubiquitous looks of the decade",[39] with Vogue crediting the music video with putting Juicy Couture, previously a "little-known LA-based brand", "firmly on the map".

[40] Complex magazine wrote that the video "completely dominated TRL and pretty much all of MTV with a visual that perfectly encapsulated the '00s aesthetic of a Juicy sweatsuit and big sunglasses.

[42] The original video for "I'm Real" begins with Lopez driving down a highway on a motorcycle, passing various smiling children, who stop what they are doing and run after her.

A string of children are running after her, and the music stops as she steps up onto a stage set on a hillside; where she goes into a dance-break to "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp.

It opens with Lopez leaning on a gate of an urban home in Los Angeles and singing in front of a red backdrop along with Ja Rule, who is also seen walking the streets of LA, with a basketball.

These locations are shown for a prominent part of the video, until both of them are later at a party; and sitting together at a park watching children play.

Lopez and Ja Rule performed the murder remix version of the song at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

The original song contains a sample from Yellow Magic Orchestra's 1978 hit "Firecracker" (an electronic synthpop cover of Martin Denny's 1959 melody of the same name).

The verse can be heard in Da Brat's rap section, where she sings, "Hate on me much as you want to / You can't do what the fuck I do / Bitches be emulating me daily" over the melody of "Firecracker".

Irv Gotti, who produced the Murder remix of "I'm Real", openly admitted during an interview with XXL magazine that Mottola contacted him with instructions to create a song that sounded exactly like a song he had made with Carey for the Glitter soundtrack entitled "If We", also featuring Ja Rule.

"[14] Rule said that Lopez was not the first Latino to use the word in a song, and that it had not been an issue previously, adding it was something to let people get a chance to "poke her".

[14] Julian Kimble of the website Genius noted in 2016, "Other Latino performers had said the word and ducked the backlash, primarily because their reach didn't compare to Lopez's.

To that effect (and apparently unbeknownst to her at the time), the Bronx native's position as world-renowned pop star limited what she could do and say."