Ja Rule

All Music Guide:

As the flagship artist for producer Irv Gotti's Def Jam-affiliated Murder Inc. label, Ja Rule became one of the rap industry's most commercially successful artists during the early 2000s, working closely with the hitmaking producer and his stable of talent. Born Jeffrey Atkins on February 29, 1976, in Queens, New York, Ja Rule established himself with Venni Vetti Vecci (1999), a hardcore debut album similar in style to the rugged thug rap then popularized by DMX and the Ruff Ryder collective. On his second album, Rule 3:36 (2000), he began collaborating with female R&B singers, and a string of radio-friendly hits resulted ("Between Me and You," "Put It on Me," "I Cry"). Pain Is Love (2001) followed the same template, serving up a few rap-R&B hybrids for the singles ("I'm Real," "Livin' It Up," "Always on Time," "Down Ass Chick") and filling out the album with hardcore rap.

Throughout the summer of 2002, Ja Rule was at his most popular, featured on not only his own hits but also as a featured guest on Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Mary J. Blige's "Rainy Dayz." Near the end of the year, he released his fourth album, The Last Temptation (2002), which again paired him with R&B vocalists for its singles, this time with Bobby Brown ("Thug Lovin'") and Ashanti ("Mesmerize"). Ja Rule began to be mocked by 50 Cent around this time, and beefs ensued between the two rappers' camps; for instance, over the beat of 2Pac's "Hail Mary," 50 Cent teamed up with his associates Eminem and Busta Rhymes for a stinging mixtape freestyle dissing Ja Rule and Irv Gotti. Increasingly susceptible to the criticism as his music fell out of public favor, Ja Rule returned with as much vengeance as he could muster for Blood in My Eye (2003) and R.U.L.E. (2004). Though the latter spawned a Top Five hit single, "Wonderful," a rap-R&B hybrid featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti, both albums were met with general indifference, becoming the first of Ja Rule's albums to fall short of platinum certification.

Exodus (2005), a best-of collection, brought Ja Rule's tenure with Def Jam to a close. From 2005-2007, as Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. operation fell into shambles, Ja Rule was quiet; he charted no songs on the Billboard Hot 100 during this time period. Toward the end of 2007, he attempted a comeback, first with "Uh-Ohhh!"; featuring Lil Wayne, who was perhaps the hottest rapper of the moment, the song nonetheless stalled at number 106 on the Billboard 200. A couple other singles ("Body," "Sunset") also failed to garner significant airplay, and the planned November 2007 release of The Mirror was pushed back and then canceled. That same year he would be arrested on gun and drug possession charges, which in 2010 would turn into a two-year sentence in jail. A year later, 28 months were added for tax evasion, but it didn't stop his 2012 album Pain Is Love, Vol. 2 from landing on his new label M-Pire.

Wikipedia:

Jeffery Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name, Ja Rule or Rule baby, 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. Ja Rule has sold over 30 million records worldwide and was the best selling rapper in 2001. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in-particular 50 Cent and Eminem), which would ultimately put a negative effect on future projects, and he would begin to receive poor reception for certifications and sales.

Early life [edit]

Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, 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."

Music career [edit]

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". 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) [edit]

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.

Rule 3:36 (2000) [edit]

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. 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.

Pain Is Love (2001) [edit]

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 topping the Billboard Hot 100. 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. 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.

The Last Temptation (2002) [edit]

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). 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.

Blood in My Eye (2003) [edit]

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 100 chart selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S. 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.

R.U.L.E. (2004) [edit]

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, and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (2005–2009) [edit]

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.

In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti. 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) [edit]

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. Eventually tracks from the album leaked online leading Ja Rule to re-record the album only afterwards deciding to release it as a free download in 2009.

Pain Is Love 2, Prison and Renaissance Project (2012-Present) [edit]

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."

Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but had been pushed back yet again, this time to February 28, 2012. 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". On October 2, 2011, another track released called "Spun a Web" 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. Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in jail 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. He is then set to go out on his tour, "40 Days, 40 Nights" tour.

Acting career [edit]

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 [edit]

Family [edit]

In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray. He also has three children; Brittany (born 1995), Jeff Jr Atkins (born 2000), and Jordan Atkins (born 2004).

Legal issues [edit]

In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.

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.

On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.

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. New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule's argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence. 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. 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.

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 2004–2006. 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. 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.

Feuds [edit]

50 Cent/G-Unit Records [edit]

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". 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. 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.

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 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.

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". 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. 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 & can't come back from it".

In an interview with MTV He stated that his new album, The Mirror, will not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:

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."

Shady/Aftermath [edit]

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.

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.

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.

Filmography [edit]