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Ja Rule | |
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 Ja Rule in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ja |
| Born | Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (1976-02-29)February 29, 1976 (age 49) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Works | Ja Rule discography |
| Years active | 1994–present[4] |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of |
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Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins,[5] (born February 29, 1976)[1] better known by his stage nameJa Rule (/ˈdʒɑːˈruːl/), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised inQueens, New York City, Ja Rule became known for blendinggangsta rap withpop andR&B sensibilities. He signed withIrv Gotti'sMurder Inc Records, an imprint ofDef Jam Recordings to release his debut studio albumVenni Vetti Vecci (1999), which spawned his first hit single, "Holla Holla". In 2001, he peaked theBillboard Hot 100 on several occasions with his singles "Put It on Me" (featuringLil' Mo andVita), "Always on Time" (featuringAshanti), and his guest appearances onJennifer Lopez's songs "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" and "Ain't It Funny".
Commercially successful,Venni Vetti Vecci receivedplatinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and was followed by his second and third albums,Rule 3:36 (2000) andPain Is Love (2001), both of which peaked atop theUSBillboard 200. With over 15 million combined sales, both also receivedtriple platinum certifications by the RIAA and spawned theBillboard Hot 100-top ten singles "Put It on Me" (featuringLil' Mo andVita) and "Livin' It Up" (featuringCase). He followed up with his fourth, fifth and sixth albumsThe Last Temptation (2002),Blood in My Eye (2003), andR.U.L.E. (2004);The Last Temptation received platinum certification and spawned the top-two single "Mesmerize" (featuring Ashanti), whileR.U.L.E. receivedgold certification and spawned the top-five single "Wonderful" (featuringR. Kelly and Ashanti). Ja Rule has been nominated for twoAmerican Music Awards and fourGrammy Awards with respective collaborators Lil' Mo, Vita, Ashanti and Case. From 1999 to 2005 Ja Rule had seventeen Hot 100 hits, chiefly produced byIrv Gotti,[6] and as of 2018, Ja Rule has sold 30 million records worldwide.
Outside of music, Ja Rule was met with scrutiny for his involvement in the fraudulentFyre Festival, which he co-founded withcon artistBilly McFarland. In November 2019, he was cleared of any legal wrongdoing from his role in the festival.[7][8] Earlier that year, he joined the main cast ofWeTV'sGrowing Up Hip Hop: New York. As an actor, he has also starred in films such asTurn It Up (2000),The Fast and the Furious (2001),Half Past Dead (2002),Scary Movie 3 (2003),The Cookout (2004),Assault on Precinct 13,Back in the Day (both in 2005),Furnace (2007), andWrong Side of Town (2010).
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins was born on February 29, 1976, inHollis, a section of theQueens borough of New York City.[9] Atkins' father left the family when he was very young.[1] Atkins was raised as an only child, as his younger sister, Kristen, died in the womb when Atkins was 5.[10] His mother, Debra, was a healthcare worker, and due to the amount of time she spent working, Atkins was largely raised by his grandparents as aJehovah's Witness.[11] Atkins' mother left the Jehovah's Witness religion when he was twelve and was thereforeshunned by her former congregation including her parents, meaning she was no longer allowed to see her son.[12] Atkins and his mother decided they would rather live together even if it meant struggling to pay bills. Not long after moving in with his mother, Atkins began selling drugs in Hollis.[13]
Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with the hip hop group Cash Money Click alongside members Chris Black and O-1. He took the stage name "Ja Rule", tellingMTV News that the name came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends simply called him "Ja".[4] Together they worked with producerDJ Irv to produce a number of songs, releasing their debut single "Get Tha Fortune" independently in 1994. After the group signed withTVT Records, the song was re-released through the label later that year as the B-side to their second single, "4 My Click". "4 My Click" featuredMic Geronimo and became popular onpirate radio, eventually receiving airplay onYo! MTV Raps. Plans for the release of the group's eponymous debut studio album were brought to a halt in 1995 after Chris Black was sentenced to five years in prison and the group was dropped from TVT, which led to their third single "She Swallowed It" never officially being released, however it was later bootlegged. With no label, the group disbanded shortly after being dropped.[14]
After being dropped from TVT, Ja Rule maintained a close relationship with DJ Irv, who was working as an executive producer forDef Jam at the time. DJ Irv, now known asIrv Gotti, was hired as anA&R for the label and was able to get Ja Rule a contract with Def Jam.[15] In 1995, he made his first solo appearance on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build" alongsideJay-Z andDMX, who were also in the early stages of their careers. He later appeared on the song "Usual Suspects" from Mic Geronimo's second albumVendetta in 1997, alongsideThe Lox, DMX andTragedy Khadafi. He also had a brief cameo in the video for "Walk in New York" by Queens hardcore rap groupOnyx. Later in 1997, Irv Gotti was granted his own imprint from Def Jam, known asMurder Inc. Records. Ja Rule was promoted as the label's flagship artist, and he continued to make guest appearances on songs by other artists, includingMethod Man,Redman,Nas, DMX,LL Cool J andDru Hill. He later appeared on Jay-Z's 1998 hit single "Can I Get A...", for which he wrote the hook. It was originally planned to be Ja Rule's debut single until Jay-Z heard the track and requested it for himself. During this time, he rapped under the slightly modified stage nameJah.[16]
Returning to the Ja Rule name, his debut single "Holla Holla" was released in March 1999 and became a hit, peaking at number 35 on theBillboard Hot 100.[17][18] Fueled by the success of "Holla Holla", Ja Rule's debut album,Venni Vetti Vecci, was released in 1999, peaking at number 3 on theBillboard 200 with 184,000 copies sold in its first week. It eventually reached platinum status in the US due to the popularity of "Holla Holla".[19] A remix of "Holla Holla" was later released, featuring Jay-Z,Vita,Cadillac Tah, Black Child,Memphis Bleek andBusta Rhymes.[citation needed]
Ja Rule's second single, "Between Me and You", featuringChristina Milian, was released in June 2000 as the first single from his second studio album and became his first major crossover hit, earning Top 40 airplay and reaching number 11 on theBillboard Hot 100. The album's next single, "Put It on Me", featuringVita andLil' Mo, was released in December 2000 and became one of the biggest hits of 2001, reaching number 8 on theBillboard Hot 100 and becoming the first top-10 hit for both Ja Rule and Vita.[17][20] The video for "Put It on Me" also topped the MTV Video Countdown for a week, and became the first music video to be retired onBET's106 & Park after spending more than 60 days on the countdown. The video also ranked number 1 on BET'sNotarized: Top 100 Videos of 2001.[21]
Ja Rule's second album,Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000, and went in a much different stylistic direction fromVenni Vetti Vecci, changing his almost trademark hardcore hip-hop sound to mainstream-orientedpop-rap, debuting at number 1 on theBillboard 200 with 276,000 copies sold in its first week, making it Ja Rule's first number-one album. The album later went on to be certified triple platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[19] A week later, Ja Rule featured onCuban Link's song "Murda Murda" from Cuban's24K album. It was released on October 22, 2000, byAtlantic Records andTerror Squad Entertainment as the B-side to Cuban's "Still Telling Lies" single.[22]
The success ofRule 3:36 promoted Ja Rule to international status, and made Murder Inc. one of the biggest labels in the United States. The same success followed with his third album, which spawned three top-10 singles, two of them reaching number 1. The first, "Livin' It Up", featuringCase, was released in July 2001 and reached number 6 on theBillboard Hot 100.[23] It also achieved success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 5 on theUK Singles Chart.[24] The second single, "Always on Time", was released in October 2001 and marked the first major guest appearance for Murder Inc's youngest artistAshanti, and became both Ja Rule and Ashanti's first song to top theBillboard Hot 100.[17][25] The remix ofJennifer Lopez's "I'm Real" featuring Ja Rule was included on the album and topped theBillboard Hot 100 for five non-consecutive weeks, beginning September 8, 2001, and also topped the Hot 100 Airplay chart. The song was a staple ofR&B/hip hop andpop radio during the summer and fall of 2001, spending fifteen weeks total in the top five of the Hot 100. In 2009 the single was named the 30th most successful song of the 2000s, on theBillboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.[26] The album's fourth single, "Down Ass Bitch" featuringCharli Baltimore was also successful, reaching number 21 on the Hot 100.[27]
Ja Rule released his third studio album,Pain Is Love, on October 2, 2001. Like its predecessor,Pain Is Love topped theBillboard 200 with first-week sales of 361,000 copies and is certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[19] The album also received aGrammy nomination in 2002 forBest Rap Album. By 2007, 3.6 million copies ofPain Is Love had been sold.[28]
The Last Temptation, Ja Rule's fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It spawned two hit singles, "Thug Lovin'", featuringBobby Brown, which peaked at number 42 on theBillboard Hot 100, and "Mesmerize", a duet with Ashanti that peaked at number 2 on theBillboard Hot 100.[17]The Last Temptation debuted at number 4 on theBillboard 200 with first-week sales of 237,000 copies and was certified platinum by the RIAA in December 2002.[19][29]
Shortly after the release of his fourth studio album, Ja Rule's ongoing beef with fellow Queens rapper50 Cent reached its peak, with both artists taking to radio stations almost daily to trade insults and diss tracks.[30][31][32][33][34] On January 3, 2003, the Murder Inc. offices were raided byFBI agents andNYPD officers due to accusations of money laundering and drug trades towardKenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.[35] Due to the federal investigation, Ja Rule had a late response in his beef with 50 Cent.[36] By association, 50 Cent's labelmatesEminem,Obie Trice,D12, and Ja Rule's former friends and associatesDMX andBusta Rhymes were brought into the feud too. Ja Rule released the diss track "Loose Change" in April 2003, where he attacks 50 Cent, as well as Eminem, Busta Rhymes andDr. Dre.[37] 50 Cent eventually responded with "Hail Mary", which used the beat from2Pac'ssong of the same name and featured Eminem and Busta Rhymes.[38] The beef continued to be highly publicized throughout 2003, and eventually led to Ja Rule meeting with MinisterLouis Farrakhan in October, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud.[39]
Ja Rule's fifth studio 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 material was intended simply as a mixtape, but was released as an album to fulfill Ja Rule's contractual commitment to Murder Inc. to release one annually. The album was described as a "hate" album directed at various rappers, including 50 Cent,G-Unit, Eminem,Proof, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others, and marked a return to thehardcore style Ja Rule had used in his earlier career. It spawned one hit single, "Clap Back", which reached number 44 on theBillboard Hot 100 and won a Source Award for "Fat Tape" song of the year. It peaked at number 6 on theBillboard Hot 200, selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release, and had sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S. by 2008.[29]
Ja Rule's sixth studio album,R.U.L.E., was released in November 2004, debuting at number 7 and selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single, "Wonderful", featuringR. Kelly andAshanti, peaked at number 5 on theBillboard Hot 100. The single was followed by the street anthem "New York", featuringFat Joe andJadakiss, which charted at number 27 on theBillboard Hot 100. The third single was the love song "Caught Up", featuringLloyd, which failed to make an impact on theBillboard Hot 100. The RIAA certifiedR.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,[19] and by October 2007 the album had sold 658,000 copies.[28]
On December 6, 2005, The Inc. releasedExodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song "Me" and intro andoutro tracks.Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule's contract with The Inc. After its release, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.[1] Meanwhile,The Inc. Records was still under investigation because of alleged drug trades with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff.[35][40] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.'s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels, finally reaching a deal withUniversal Records (part of the same company as Def Jam). A few years later The Inc. left Universal Records due to business issues and failure to secure funds for projects.[41] In 2007, Ja Rule founded record labelMpire Music Group.[citation needed]
In February 2011, it was announced that Ja Rule had started working on a new album,Pain Is Love 2, to be produced by the producers of the originalPain Is Love album to "recreate magic". Most of the production was to be done by7 Aurelius (who co-produced "Down Ass Bitch"), while Irv Gotti was to be executive producer. Ja Rule had planned on releasing it on June 7, 2011, but decided to delay the release in order to allow more time to perfect the "level and quality of the records" and to avoid "doing an injustice to [his] fans".[42][43][44] A revised release date of October 11, 2011, was also pushed back.[45] During the delay, Ja Rule released a new track, "Falling to Pieces", produced by 7 Aurelius, which samplesThe Script's "Breakeven".[46][47] On October 2, 2011, another track, "Spun a Web", was released, also produced by 7 Aurelius and samplingColdplay's "Trouble". The following day a teaser video premiered on YouTube, and the official video was released on October 11.[48]Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, by which time Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in prison for gun possession and tax evasion.
Ja Rule was released from prison on May 7, 2013.[49] Alongside Lil Wayne and Birdman, he appeared on the remix of the track "She Tried", which appeared on theN.O.R.E albumStudent of the Game. On September 18, 2013, Ja Rule released a track titled "Fresh Out Da Pen". The track had first premiered onHot 97.[50][51] A few days later he released "Everything". Both tracks were produced by Visionary producers Reefa and Myles William. On September 27, 2013, both tracks were released on iTunes for digital download.[52][53] In September 2013, it was confirmed that Ja Rule and Gotti had relaunchedMurder Inc Records.[54]
In 2014, Ja Rule released a memoir,Unruly: The Highs and Lows of Becoming a Man, in which he reflected on his past struggles with a difficult adolescence in New York City and everything that followed, from breakout success and destructive rivalries to fatherhood and a two-year prison sentence.[55] In July 2014, Ja Rule announced his eighth studio album, which was eventually pushed back to a 2016 release.[56][57][58] Also in 2014, MTV announced that Ja Rule and his family would star in the upcoming reality showFollow the Rules which was co-produced byQueen Latifah. A sneak peek trailer of the show surfaced on the internet in September 2014 and the show premiered on October 26, 2015.[59][60] In October 2015, Rule announced that he and Gotti had partnered withParamount Pictures on a TV drama series based on the history of Murder Inc., set to premiere in 2016.[61][62][63] In February 2016, Ja Rule announced that his upcoming eighth studio album would be titledCoup De Grâce[64][65] and would be his last album.[66] In December 2016, he appeared onThe Hamilton Mixtape, rapping Hamilton's verse inAshanti's performance of "Helpless", referencingLin-Manuel Miranda's impression of him in the last line of that verse. On June 26, 2018, Ashanti confirmed that she and Ja Rule are working on a collaborative album.[67][68]
On October 15, 2021, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the release of his third studio album,Pain is Love, Ja Rule released the single, "Sincerely, Jeffrey"[69] for all streaming platforms.[70][71]
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His first film was a buddy movie withPras,Turn It Up; he appeared in a minor role inThe Fast and the Furious. He appeared in several movies includingBack in the Day withVing Rhames andPam Grier andHalf Past Dead asSteven Seagal's co-star. He also starred in the moviesThe Cookout withQueen Latifah andAssault on Precinct 13. In 2013, he starred inI'm in Love with a Church Girl.
In 2004, Ja Rule and Gotti launched an urban clothing line called ErvinGeoffrey. In 2006, Ja Rule launched a liquor company, The Mojito.[72]
In May 2015, Ja Rule partnered withBilly McFarland, the CEO of the credit card service company Magnises, to become its creative head and spokesman.[73] In August 2015, Ja Rule collaborated with footwear businessmanSteve Madden on a new line of men's sneakers called Maven x Madden,[74] which were released for sale by fall 2015.[75]
In 2016, Ja Rule co-founded Fyre Media, Inc.,[76][77] a talent booking agency, with Billy McFarland. In April 2017, the venture touted itsFyre Festival in Hamilton, Bahamas, as a luxury event, but it was fraudulent,[78] disappointing hundreds of ticket-buyers.[79] Rule and McFarland faced a $100 million class action suit.[80]
In 2020, Ja Rule developed a live-streaming app called Iconn Live.[81] The app debuted onApple TV in November 2022.[82]
In 2021, Ja Rule partnered with a team of software engineers to launch Flipkick, a platform focusing on selling physical works of art asnon-fungible tokens. Flipkick claims to be "the first company to offer cryptographic authentication of physical works of art sold as and linked to NFTs." To inaugurate the platform, Ja Rule listed for auction a painting he commissioned in 2012 by artist Tripp Derrick Barnes depicting the Fyre Media Inc logo. The painting was listed with an estimate of $600,000.[83][84]
In June 2023, Ja Rule launched a premiumwine label called Rose Vine Cellars.[85][86]
In January 2025, Ja Rule launched a newwhiskey brand called Amber & Opal.[87]
Atkins earned hisGED while in prison in February 2012.[88] In February 2021, Atkins completed the four week online courseEntrepreneurship Essentials atHarvard Business School and shared a photo of his certificate of completion onTwitter.[89]
In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray.[90][91][92] The couple has three children.[93][94]
Raised as aJehovah's Witness for most of his childhood, Ja Rule identifies as aChristian. He "reconnected with God" in 2013 while promoting the movieI'm in Love with a Church Girl. He wasbaptized, along with his wife, in 2013.[95]
Ja Rule partnered withPencils of Promise to build a 6-unit classroom block for a school inGhana. The construction project was finished in April 2025.[96][97]
In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued him. He received a $1,200 fine after pleading guilty to assault.[98]
In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involvingMurder Inc. led to a fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson.[99][100]
On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.[101]
In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along withLil Wayne, who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.[102][103][104] The court rejected Ja Rule's argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.[105][106]
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 arrest. On March 8, 2011, Ja Rule's surrender date for his two-year prison sentence was set for June 8.[107] He was first sent toRikers Island, then later to a state facility inUpstate New York.[108]
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 2004 and 2006.[109] He was released from state prison on February 21, 2013, but was immediately taken into federal custody for the tax case, for which he had less than six months remaining on his sentence.[110] Ja Rule was held in Brooklyn'sMetropolitan Detention Center and was set to be released on July 28, 2013. Ja Rule was released from prison early on May 7, 2013.[49][111]
By July 1, 2017, Ja Rule faced more than a dozen lawsuits filed by ticket buyers and investors in the failedFyre Festival and his partner in the venture,Billy McFarland, had been indicted for fraud.[112] In November 2019, charges were reportedly dropped against Ja Rule in connection with the lawsuits.[113][114]
On February 28, 2024, Ja Rule wasdenied entry into the United Kingdom, days before his UK tour was due to start in Cardiff. He cited his criminal record as the reason for the refusal.[115]
Before signing withInterscope Records, rapper50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his labelMurder 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 Ja Rule was "trying to be Tupac".[30] However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot inQueens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule "getting so much love" from the neighborhood.[31] 50 Cent indirectly confirmed this in an interview withXXL Magazine, where 50 Cent states he was upset with Ja Rule for being under the aegis ofKenneth "Supreme" McGriff.[32] A confrontation occurred in Atlanta in which Ja Rule struck 50 Cent with a baseball bat, later his crew stepping in to beat up 50 Cent.[33] Another confrontation occurred in 2000 while inThe Hit Factory where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, causing a wound requiring fourstitches.[34]
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.
Since then, Black Child and other Murder Inc. rappers such asCadillac Tah publicly insulted 50 Cent with "There's a Snitch in the Club" by Cadillac Tah, and "The Real Wanksta" by Black Child. In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent.[34] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule'sBlood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent's labelmatesEminem,Dr. Dre,Obie Trice,D12,DMX,Busta Rhymes, and the rest of the members ofG-Unit, also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.[34]
Ja Rule later releasedR.U.L.E. which included the successful single "New York", featuringJadakiss and Fat Joe, in which Ja Rule obliquely attacked 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists, reflected in his response, "Piggy Bank".
Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track titled "21 Gunz".[116] In response,Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track "Return of Ja Fool" on Lloyd Banks' mixtapeMo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.[116]
In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule stated, in reference to his album,The Mirror:
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].[117]
In May 2011, it was confirmed that both Ja Rule and 50 Cent had 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."
In September 2013, in an interview withAngie Martinez on The Angie Martinez show on HOT 97, both Rule andIrv Gotti acknowledged 50 Cent not only took a toll on Ja Rule's prominence, but along with the federal indictment, damaged Murder, Inc., as a music label. They told Martinez their immediate reaction on hearing 50 Cent's single, "In Da Club", on the radio was that it was "so dope" and that they had a problem with it. They also disclosed that they had been blackballed from various award shows where 50 Cent was to perform due to their feud. Notwithstanding seeing 50 Cent as a hustler, they liked his entrepreneurial mentality, and no longer had a problem with him 10 years after their feud. Ja Rule indicated he had plans to write a book surrounding the whole experience.[118]
In early 2018, after four years of taunting Ja Rule, 50 Cent reiginited the beef after he publicly dissed him onBig Boy's Neighborhood, leading to Ja Rule retaliating on Twitter the next day.[119]
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The conflict started after50 Cent signed toShady Records andAftermath in 2002. Ja Rule and Irv Gotti expressed dissatisfaction withEminem andDr. Dre for signing an artist with whom they were in conflict and threatened to take action against them if they released any 50 Cent tracks deprecatory of Murder Inc.[120]
The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released "Loose Change" attacking 50 Cent, Eminem and Dr. Dre. The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem's family (most notably his then 7-year-old daughter Hailie Jade) and acquaintances.[120] In response, Eminem,D12, andObie Trice released the deprecatory track "Hailie's Revenge (Doe Rae Mi)" featuring vocals from Eminem's daughter.[121]
Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track "Hail Mary 2003" with Eminem and 50 Cent.[122] The song, which is a remake of2Pac's song "Hail Mary", was done partially as a response to Ja Rule's remake of another 2Pac track, "Pain" (re-titled "So Much Pain") and because they felt Ja Rule was “imitating” 2Pac.[123] Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the "new" 2Pac songs he produced, including those onLoyal to the Game.[124]
AfterMurder Inc. broke up in 1999 due to animosity betweenDMX andJay-Z, DMX accused Ja Rule of copying his signature "gruff style", and the two subsequently fell out. On the single "Where the Hood At?", DMX disses Ja Rule by replicating lyrics from other Ja Rule songs, referring to Ja Rule's controversy of being labeled ashomophobic in the lyrics such as "I show no love tohomo thugs" or "Last time I checked, youniggashaving sex with the same sex".[citation needed] Ja Rule responded with several disses on his album,Blood in My Eye, including "Clap Back".[citation needed] DMX said that he wanted the dispute to end when he was released from jail in 2005: "[Irv] Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him. I was like, 'All right, Gotti, let's do it man."[125] DMX and Ja Rule finally ended their feud at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors.[126]
By his association withDMX, Ja Rule was brought into the beef between DMX andKurupt, being dissed on Kurupt's 1999 song "Callin' Out Names". Ja Rule responded with "Still INC" featuring Black Child andCadillac Tah, a freestyle overDr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." beat. The two eventually squashed their beef on the set of the movieHalf Past Dead in 2002.[127]
In October 2002, rapperFoxy Brown dismissed reports of recording a track with rivalsNas and Ja Rule that was "potentially" deprecatory of Jay-Z.[128] During a Thanksgiving week interview in 2002, while onDoug Banks In the Morning, Ja Rule stated that he "[couldn't] stand Foxy Brown."[129][130] Brown reportedly heard Ja Rule's comments via a radio while she was helping her mother clean her house.[130] Going against her manager's wishes, during her own interview withDoug Banks, Brown informed Banks that she was "flabbergasted" by Rule's comments.[130] Brown explained she was particularly angry at Rule's response, having never met him.[130]
The incident provoked Brown to record the unreleased, "Get Off Me".[129][131] In the record, Brown targeted Ja Rule andEve with homophobic remarks.[129][131] In 2005, Ja Rule and his two bodyguards were initial suspects in the killing of Willie "Willie Bang Bang" Clark, whom authorities linked as a "revenge" that stemmed back to a robbery case involving Foxy Brown's brother.[132]
In September 2009, Ja Rule and Foxy Brown ended their beef at theVH1Hip Hop Honors, where they celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their former label, Def Jam Recordings.[133] The feud was squashed after both rappers shared a photo with ex-labelmates DMX andLudacris.[134][135]
In January 2003, while co-hosting106 & Park: Prime, singerLil' Mo sent a shout-out to50 Cent, just seconds after she premiered a Ja Rule video.[136] Ja Rule and the Murda, Inc., clique were outraged.[136] In response, Ja Rule released "Loose Change", a track deprecatory ofEminem, 50 Cent,Dr. Dre,Chris Lighty and Lil' Mo.[129][136] Rule rechristened Mo a "bitch", and credited himself with causing her popularity.[137] In May 2003, Mo released a freestyle track attacking Ja Rule, where she interpolated the Dr. Dre lyrics "used to be my homie, used to be my ace, now I can't stand you, yeah I wanna slap the taste out your mouth", used in his 1993Eazy-Ediss track "Fuck wit Dre Day".[138]
In April 2003, Lil' Mo sparked additional controversy, complaining of receiving neither recognition nor payment for her contributions to Rule's records "I Cry" and "Put It on Me".[139] Mo toldMTV News, "Those two records ["I Cry", "Put It on Me"] ruled 2001. The whole world knows that ... If I speak the truth, I can't apologize. I helped that brother sell 3 million records, and I don't have a plaque [forRule 3:36]."[139] By way of contrast, she highlightedJay-Z's having given her recognition, a plaque, a thank you card and a bottle ofCristal for her work on his "Parking Lot Pimpin'".[139] In 2005, Lil' Mo filed a lawsuit against Ja Rule, Murda Inc. andDef Jam Records for over $15 million.[140] In 2010, the two reconciled.[141] Lil' Mo stated that she ended the dispute as Ja Rule's career was in decline and noted that "life is too short ... You just never know what people are going through."[141] In 2011, the two reunited and recorded a track together titled, "U & Me".[142][143]
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Turn It Up | David "Gage" Williams | |
| Da Hip Hop Witch | Himself | ||
| 2001 | The Fast and the Furious | Edwin | |
| 2002 | Half Past Dead | Nick Frazier | |
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Himself | |
| Crime Partners | Hitman | ||
| Scary Movie 3 | Secret Service Agent Thompson | ||
| 2004 | The Cookout | Percival "Bling Bling" Ashmokeem | |
| Shall We Dance | Hip Hop Bar Performer | ||
| 2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | "Smiley" | |
| Back in the Day | Reggie Cooper | ||
| 2007 | Furnace | Terrence Dufresne | |
| 2009 | Just Another Day | Himself | |
| 2010 | Wrong Side of Town | "Razor" | Video |
| 2011 | Don't Fade Away | Foster Johnson | |
| The Cookout 2 | Percival "Bling Bling" Ashmokeem | TV movie | |
| 2013 | Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn | Willie Davis | |
| I'm in Love with a Church Girl | Miles Montego | ||
| 2016 | Trolland | Fenn (voice) | Video |
| 2020 | Reboot Camp | Himself |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2005 | Top of the Pops | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2001 | Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "Ja Rule/Tony Roberts" |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself / Musical Guest | Episode: "John Goodman/Ja Rule" | |
| Making the Video | Himself | Episode: "Always On Time" | |
| 2002 | Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "Ja Rule/Queen Aishah/Red Bone" |
| 2002–2004 | MadTV | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2005 | Black in the 80s | Himself | Episode: "Def Jams & Color TV" |
| The Contender | Himself | Episode: "Opportunity" | |
| Punk'd | Himself | Episode: "Episode #5.7" | |
| Biography | Himself | Episode: "Steven Seagal" | |
| 2006 | The Tyra Banks Show | Himself | Episode: "All Access Pass with LL Cool J" |
| E! True Hollywood Story | Himself | Episode: "Hip Hop Wives" | |
| South Beach | Donnie Fox | Episode: "The S.B." | |
| 2014 | Single Ladies | Himself | Episode: "Cat and Mouse" |
| 2015 | Follow the Rules | Himself | Main cast |
| 2016 | Ridiculousness | Himself | Episode: "Ja Rule" |
| 2019 | Untold Stories of Hip Hop | Himself | Episode: "Ja Rule & Fat Joe" |
| Growing Up Hip Hop: New York | Himself | Recurring cast | |
| 2020 | Celebrity Show-Off | Himself | Main cast |
| 2022 | Origins of Hip Hop | Himself | Episode: "Ja Rule" |
| Murder Inc. Documentary | Himself | Main Guest | |
| Tales | Justin | Episode: "Put It On Me" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Backstage | Himself | |
| 2003 | Beef | Himself | |
| 2006 | Death Before Dishonor | Himself | |
| Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops | Himself | [144] | |
| 2009 | Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff | Himself | [145] |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Himself | Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist | Nominated |
| 2003 | Himself | Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Male Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Himself | Best Male Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated |
| 2002 | Himself | Best Male Hip-Hop Artist | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Himself | Musician of the Year | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Livin' It Up"(withCase) | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Nominated |
| "Put It on Me"(withLil' Mo andVita) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated | |
| Pain Is Love | Best Rap Album | Nominated | |
| 2003 | "Always on Time"(withAshanti) | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Put It on Me"(with Lil' Mo and Vita) | Best Hip-Hop Video | Nominated |
| 2002 | "I'm Real (Murder Remix)"(withJennifer Lopez) | Best Hip-Hop Video | Won |
| "Always on Time"(with Ashanti) | Best Hip-Hop Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Himself | Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Himself | Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Himself | Choice Male Artist | Won |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
