Former B2K member De’Mario “Raz-B” Thornton recently garnered the sympathy of fans when it was reported that the crooner fell into a coma shortly after being involved in a nightclub brawl in China, but it now appears that Raz-B’s coma may have been part of an elaborate hoax.
According to CNN, while the singer may have in fact been unwillingly involved in a club fight, his manager says the injuries Raz-B sustained during the fight were not serious.
“The comments about Raz being in a coma did not come from his official representative,” said Raz-B’s manager, Elayne Rivers.
On top of countless fans, Raz-B’s own brother, Ricky Romance, was also led into believing reports of the coma due to a “legitimately reliable” source. Ricky also went on to offer an apology for any false information he may have spread.
“I was unfortunately unable to contact my brother at the time and then panicked,” said Ricky Romance, according to CNN. “I then alerted as many people of this information hoping to gather facts… Since the source that gave me this information was what I thought to be legitimately reliable I didn’t question I just believed. I apologize if I seem like I jumped to conclusions but a coma is a serious situation and it was concerning my brother whom is my best friend as well. I sincerely apologize for the confusion I caused if that is the case.”
Ironically, a statement in regards to Raz-B’s sudden recovery was released only hours after the singer’s alleged publicist, Toy Jones, was contacted by CNN.
Late last week, it was reported that Raz-B attempted to break up a fight at a club in China and was subsequently hit in the face with a bottle. He was then taken to a local hospital for surgery. It was following the songster’s visit to the hospital that he allegedly slipped into a coma.
Jones, the alleged publicist, offered these words to TMZ following Raz-B’s reported coma, “He is in a coma and needs as many prayers as possible.”
The singer has yet to respond publicly to the latest news regarding his reported coma.
RELATED: B2K Singer Raz-B Out Of Coma & In Stable Condition After Attack
Who gives a fuck! Another has been clown
DAMN… EVEN CNN HAS NOTHING BETTER TO REPORT???
“Ricky Romance”…that’s just blatantly gay.
Is this publicist like 5 years old? This is some stupid shit on some Manny Te’o b.s.
All this means is a few months from now he’ll fall into a real coma, but nobody will believe him.
Aint this the same nigga said he was sexualy abused for years as a teen then admitted he made it all up. Guys got mental issues
i never gave a fuck if he was in a coma or not
i GRIND HARD AND I TRAP HARDER
YOUNG GODFATHER IM THE LAST CARTER
O.G NIGGA DAT BOB MARLEY
IF U SMOKING MID-WELL…I AINT SPARKING
IM DRUG DILLIN CARTeL BALLIN
YOUNG GOOD FELLA NO AL SHARPTON
NIGGA TRY ME THEN THEM Ls SPARKING………
STARTED LOCAL WIT HUSTLE
MOVING C#KE OFF THE MUSCLE
KEEP MY DOPE IN A DUFFLE BAG FULL OF DOE I JUST DOUBLED
NEVER BROKE I WONT STRUGGLE NIGGA NO MONEY MO TROUBLE
GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS JUNGLE TRY ME GET KNOCKED FOR THEM BUDDLES
NIGGA WIT DAT ROCK I WONT FUMBLE I KEEP DAT GLOCK WHEN I CUM THREW ON YA BLOCK ON DA HUMBLE BE BUMPIN PAC NIGGA FUCK U…..
IMA FUCKIN PROBLEM
ITS GUCCIIIIIIIIIIII TIMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE
Guci Mane realest rapper outthere:
– this nigga throws bitches out his car
– shoot niggas dead
– beat niggas up.
Gucci aint no fantasy nigga like:
– mobb deep,
– nas escobar lol nigga only had a ticket for parking his car wrong
– 2pac never gangbanged
– rick ross
Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976),[2] better known by his stage name, Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York.
Born in Hollis, Queens, he debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single “Holla Holla”. From 1999 to 2005, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Between Me and You” with Christina Milian, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” with Jennifer Lopez, “Always on Time” with Ashanti, “Mesmerize” also with Ashanti, and “Wonderful” with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in particular 50 Cent and Eminem).
Contents
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
2.2 Rule 3:36 (2000)
2.3 Pain Is Love (2001)
2.4 The Last Temptation (2002)
2.5 Blood in My Eye (2003)
2.6 R.U.L.E. (2004)
2.7 Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
2.8 The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
2.9 Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
3 Acting career
4 Personal life
4.1 Family
4.2 Legal issues
5 Feuds
5.1 50 Cent/G-Unit Records
5.2 Shady/Aftermath
6 Discography
7 Awards and nominations
8 Filmography
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City.[2] He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins,[3] and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He said he got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he described as a “white school”.[4]
Music career
Atkins began his rap career in 1993 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. He told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name “Ja Rule” came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him “Ja”.[5] In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build” which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998 he had signed with Def Jam, and was also featured on Jay-Z’s hit single “Can I Get A…” along with Amil which Ja Rule wrote the hook, and was going to be a Ja Rule solo song, until Jay-Z heard the track.
Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
Ja Rule’s debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was released in 1999, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200 with 184,000 copies sold in its first week and eventually reached platinum status in the US due to the popularity of the hit single, “Holla Holla” which reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[6][7]
Rule 3:36 (2000)
Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single “Between Me and You”, which featured Christina Milian which would end up getting Top 40 airplay. “Between Me and You” reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Put It on Me” featuring Vita and Lil’ Mo reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The music video for “Put It on Me” had also topped the MTV Video Countdown for a week. The second album, Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000 and had debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 276,000 copies in its first week, making it Ja Rule’s first number one album. The album would be certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7]
Pain Is Love (2001)
Ja Rule released his third studio album, Pain Is Love on October 2, 2001 and is considered to be Ja Rule’s most commercially successful album of his career. The album spawned three top ten singles, two of them reaching number 1. The first single, “Livin’ It Up”, featuring Case, reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Always on Time”, which featured Ashanti ended up being Ja Rule’s first number 1 hit to top the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The remix of Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” which features Ja Rule, also topped the Billboard Hot 100. Like its predecessor, Pain Is Love topped the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 361,000 copies and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7] The album would also receive a Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Rap Album. By 2007, 3.6 million copies of Pain Is Love had been sold.[8]
The Last Temptation (2002)
The Last Temptation, Ja Rule’s fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured two hit singles; “Thug Lovin'” (peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100), and “Mesmerize” another duet with Ashanti (peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100).[6] The Last Temptation debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 237,000 copies and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in December 2002.[7][9]
Blood in My Eye (2003)
Ja Rule’s fifth album Blood in My Eye, was released on November 4, 2003 under the “Murder Inc.” label, which renamed itself “The Inc.” several days after the album release. The album was originally planned to be a mixtape, but Murder Inc. had ordered Ja Rule to release an album each year based on the requirements of his contract. The album was described as a “hate” album, directed at artists on G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath. It spawned one hit single, “Clap Back” which reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had won him a Source Award for “Fat Tape” song of the year. It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S.[9] In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.[10]
R.U.L.E. (2004)
Ja Rule’s sixth studio album R.U.L.E. was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was “Wonderful” featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was followed by the street anthem “New York” featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single was the love song “Caught Up” featuring Lloyd which had failed to make an impact on the Billboard Hot 100. The RIAA certified R.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,[7] and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8]
Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
Ja Rule performing in Fort Hood, Texas, May 13, 2005
On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released Exodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song “Me” and intro and outro tracks. Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule’s contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.[2]
In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.[11] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.’s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (part of the same company as Def Jam).
The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
After leaving Murder Inc. Records in 2009, Ja Rule founded his own independent label, Mpire Music Group and recruited new artists while still maintaining friendship with Irv Gotti. The Mirror was to be Ja Rule’s seventh album and set for a 2007 release date, however, due to poor reception to singles (partly believed to be due to his beef with 50 Cent), it was pushed back. Tracks from the album leaked online, leading Ja Rule to re-record the album. He eventually decided to release it as a free download in 2009.
Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
In February 2011, it was announced that Ja Rule started working on another album called Pain Is Love 2, naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (Pain Is Love). It was planned to have production from the producers on the original Pain Is Love album in order to “recreate magic”. Most of the production would be done by 7 Aurelius (who co-produced “Down Ass Bitch”), while Irv Gotti was the executive producer of the album. He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the “level and quality of the records” and to avoid “doing an injustice to [his] fans”.[12][13][14]
Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but was pushed back to February 28, 2012.[15] To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called “Falling to Pieces” which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script’s “Breakeven”.[16][17] On October 2, 2011, another track called “Spun a Web” was released, which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay’s “Trouble”. The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.[18] Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in prison for gun possession.
Renaissance Project is the upcoming eighth studio album by Ja Rule which has yet to have a confirmed release date. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at Mpire Studios in NYC Studio during 2008 to 2011. Production was handled by Rule and several others, including Benzino, 7 Aurelius and Buck 3000. Most of the tracks that were meant for the Renaissance were transferred over to Pain Is Love 2. Ja Rule was set to be released from prison on July 28, 2013, but on May 7, 2013, he was released early.[19] He then announced that a new album is on the way and he is getting offers from major labels and artists wanting to collaborate with him. N.O.R.E announced that Ja will be on a remix to one of the tracks off his latest album, Student of the Game. He is then set to go out on his tour, “40 Days, 40 Nights” tour. He was featured the remix to the track “She Tried” which features Lil Wayne and Birdman, which is off N.O.R.E’s latest album Student of the Game.
Acting career
Aside from rapping, Ja Rule has established a career as an actor, his first film was a buddy movie with Pras, he famously appeared in The Fast and the Furious. In 2004, he appeared in several movies including Back in The Day with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and Half Past Dead as Steven Seagal’s co-star. He also starred in the movies The Cookout with Queen Latifah and Assault on Precinct 13.
Personal life
Family
In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray.[20][21][22][23] He also has three children; Brittany (born 1995), Jeff Jr Atkins (born 2000), and Jordan Atkins (born 2004).[24][25]
Legal issues
In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.[26]
In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to a fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.[27][28]
On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.[29]
In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.[30][31][32] New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule’s argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.[33][34] On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule’s surrender date for his two-year prison sentence was set for June 8.[35] His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself in to authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.[36]
In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, to run concurrently with his state term, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 20042006.[37] He was released from state prison on February 21, 2013, but was immediately taken into federal custody for the tax case, for which he has less than six months remaining on his sentence.[38] Ja Rule was held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and was set be released in July 28, 2013. On May 7, 2013, Ja Rule was released from prison early.[19][39]
Feuds
50 Cent/G-Unit Records
Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry and also because of Ja Rule “trying to be Tupac”.[citation needed] However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule “getting so much love” from the neighborhood.[40] A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches.[4]
In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.
Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in “There’s a Snitch in the Club”, and “You the Wanksta”. In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent.[4] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to quash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood in My Eye was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent’s labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.[4]
Ja Rule later released R.U.L.E. with the successful single “New York” featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on “Piggy Bank” for details).
Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled “21 Gunz”.[41] In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track “Return of Ja Fool” on Lloyd Banks’ mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.[41] 50 Cent claimed in 2010 that Ja Rule’s beef with him and Shady/Aftermath has ruined Ja’s career saying “We just ripped the nigga apart and he hasn’t and can’t come back from it.”
In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule stated that his album, The Mirror, would not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:
There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn’t want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I’m not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].[42]
In May 2011, it was confirmed that both Ja Rule and 50 Cent ended the feud. Ja Rule said “I’m cool. We ain’t beefing no more. We’ll never collaborate. That’s just what it is. You don’t have to be at war with somebody, but it’s also kind of like U.S. and another country that they may not get along with. We don’t gotta go to war, but we’re not friends either. But we can coincide inside of a world. He’s doing him, and he’s not thinking about me, and I’m doing me and I’m not thinking about him.”[43]
Shady/Aftermath
The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked.[44]
The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released “Loose Change”, in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name “Feminem”, called Dr. Dre bisexual, and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre “bringing transvestites home”. The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem’s family (most notably his daughter) and acquaintances.[44] After the “diss” track mentioned earlier Eminem and his group D12 made the songs “go to sleep” and “do rae mi” respectively
Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track “Hail Mary 2003”, with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur’s song “Hail Mary”, was done partially as a response to Ja Rule’s remake of another Tupac song, “Pain” (retitled “So Much Pain”). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so they made the track, mocking him for trying to “imitate” the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the “new” Tupac songs he produced, including those on Loyal to the Game.[45]
Discography
Main article: Ja Rule discography
Studio albums
1999: Venni Vetti Vecci
2000: Rule 3:36
2001: Pain Is Love
2002: The Last Temptation
2003: Blood in My Eye
2004: R.U.L.E.
2012: Pain Is Love 2[46]
2013: Fuck Fame
Independent album
2009: The Mirror
Compilation albums
2005: Exodus
2012: Icon
Awards and nominations
Year Award/Nomination
2001 Source Hip-Hop Music Award Won for Single of the Year “Put It on Me”
MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Rap Video “Put It on Me”
2002 MTV Video Music Awards Won for Best Hip-Hop Video “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”
MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video “Always on Time”
American Music Award nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group “Put It on Me”
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Album Pain Is Love
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration “Livin’ It Up”
World Music Awards Won for World’s Best-Selling Rap Artist
BET Awards Won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist
GQ Men of the Year Award Won for Musician of the Year
Teen Choice Awards Won for Male Artist of the Year
NAACP Image Awards Won for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year Pain Is Love
2003 Source Award Won for R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year “Thug Lovin'”
American Music Award nomination for Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Male Artist
Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration “Always on Time”
2004 Source Award Won for Phat Tape Song of the Year “Clap Back”
2009 MTV Video Music Brasil nomination for Hit do Ano (Song of the Year) “Fly”
Filmography
Film
Year Film/Television Role Notes
2000 Turn It Up David ‘Gage’ Williams Alongside Jason Statham and Pras.
2001 The Fast and the Furious Edwin Plays a supporting role as a street racer.
2002 Half Past Dead Nicolas ‘Nick’ Frazier Though a sequel was made, Ja Rule did not star in it.
2003 Crime Partners Hitman
2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Himself
2003 Scary Movie 3 Agent Thompson Minor role
2004 The Cookout Bling Bling/Percival Assmackey
2004 Shall We Dance Hip Hop bar performer
2005 Back in the Day Reggie Alongside Ving Rhames
2005 Assault on Precinct 13 Smiley Supporting role
2006 South Beach Donnie Fox T.V. Series “The S.B.”(episode 7)
2006 Furnace Terrence Dufresne
2008 Ja Rule:2005 Himself A concert from his 2005 European tour, plus bonus tracks and interviews.
2009 Just Another Day Himself
2009 Don’t Fade Away Foster
2009 Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff Himself[47]
2010 Wrong Side of Town Razor Alongside wrestlers; Batista & Rob Van Dam
2011 I’m in Love with a Church Girl Miles Montego His real son plays the younger version of himself, Miles.
2012 The Cookout 2 Bling Bling Sequel to The Cookout
2013 Goat Willie Davis Post-production
Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976),[2] better known by his stage name, Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York.
Born in Hollis, Queens, he debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single “Holla Holla”. From 1999 to 2005, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Between Me and You” with Christina Milian, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” with Jennifer Lopez, “Always on Time” with Ashanti, “Mesmerize” also with Ashanti, and “Wonderful” with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in particular 50 Cent and Eminem).
Contents
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
2.2 Rule 3:36 (2000)
2.3 Pain Is Love (2001)
2.4 The Last Temptation (2002)
2.5 Blood in My Eye (2003)
2.6 R.U.L.E. (2004)
2.7 Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
2.8 The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
2.9 Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
3 Acting career
4 Personal life
4.1 Family
4.2 Legal issues
5 Feuds
5.1 50 Cent/G-Unit Records
5.2 Shady/Aftermath
6 Discography
7 Awards and nominations
8 Filmography
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City.[2] He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins,[3] and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He said he got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he described as a “white school”.[4]
Music career
Atkins began his rap career in 1993 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. He told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name “Ja Rule” came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him “Ja”.[5] In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build” which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998 he had signed with Def Jam, and was also featured on Jay-Z’s hit single “Can I Get A…” along with Amil which Ja Rule wrote the hook, and was going to be a Ja Rule solo song, until Jay-Z heard the track.
Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
Ja Rule’s debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was released in 1999, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200 with 184,000 copies sold in its first week and eventually reached platinum status in the US due to the popularity of the hit single, “Holla Holla” which reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[6][7]
Rule 3:36 (2000)
Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single “Between Me and You”, which featured Christina Milian which would end up getting Top 40 airplay. “Between Me and You” reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Put It on Me” featuring Vita and Lil’ Mo reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The music video for “Put It on Me” had also topped the MTV Video Countdown for a week. The second album, Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000 and had debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 276,000 copies in its first week, making it Ja Rule’s first number one album. The album would be certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7]
Pain Is Love (2001)
Ja Rule released his third studio album, Pain Is Love on October 2, 2001 and is considered to be Ja Rule’s most commercially successful album of his career. The album spawned three top ten singles, two of them reaching number 1. The first single, “Livin’ It Up”, featuring Case, reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Always on Time”, which featured Ashanti ended up being Ja Rule’s first number 1 hit to top the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The remix of Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” which features Ja Rule, also topped the Billboard Hot 100. Like its predecessor, Pain Is Love topped the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 361,000 copies and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7] The album would also receive a Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Rap Album. By 2007, 3.6 million copies of Pain Is Love had been sold.[8]
The Last Temptation (2002)
The Last Temptation, Ja Rule’s fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured two hit singles; “Thug Lovin'” (peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100), and “Mesmerize” another duet with Ashanti (peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100).[6] The Last Temptation debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 237,000 copies and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in December 2002.[7][9]
Blood in My Eye (2003)
Ja Rule’s fifth album Blood in My Eye, was released on November 4, 2003 under the “Murder Inc.” label, which renamed itself “The Inc.” several days after the album release. The album was originally planned to be a mixtape, but Murder Inc. had ordered Ja Rule to release an album each year based on the requirements of his contract. The album was described as a “hate” album, directed at artists on G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath. It spawned one hit single, “Clap Back” which reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had won him a Source Award for “Fat Tape” song of the year. It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S.[9] In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.[10]
R.U.L.E. (2004)
Ja Rule’s sixth studio album R.U.L.E. was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was “Wonderful” featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was followed by the street anthem “New York” featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single was the love song “Caught Up” featuring Lloyd which had failed to make an impact on the Billboard Hot 100. The RIAA certified R.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,[7] and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8]
Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
Ja Rule performing in Fort Hood, Texas, May 13, 2005
On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released Exodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song “Me” and intro and outro tracks. Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule’s contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.[2]
In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.[11] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.’s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (part of the same company as Def Jam).
The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
After leaving Murder Inc. Records in 2009, Ja Rule founded his own independent label, Mpire Music Group and recruited new artists while still maintaining friendship with Irv Gotti. The Mirror was to be Ja Rule’s seventh album and set for a 2007 release date, however, due to poor reception to singles (partly believed to be due to his beef with 50 Cent), it was pushed back. Tracks from the album leaked online, leading Ja Rule to re-record the album. He eventually decided to release it as a free download in 2009.
Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
In February 2011, it was announced that Ja Rule started working on another album called Pain Is Love 2, naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (Pain Is Love). It was planned to have production from the producers on the original Pain Is Love album in order to “recreate magic”. Most of the production would be done by 7 Aurelius (who co-produced “Down Ass Bitch”), while Irv Gotti was the executive producer of the album. He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the “level and quality of the records” and to avoid “doing an injustice to [his] fans”.[12][13][14]
Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but was pushed back to February 28, 2012.[15] To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called “Falling to Pieces” which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script’s “Breakeven”.[16][17] On October 2, 2011, another track called “Spun a Web” was released, which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay’s “Trouble”. The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.[18] Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in prison for gun possession.
Renaissance Project is the upcoming eighth studio album by Ja Rule which has yet to have a confirmed release date. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at Mpire Studios in NYC Studio during 2008 to 2011. Production was handled by Rule and several others, including Benzino, 7 Aurelius and Buck 3000. Most of the tracks that were meant for the Renaissance were transferred over to Pain Is Love 2. Ja Rule was set to be released from prison on July 28, 2013, but on May 7, 2013, he was released early.[19] He then announced that a new album is on the way and he is getting offers from major labels and artists wanting to collaborate with him. N.O.R.E announced that Ja will be on a remix to one of the tracks off his latest album, Student of the Game. He is then set to go out on his tour, “40 Days, 40 Nights” tour. He was featured the remix to the track “She Tried” which features Lil Wayne and Birdman, which is off N.O.R.E’s latest album Student of the Game.
Acting career
Aside from rapping, Ja Rule has established a career as an actor, his first film was a buddy movie with Pras, he famously appeared in The Fast and the Furious. In 2004, he appeared in several movies including Back in The Day with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and Half Past Dead as Steven Seagal’s co-star. He also starred in the movies The Cookout with Queen Latifah and Assault on Precinct 13.
Personal life
Family
In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray.[20][21][22][23] He also has three children; Brittany (born 1995), Jeff Jr Atkins (born 2000), and Jordan Atkins (born 2004).[24][25]
Legal issues
In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.[26]
In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to a fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.[27][28]
On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.[29]
In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.[30][31][32] New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule’s argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.[33][34] On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule’s surrender date for his two-year prison sentence was set for June 8.[35] His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself in to authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.[36]
In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, to run concurrently with his state term, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 20042006.[37] He was released from state prison on February 21, 2013, but was immediately taken into federal custody for the tax case, for which he has less than six months remaining on his sentence.[38] Ja Rule was held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and was set be released in July 28, 2013. On May 7, 2013, Ja Rule was released from prison early.[19][39]
Feuds
50 Cent/G-Unit Records
Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry and also because of Ja Rule “trying to be Tupac”.[citation needed] However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule “getting so much love” from the neighborhood.[40] A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches.[4]
In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.
Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in “There’s a Snitch in the Club”, and “You the Wanksta”. In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent.[4] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to quash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood in My Eye was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent’s labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.[4]
Ja Rule later released R.U.L.E. with the successful single “New York” featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on “Piggy Bank” for details).
Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled “21 Gunz”.[41] In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track “Return of Ja Fool” on Lloyd Banks’ mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.[41] 50 Cent claimed in 2010 that Ja Rule’s beef with him and Shady/Aftermath has ruined Ja’s career saying “We just ripped the nigga apart and he hasn’t and can’t come back from it.”
In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule stated that his album, The Mirror, would not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:
There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn’t want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I’m not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].[42]
In May 2011, it was confirmed that both Ja Rule and 50 Cent ended the feud. Ja Rule said “I’m cool. We ain’t beefing no more. We’ll never collaborate. That’s just what it is. You don’t have to be at war with somebody, but it’s also kind of like U.S. and another country that they may not get along with. We don’t gotta go to war, but we’re not friends either. But we can coincide inside of a world. He’s doing him, and he’s not thinking about me, and I’m doing me and I’m not thinking about him.”[43]
Shady/Aftermath
The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked.[44]
The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released “Loose Change”, in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name “Feminem”, called Dr. Dre bisexual, and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre “bringing transvestites home”. The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem’s family (most notably his daughter) and acquaintances.[44] After the “diss” track mentioned earlier Eminem and his group D12 made the songs “go to sleep” and “do rae mi” respectively
Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track “Hail Mary 2003”, with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur’s song “Hail Mary”, was done partially as a response to Ja Rule’s remake of another Tupac song, “Pain” (retitled “So Much Pain”). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so they made the track, mocking him for trying to “imitate” the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the “new” Tupac songs he produced, including those on Loyal to the Game.[45]
Discography
Main article: Ja Rule discography
Studio albums
1999: Venni Vetti Vecci
2000: Rule 3:36
2001: Pain Is Love
2002: The Last Temptation
2003: Blood in My Eye
2004: R.U.L.E.
2012: Pain Is Love 2[46]
2013: Fuck Fame
Independent album
2009: The Mirror
Compilation albums
2005: Exodus
2012: Icon
Awards and nominations
Year Award/Nomination
2001 Source Hip-Hop Music Award Won for Single of the Year “Put It on Me”
MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Rap Video “Put It on Me”
2002 MTV Video Music Awards Won for Best Hip-Hop Video “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”
MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video “Always on Time”
American Music Award nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group “Put It on Me”
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Album Pain Is Love
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration “Livin’ It Up”
World Music Awards Won for World’s Best-Selling Rap Artist
BET Awards Won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist
GQ Men of the Year Award Won for Musician of the Year
Teen Choice Awards Won for Male Artist of the Year
NAACP Image Awards Won for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year Pain Is Love
2003 Source Award Won for R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year “Thug Lovin'”
American Music Award nomination for Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Male Artist
Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration “Always on Time”
2004 Source Award Won for Phat Tape Song of the Year “Clap Back”
2009 MTV Video Music Brasil nomination for Hit do Ano (Song of the Year) “Fly”
Filmography
Film
Year Film/Television Role Notes
2000 Turn It Up David ‘Gage’ Williams Alongside Jason Statham and Pras.
2001 The Fast and the Furious Edwin Plays a supporting role as a street racer.
2002 Half Past Dead Nicolas ‘Nick’ Frazier Though a sequel was made, Ja Rule did not star in it.
2003 Crime Partners Hitman
2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Himself
2003 Scary Movie 3 Agent Thompson Minor role
2004 The Cookout Bling Bling/Percival Assmackey
2004 Shall We Dance Hip Hop bar performer
2005 Back in the Day Reggie Alongside Ving Rhames
2005 Assault on Precinct 13 Smiley Supporting role
2006 South Beach Donnie Fox T.V. Series “The S.B.”(episode 7)
2006 Furnace Terrence Dufresne
2008 Ja Rule:2005 Himself A concert from his 2005 European tour, plus bonus tracks and interviews.
2009 Just Another Day Himself
2009 Don’t Fade Away Foster
2009 Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff Himself[47]
2010 Wrong Side of Town Razor Alongside wrestlers; Batista & Rob Van Dam
2011 I’m in Love with a Church Girl Miles Montego His real son plays the younger version of himself, Miles.
2012 The Cookout 2 Bling Bling Sequel to The Cookout
2013 Goat Willie Davis Post-production.
Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976),[2] better known by his stage name, Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York.
Born in Hollis, Queens, he debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single “Holla Holla”. From 1999 to 2005, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Between Me and You” with Christina Milian, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” with Jennifer Lopez, “Always on Time” with Ashanti, “Mesmerize” also with Ashanti, and “Wonderful” with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in particular 50 Cent and Eminem).
Contents
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
2.2 Rule 3:36 (2000)
2.3 Pain Is Love (2001)
2.4 The Last Temptation (2002)
2.5 Blood in My Eye (2003)
2.6 R.U.L.E. (2004)
2.7 Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
2.8 The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
2.9 Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
3 Acting career
4 Personal life
4.1 Family
4.2 Legal issues
5 Feuds
5.1 50 Cent/G-Unit Records
5.2 Shady/Aftermath
6 Discography
7 Awards and nominations
8 Filmography
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City.[2] He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins,[3] and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He said he got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he described as a “white school”.[4]
Music career
Atkins began his rap career in 1993 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. He told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name “Ja Rule” came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him “Ja”.[5] In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build” which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998 he had signed with Def Jam, and was also featured on Jay-Z’s hit single “Can I Get A…” along with Amil which Ja Rule wrote the hook, and was going to be a Ja Rule solo song, until Jay-Z heard the track.
Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
Ja Rule’s debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was released in 1999, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200 with 184,000 copies sold in its first week and eventually reached platinum status in the US due to the popularity of the hit single, “Holla Holla” which reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[6][7]
Rule 3:36 (2000)
Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single “Between Me and You”, which featured Christina Milian which would end up getting Top 40 airplay. “Between Me and You” reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Put It on Me” featuring Vita and Lil’ Mo reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The music video for “Put It on Me” had also topped the MTV Video Countdown for a week. The second album, Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000 and had debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 276,000 copies in its first week, making it Ja Rule’s first number one album. The album would be certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7]
Pain Is Love (2001)
Ja Rule released his third studio album, Pain Is Love on October 2, 2001 and is considered to be Ja Rule’s most commercially successful album of his career. The album spawned three top ten singles, two of them reaching number 1. The first single, “Livin’ It Up”, featuring Case, reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Always on Time”, which featured Ashanti ended up being Ja Rule’s first number 1 hit to top the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The remix of Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” which features Ja Rule, also topped the Billboard Hot 100. Like its predecessor, Pain Is Love topped the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 361,000 copies and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7] The album would also receive a Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Rap Album. By 2007, 3.6 million copies of Pain Is Love had been sold.[8]
The Last Temptation (2002)
The Last Temptation, Ja Rule’s fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured two hit singles; “Thug Lovin'” (peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100), and “Mesmerize” another duet with Ashanti (peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100).[6] The Last Temptation debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 237,000 copies and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in December 2002.[7][9]
Blood in My Eye (2003)
Ja Rule’s fifth album Blood in My Eye, was released on November 4, 2003 under the “Murder Inc.” label, which renamed itself “The Inc.” several days after the album release. The album was originally planned to be a mixtape, but Murder Inc. had ordered Ja Rule to release an album each year based on the requirements of his contract. The album was described as a “hate” album, directed at artists on G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath. It spawned one hit single, “Clap Back” which reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had won him a Source Award for “Fat Tape” song of the year. It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S.[9] In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.[10]
R.U.L.E. (2004)
Ja Rule’s sixth studio album R.U.L.E. was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was “Wonderful” featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was followed by the street anthem “New York” featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single was the love song “Caught Up” featuring Lloyd which had failed to make an impact on the Billboard Hot 100. The RIAA certified R.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,[7] and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8]
Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
Ja Rule performing in Fort Hood, Texas, May 13, 2005
On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released Exodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song “Me” and intro and outro tracks. Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule’s contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.[2]
In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.[11] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.’s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (part of the same company as Def Jam).
The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
After leaving Murder Inc. Records in 2009, Ja Rule founded his own independent label, Mpire Music Group and recruited new artists while still maintaining friendship with Irv Gotti. The Mirror was to be Ja Rule’s seventh album and set for a 2007 release date, however, due to poor reception to singles (partly believed to be due to his beef with 50 Cent), it was pushed back. Tracks from the album leaked online, leading Ja Rule to re-record the album. He eventually decided to release it as a free download in 2009.
Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
In February 2011, it was announced that Ja Rule started working on another album called Pain Is Love 2, naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (Pain Is Love). It was planned to have production from the producers on the original Pain Is Love album in order to “recreate magic”. Most of the production would be done by 7 Aurelius (who co-produced “Down Ass Bitch”), while Irv Gotti was the executive producer of the album. He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the “level and quality of the records” and to avoid “doing an injustice to [his] fans”.[12][13][14]
Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but was pushed back to February 28, 2012.[15] To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called “Falling to Pieces” which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script’s “Breakeven”.[16][17] On October 2, 2011, another track called “Spun a Web” was released, which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay’s “Trouble”. The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.[18] Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in prison for gun possession.
Renaissance Project is the upcoming eighth studio album by Ja Rule which has yet to have a confirmed release date. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at Mpire Studios in NYC Studio during 2008 to 2011. Production was handled by Rule and several others, including Benzino, 7 Aurelius and Buck 3000. Most of the tracks that were meant for the Renaissance were transferred over to Pain Is Love 2. Ja Rule was set to be released from prison on July 28, 2013, but on May 7, 2013, he was released early.[19] He then announced that a new album is on the way and he is getting offers from major labels and artists wanting to collaborate with him. N.O.R.E announced that Ja will be on a remix to one of the tracks off his latest album, Student of the Game. He is then set to go out on his tour, “40 Days, 40 Nights” tour. He was featured the remix to the track “She Tried” which features Lil Wayne and Birdman, which is off N.O.R.E’s latest album Student of the Game.
Acting career
Aside from rapping, Ja Rule has established a career as an actor, his first film was a buddy movie with Pras, he famously appeared in The Fast and the Furious. In 2004, he appeared in several movies including Back in The Day with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and Half Past Dead as Steven Seagal’s co-star. He also starred in the movies The Cookout with Queen Latifah and Assault on Precinct 13.
Personal life
Family
In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray.[20][21][22][23] He also has three children; Brittany (born 1995), Jeff Jr Atkins (born 2000), and Jordan Atkins (born 2004).[24][25]
Legal issues
In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.[26]
In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to a fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.[27][28]
On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.[29]
In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.[30][31][32] New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule’s argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.[33][34] On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule’s surrender date for his two-year prison sentence was set for June 8.[35] His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself in to authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.[36]
In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, to run concurrently with his state term, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 20042006.[37] He was released from state prison on February 21, 2013, but was immediately taken into federal custody for the tax case, for which he has less than six months remaining on his sentence.[38] Ja Rule was held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and was set be released in July 28, 2013. On May 7, 2013, Ja Rule was released from prison early.[19][39]
Feuds
50 Cent/G-Unit Records
Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry and also because of Ja Rule “trying to be Tupac”.[citation needed] However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule “getting so much love” from the neighborhood.[40] A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches.[4]
In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.
Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in “There’s a Snitch in the Club”, and “You the Wanksta”. In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent.[4] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to quash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood in My Eye was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent’s labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.[4]
Ja Rule later released R.U.L.E. with the successful single “New York” featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on “Piggy Bank” for details).
Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled “21 Gunz”.[41] In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track “Return of Ja Fool” on Lloyd Banks’ mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.[41] 50 Cent claimed in 2010 that Ja Rule’s beef with him and Shady/Aftermath has ruined Ja’s career saying “We just ripped the nigga apart and he hasn’t and can’t come back from it.”
In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule stated that his album, The Mirror, would not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:
There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn’t want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I’m not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].[42]
In May 2011, it was confirmed that both Ja Rule and 50 Cent ended the feud. Ja Rule said “I’m cool. We ain’t beefing no more. We’ll never collaborate. That’s just what it is. You don’t have to be at war with somebody, but it’s also kind of like U.S. and another country that they may not get along with. We don’t gotta go to war, but we’re not friends either. But we can coincide inside of a world. He’s doing him, and he’s not thinking about me, and I’m doing me and I’m not thinking about him.”[43]
Shady/Aftermath
The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked.[44]
The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released “Loose Change”, in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name “Feminem”, called Dr. Dre bisexual, and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre “bringing transvestites home”. The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem’s family (most notably his daughter) and acquaintances.[44] After the “diss” track mentioned earlier Eminem and his group D12 made the songs “go to sleep” and “do rae mi” respectively
Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track “Hail Mary 2003”, with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur’s song “Hail Mary”, was done partially as a response to Ja Rule’s remake of another Tupac song, “Pain” (retitled “So Much Pain”). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so they made the track, mocking him for trying to “imitate” the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the “new” Tupac songs he produced, including those on Loyal to the Game.[45]
Discography
Main article: Ja Rule discography
Studio albums
1999: Venni Vetti Vecci
2000: Rule 3:36
2001: Pain Is Love
2002: The Last Temptation
2003: Blood in My Eye
2004: R.U.L.E.
2012: Pain Is Love 2[46]
2013: Fuck Fame
Independent album
2009: The Mirror
Compilation albums
2005: Exodus
2012: Icon
Awards and nominations
Year Award/Nomination
2001 Source Hip-Hop Music Award Won for Single of the Year “Put It on Me”
MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Rap Video “Put It on Me”
2002 MTV Video Music Awards Won for Best Hip-Hop Video “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”
MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video “Always on Time”
American Music Award nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group “Put It on Me”
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Album Pain Is Love
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration “Livin’ It Up”
World Music Awards Won for World’s Best-Selling Rap Artist
BET Awards Won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist
GQ Men of the Year Award Won for Musician of the Year
Teen Choice Awards Won for Male Artist of the Year
NAACP Image Awards Won for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year Pain Is Love
2003 Source Award Won for R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year “Thug Lovin'”
American Music Award nomination for Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Male Artist
Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration “Always on Time”
2004 Source Award Won for Phat Tape Song of the Year “Clap Back”
2009 MTV Video Music Brasil nomination for Hit do Ano (Song of the Year) “Fly”
Filmography
Film
Year Film/Television Role Notes
2000 Turn It Up David ‘Gage’ Williams Alongside Jason Statham and Pras.
2001 The Fast and the Furious Edwin Plays a supporting role as a street racer.
2002 Half Past Dead Nicolas ‘Nick’ Frazier Though a sequel was made, Ja Rule did not star in it.
2003 Crime Partners Hitman
2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Himself
2003 Scary Movie 3 Agent Thompson Minor role
2004 The Cookout Bling Bling/Percival Assmackey
2004 Shall We Dance Hip Hop bar performer
2005 Back in the Day Reggie Alongside Ving Rhames
2005 Assault on Precinct 13 Smiley Supporting role
2006 South Beach Donnie Fox T.V. Series “The S.B.”(episode 7)
2006 Furnace Terrence Dufresne
2008 Ja Rule:2005 Himself A concert from his 2005 European tour, plus bonus tracks and interviews.
2009 Just Another Day Himself
2009 Don’t Fade Away Foster
2009 Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff Himself[47]
2010 Wrong Side of Town Razor Alongside wrestlers; Batista & Rob Van Dam
2011 I’m in Love with a Church Girl Miles Montego His real son plays the younger version of himself, Miles.
2012 The Cookout 2 Bling Bling Sequel to The Cookout
2013 Goat Willie Davis Post-production…
Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976),[2] better known by his stage name, Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York.
Born in Hollis, Queens, he debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single “Holla Holla”. From 1999 to 2005, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Between Me and You” with Christina Milian, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” with Jennifer Lopez, “Always on Time” with Ashanti, “Mesmerize” also with Ashanti, and “Wonderful” with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in particular 50 Cent and Eminem).
Contents
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
2.2 Rule 3:36 (2000)
2.3 Pain Is Love (2001)
2.4 The Last Temptation (2002)
2.5 Blood in My Eye (2003)
2.6 R.U.L.E. (2004)
2.7 Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
2.8 The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
2.9 Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
3 Acting career
4 Personal life
4.1 Family
4.2 Legal issues
5 Feuds
5.1 50 Cent/G-Unit Records
5.2 Shady/Aftermath
6 Discography
7 Awards and nominations
8 Filmography
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City.[2] He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins,[3] and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He said he got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he described as a “white school”.[4]
Music career
Atkins began his rap career in 1993 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. He told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name “Ja Rule” came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him “Ja”.[5] In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build” which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998 he had signed with Def Jam, and was also featured on Jay-Z’s hit single “Can I Get A…” along with Amil which Ja Rule wrote the hook, and was going to be a Ja Rule solo song, until Jay-Z heard the track.
Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)
Ja Rule’s debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was released in 1999, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200 with 184,000 copies sold in its first week and eventually reached platinum status in the US due to the popularity of the hit single, “Holla Holla” which reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[6][7]
Rule 3:36 (2000)
Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single “Between Me and You”, which featured Christina Milian which would end up getting Top 40 airplay. “Between Me and You” reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Put It on Me” featuring Vita and Lil’ Mo reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The music video for “Put It on Me” had also topped the MTV Video Countdown for a week. The second album, Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000 and had debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 276,000 copies in its first week, making it Ja Rule’s first number one album. The album would be certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7]
Pain Is Love (2001)
Ja Rule released his third studio album, Pain Is Love on October 2, 2001 and is considered to be Ja Rule’s most commercially successful album of his career. The album spawned three top ten singles, two of them reaching number 1. The first single, “Livin’ It Up”, featuring Case, reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the second single “Always on Time”, which featured Ashanti ended up being Ja Rule’s first number 1 hit to top the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The remix of Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” which features Ja Rule, also topped the Billboard Hot 100. Like its predecessor, Pain Is Love topped the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 361,000 copies and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[7] The album would also receive a Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Rap Album. By 2007, 3.6 million copies of Pain Is Love had been sold.[8]
The Last Temptation (2002)
The Last Temptation, Ja Rule’s fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured two hit singles; “Thug Lovin'” (peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100), and “Mesmerize” another duet with Ashanti (peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100).[6] The Last Temptation debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 237,000 copies and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in December 2002.[7][9]
Blood in My Eye (2003)
Ja Rule’s fifth album Blood in My Eye, was released on November 4, 2003 under the “Murder Inc.” label, which renamed itself “The Inc.” several days after the album release. The album was originally planned to be a mixtape, but Murder Inc. had ordered Ja Rule to release an album each year based on the requirements of his contract. The album was described as a “hate” album, directed at artists on G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath. It spawned one hit single, “Clap Back” which reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had won him a Source Award for “Fat Tape” song of the year. It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S.[9] In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.[10]
R.U.L.E. (2004)
Ja Rule’s sixth studio album R.U.L.E. was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was “Wonderful” featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was followed by the street anthem “New York” featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single was the love song “Caught Up” featuring Lloyd which had failed to make an impact on the Billboard Hot 100. The RIAA certified R.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,[7] and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8]
Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (20052009)
Ja Rule performing in Fort Hood, Texas, May 13, 2005
On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released Exodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song “Me” and intro and outro tracks. Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule’s contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.[2]
In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.[11] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.’s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (part of the same company as Def Jam).
The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)
After leaving Murder Inc. Records in 2009, Ja Rule founded his own independent label, Mpire Music Group and recruited new artists while still maintaining friendship with Irv Gotti. The Mirror was to be Ja Rule’s seventh album and set for a 2007 release date, however, due to poor reception to singles (partly believed to be due to his beef with 50 Cent), it was pushed back. Tracks from the album leaked online, leading Ja Rule to re-record the album. He eventually decided to release it as a free download in 2009.
Pain Is Love 2, prison and Renaissance Project (2012present)
In February 2011, it was announced that Ja Rule started working on another album called Pain Is Love 2, naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (Pain Is Love). It was planned to have production from the producers on the original Pain Is Love album in order to “recreate magic”. Most of the production would be done by 7 Aurelius (who co-produced “Down Ass Bitch”), while Irv Gotti was the executive producer of the album. He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the “level and quality of the records” and to avoid “doing an injustice to [his] fans”.[12][13][14]
Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but was pushed back to February 28, 2012.[15] To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called “Falling to Pieces” which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script’s “Breakeven”.[16][17] On October 2, 2011, another track called “Spun a Web” was released, which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay’s “Trouble”. The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.[18] Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in prison for gun possession.
Renaissance Project is the upcoming eighth studio album by Ja Rule which has yet to have a confirmed release date. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at Mpire Studios in NYC Studio during 2008 to 2011. Production was handled by Rule and several others, including Benzino, 7 Aurelius and Buck 3000. Most of the tracks that were meant for the Renaissance were transferred over to Pain Is Love 2. Ja Rule was set to be released from prison on July 28, 2013, but on May 7, 2013, he was released early.[19] He then announced that a new album is on the way and he is getting offers from major labels and artists wanting to collaborate with him. N.O.R.E announced that Ja will be on a remix to one of the tracks off his latest album, Student of the Game. He is then set to go out on his tour, “40 Days, 40 Nights” tour. He was featured the remix to the track “She Tried” which features Lil Wayne and Birdman, which is off N.O.R.E’s latest album Student of the Game.
Acting career
Aside from rapping, Ja Rule has established a career as an actor, his first film was a buddy movie with Pras, he famously appeared in The Fast and the Furious. In 2004, he appeared in several movies including Back in The Day with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and Half Past Dead as Steven Seagal’s co-star. He also starred in the movies The Cookout with Queen Latifah and Assault on Precinct 13.
Personal life
Family
In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray.[20][21][22][23] He also has three children; Brittany (born 1995), Jeff Jr Atkins (born 2000), and Jordan Atkins (born 2004).[24][25]
Legal issues
In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.[26]
In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to a fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.[27][28]
On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.[29]
In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.[30][31][32] New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule’s argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.[33][34] On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule’s surrender date for his two-year prison sentence was set for June 8.[35] His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself in to authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.[36]
In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, to run concurrently with his state term, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 20042006.[37] He was released from state prison on February 21, 2013, but was immediately taken into federal custody for the tax case, for which he has less than six months remaining on his sentence.[38] Ja Rule was held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and was set be released in July 28, 2013. On May 7, 2013, Ja Rule was released from prison early.[19][39]
Feuds
50 Cent/G-Unit Records
Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry and also because of Ja Rule “trying to be Tupac”.[citation needed] However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule “getting so much love” from the neighborhood.[40] A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches.[4]
In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.
Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in “There’s a Snitch in the Club”, and “You the Wanksta”. In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent.[4] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to quash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood in My Eye was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent’s labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.[4]
Ja Rule later released R.U.L.E. with the successful single “New York” featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on “Piggy Bank” for details).
Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled “21 Gunz”.[41] In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track “Return of Ja Fool” on Lloyd Banks’ mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.[41] 50 Cent claimed in 2010 that Ja Rule’s beef with him and Shady/Aftermath has ruined Ja’s career saying “We just ripped the nigga apart and he hasn’t and can’t come back from it.”
In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule stated that his album, The Mirror, would not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:
There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn’t want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I’m not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].[42]
In May 2011, it was confirmed that both Ja Rule and 50 Cent ended the feud. Ja Rule said “I’m cool. We ain’t beefing no more. We’ll never collaborate. That’s just what it is. You don’t have to be at war with somebody, but it’s also kind of like U.S. and another country that they may not get along with. We don’t gotta go to war, but we’re not friends either. But we can coincide inside of a world. He’s doing him, and he’s not thinking about me, and I’m doing me and I’m not thinking about him.”[43]
Shady/Aftermath
The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked.[44]
The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released “Loose Change”, in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name “Feminem”, called Dr. Dre bisexual, and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre “bringing transvestites home”. The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem’s family (most notably his daughter) and acquaintances.[44] After the “diss” track mentioned earlier Eminem and his group D12 made the songs “go to sleep” and “do rae mi” respectively
Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track “Hail Mary 2003”, with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur’s song “Hail Mary”, was done partially as a response to Ja Rule’s remake of another Tupac song, “Pain” (retitled “So Much Pain”). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so they made the track, mocking him for trying to “imitate” the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the “new” Tupac songs he produced, including those on Loyal to the Game.[45]
Discography
Main article: Ja Rule discography
Studio albums
1999: Venni Vetti Vecci
2000: Rule 3:36
2001: Pain Is Love
2002: The Last Temptation
2003: Blood in My Eye
2004: R.U.L.E.
2012: Pain Is Love 2[46]
2013: Fuck Fame
Independent album
2009: The Mirror
Compilation albums
2005: Exodus
2012: Icon
Awards and nominations
Year Award/Nomination
2001 Source Hip-Hop Music Award Won for Single of the Year “Put It on Me”
MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Rap Video “Put It on Me”
2002 MTV Video Music Awards Won for Best Hip-Hop Video “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”
MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video “Always on Time”
American Music Award nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group “Put It on Me”
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Album Pain Is Love
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration “Livin’ It Up”
World Music Awards Won for World’s Best-Selling Rap Artist
BET Awards Won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist
GQ Men of the Year Award Won for Musician of the Year
Teen Choice Awards Won for Male Artist of the Year
NAACP Image Awards Won for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year Pain Is Love
2003 Source Award Won for R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year “Thug Lovin'”
American Music Award nomination for Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Male Artist
Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration “Always on Time”
2004 Source Award Won for Phat Tape Song of the Year “Clap Back”
2009 MTV Video Music Brasil nomination for Hit do Ano (Song of the Year) “Fly”
Filmography
Film
Year Film/Television Role Notes
2000 Turn It Up David ‘Gage’ Williams Alongside Jason Statham and Pras.
2001 The Fast and the Furious Edwin Plays a supporting role as a street racer.
2002 Half Past Dead Nicolas ‘Nick’ Frazier Though a sequel was made, Ja Rule did not star in it.
2003 Crime Partners Hitman
2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Himself
2003 Scary Movie 3 Agent Thompson Minor role
2004 The Cookout Bling Bling/Percival Assmackey
2004 Shall We Dance Hip Hop bar performer
2005 Back in the Day Reggie Alongside Ving Rhames
2005 Assault on Precinct 13 Smiley Supporting role
2006 South Beach Donnie Fox T.V. Series “The S.B.”(episode 7)
2006 Furnace Terrence Dufresne
2008 Ja Rule:2005 Himself A concert from his 2005 European tour, plus bonus tracks and interviews.
2009 Just Another Day Himself
2009 Don’t Fade Away Foster
2009 Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff Himself[47]
2010 Wrong Side of Town Razor Alongside wrestlers; Batista & Rob Van Dam
2011 I’m in Love with a Church Girl Miles Montego His real son plays the younger version of himself, Miles.
2012 The Cookout 2 Bling Bling Sequel to The Cookout
2013 Goat Willie Davis Post-production..
RAZ B
It’s obvious he’s just on a secret mission for the CIA.