Jeffery Atkins (born February 29 1976),better known by his stage name Ja Rule,is an American rapper from Hollis, Queens, New York City, New York. He rose to fame in the late 90s and early 2000's with a string of successful albums and singles bringing his album sales to 20 million. Ja Rule is especially noted for his gruff, gravelly voice, garnering numerous comparisons to the similar-sounding rapper, Tupac Shakur and DMX.
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Career
Ja Rule first appeared in 1995 on the song, "Time to Build" with fellow rappers Jay Z and DMX on Mic Geronimo's debut album, "The Natural." Rule later appeared with 0-1 and Chris Black as part of Cash Money Click (not to be confused with Cash Money Records). In 1998, he was signed to Def Jam Recordings, with his first major appearance alongside Jay-Z on the song "Can I Get A...". In 1999, he released his solo debut, Venni Vetti Vecci, and had a hit single "Holla Holla". The album went on to be a platinum hit.
During early 2000 Ja Rule was also Featured on Irv Gotti's successful album, "Irv Gotti Presents... The Murderers) This album featured other Murder Inc. record label artists as well as DMX, Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes. In 2000 Ja Rule released Rule 3:36, his second album. The first released single was "Between Me and You" featuring Christina Milian, which proved to be a hit and was followed up by another successful single, "Put It On Me" featuring Vita. The last single, "I Cry" featured Lil Mo. The album received an unexpected level of success, it has been certified 3x platinum.
On October 2, 2001, Ja Rule released his third album, Pain Is Love. The first single, "Livin' It Up" was a hit which featured guest vocals by R&B singer Case and sampled Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do". The follow up single, "Always On Time", was released in December of the same year and was yet another success for the rapper. The song was notable as it introduced the public to singer Ashanti, who performed on the songs chorus. The album also featured the successful remix "I'm Real" with Jennifer Lopez. Finally, the album included the song "So Much Pain", a tribute to Tupac Shakur, in which Ja Rule mixed his own lyrics with Shakur's. Pain Is Love was certified 6x Platinum.
Ja Rule released The Last Temptation, his fourth studio album in November of 2002. Although the album was fairly successful (it was certified platinum), it failed to carry the momentum brought by Rule's previous album. Lead singles, "Thug Lovin" (featuring Bobby Brown) and "Mesmerize" (featuring Ashanti) were successful hits.
During 2002 Ja Rule also featured on "Irv Gotti Presents... The Inc" and "Irv Gotti Presents the... Remixes" both albums were successful spawning such hits as "Down 4 U" and "The Pledge Remix"
Blood In My Eye was Ja Rule's fifth album and is most notable for its extensive "diss" tracks aimed at rapper 50 Cent, Eminem, Dr. Dre and others. It was certified gold in the U.S., a relative disappointment compared to his previous record sales, it eventually went on to be platinum worldwide.
Ja Rule released "R.U.L.E." in late 2004, and had hits with "Wonderful" (featuring R. Kelly), "New York" (featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss), and "Caught Up" (featuring Lloyd). The album was certified gold in the U.S and has gone on to sell 2.4 million copies worldwide making R.U.L.E. a successful return to the music industry after his feud with various other rap artists.
In December of 2005, a compilation album was released, titled "Exodus." Rule has stated that this may be his last album as he has fulfilled his contract with The Inc., his record label, and wants to concentrate on other aspects of his career.
This has been proven to be false. Ja recently released new tracks from his upcoming mixtape M.I.3 on his myspace page, the mixtape features contributions from other artists such as Ashanti, Lil' Wayne, Nas, Black Child, Caddillac Tah and o-1 and brand new signees Harry O, Young Life and The Gift. He also is releasing his first single from his upcoming album "Love is Pain" titled "Get Up".
Personal life
He is Married with Aisha Murray,his old high school sweetheart in April ,2001.The couple has a daughter(Britney) born in 1995 and two sons (Jeffrey Jr.) born in August 2000 and (Jordan) born in April 2003.
Guest appearances
- Ja Rule was part of All Star Tribute on the remake of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On",with proceeds going to AIDS victims and to help with the tragedy of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
- In early 2002,Rule again collaborated with Jennifer Lopez on her single, "Ain't It Funny."
- Ja Rule appeared on the song, "Rainy Dayz", which was included on a 2002 re-release of Mary J Blige's most recent album, 2001's No More Drama.
- On a bonus disc on The Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The Final Chapter, Ja Rule made an appearance on the track "Want That Old Thing Back", with Ralph Tresvant. [1]
- Ja Rule has made an appearance on Ali & Gipp's Kinfolk (album)'
- Ja Rule will be featured on N.O.R.E.'s upcoming album in the song "Cuchi (Big Mato)"
- Ja Rule Will Be making an appearance Fat Joe's new album Me Myself and I on the song "The Big Apple" along with Nas and Jadakiss
Personal battles
50 Cent
While it is not certain how and why the rap feud began,Ja Rule and rapper 50 Cent have engaged in numerous "diss" tracks aimed at each other and each others associates. Ja Rule claimed that 50 Cent started the feud because he didn't like that Ja Rule was getting "too much love" in New York city. On his debut album,Get Rich or Die Tryin, 50 cent hurled verbal shots towards Ja Rule and many other artists affiliated with Murder Inc even mentioning Rule's wife and children. The song "Wanksta" is said to be targeted at Ja. Towards the end of 2003, Ja Rule dropped his album Blood In My Eye, which was almost exclusively dedicated to firing back to the "dises" that he received earlier ("Clap Back" and "Crown being" became successful hits). The battle between G-Unit and Murder Inc. continued on the mixtape level till Ja Rule's release of a song named "Loose Change", that viciously targeted 50 cent and G-Unit,and also mentioned Eminem's daughter and claims that "Dr.Dre is a bisexual". 50 cent and Eminem responded by releasing the remix track of 2pac's classic "Hail Mary". Ja Rule consequently released the remake of "Who Shot Ya". The fued appeared to die down until in early 2006, when Ja along with other Inc. artists released "diss" tracks "21 Gunz" and "So Hot".
Eminem
Eminem became involved with Ja Rule for several reasons: over Rule's involvement with The Source (a popular hip-hop magazine), with Eminem's involvement with 50 Cent, and with Rule's mention of Eminem's daughter Hailie in the track "Loose Change"(On the track, Ja Rule raps "Em, you claim your mother's a crackhead, and Kim is a known slut, so what's Hailie going to be when she grows up?"). Numerous "diss" tracks were traded back and forth by both rappers such as a remix of Tupac's hit song, Hail Mary, which featured 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes, but as of 2005, it appears that the feud has ended with both rappers claiming that they want no more problems. Eminem has discussed his feelings concerning the feud with his single, "Like Toy Soldiers."
Discography
Albums
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
Venni Vetti Vecci
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Rule 3:36
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Pain Is Love
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The Last Temptation
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Blood in My Eye
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R.U.L.E.
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Exodus Greatest Hits
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Love is Pain
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Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop | U.S. Rap | UK Singles Chart | Rhythmic Top 40 | Top 40 Tracks | Top 40 Mainstream | |||
| 1999 | "Holla Holla" / "It's Murda" | #35 | #11 | #2 | - | #20 | - | - | Venni Vetti Vecci |
| 1999 | "Daddy's Little Baby" (featuring Ronald Isley) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Venni Vetti Vecci |
| 2001 | "Between Me and You" (featuring Christina Milian) | #11 | #5 | #11 | #26 | #3 | #24 | - | Rule 3:36 |
| 2001 | "Put it on Me" (featuring Lil' Mo and Vita) | #8 | #2 | #11 | - | #1 | #17 | #24 | Rule 3:36 |
| 2001 | "I Cry" (featuring Lil' Mo) | #40 | #11 | #25 | - | #25 | - | - | Rule 3:36 |
| 2001 | "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" (featuring Jennifer Lopez) | #1 | #2 | - | #4 | #1 | #1 | #1 | Pain Is Love |
| 2001 | "Livin' it Up" (featuring Case) | #6 | #4 | #4 | #27 | #4 | #8 | #8 | Pain Is Love |
| 2002 | "Always on Time" (featuring Ashanti) | #1 | #1 | #4 | #6 | #1 | #4 | #5 | Pain Is Love |
| 2002 | "Down Ass Chick" (featuring Carli "Chuck" Baltimore) | #21 | #8 | #5 | - | #9 | #34 | - | Pain Is Love |
| 2002 | "Thug Lovin'" (featuring Bobby Brown) | #42 | #16 | #10 | #15 | #24 | - | - | The Last Temptation |
| 2003 | "Mesmerize" (featuring Ashanti) | #2 | #5 | #2 | #12 | #2 | #2 | #3 | The Last Temptation |
| 2003 | "Reign" | - | - | - | #9 | - | - | - | The Last Temptation |
| 2004 | "Clap Back" | #44 | #17 | #12 | #9 | #25 | - | - | Blood in My Eye |
| 2004 | "New York" (featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss) | #27 | #14 | #10 | - | #17 | - | - | R.U.L.E. |
| 2004 | "Wonderful" (featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti) | #5 | #3 | #2 | #1 | #6 | #14 | #22 | R.U.L.E. |
| 2005 | "Caught Up" (featuring Lloyd) | - | #65 | - | #20 | - | - | - | R.U.L.E |
| 2006 | "Get Up" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Love is Pain |
Featured Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Can I Get A..." (Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule) | 19 | - | - | 24 | Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life |
| 2000 | "How Many Wanna" | - | 72 | - | - | Light it Up Soundtrack |
| 2001 | "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)" (Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule) | 1 | 4 | 4 | - | J to tha L-O!: The Remixes |
| 2002 | "Rainy Dayz" (Mary J. Blige featuring Ja Rule) | 12 | 8 | - | 17 | No More Drama |
| 2002 | "Down 4 U" (Irv Gotti presents The Inc. featuring Ashanti, Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore, & Vita) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | Irv Gotti Presents... The Inc. |
Awards history
| Award | Category | Genre | Song/Album | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source Hip-Hop Music Award | Single of the Year | Rap/Hip-Hop | "Put It On Me" | 2001 | Won |
| Source Award | R&B/Rap Collboration of the Year | R&B/Rap | "Thug Lovin'" | 2003 | Won |
| Source Award | Fat Tape Song of the Year | Rap/Hip-Hop | "Clap Back" | 2004 | Won |
| MTV Video Music Award | Best Rap Video | Rap | "Put It On Me" | 2001 | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Award | Best Hip-Hop Video | Hip-Hop | "Im Real (Murder Remix)" | 2002 | Won |
| MTV Video Music Award | Best Hip-Hop Video | Hip-Hop | "Always On Time" | 2002 | Nominated |
| American Music Award | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist | Rap/Hip-Hop | - | 2002 | Nominated |
| American Music Award | Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Male Artist | Hip-Hop/R&B | - | 2003 | Nominated |
| Grammy Award | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Rap/Hip-Hop | "Put It On Me" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Grammy Award | Best Rap Album | Rap | "Pain Is Love" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Grammy Award | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Rap/Sung | "Livin' It Up" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Grammy Award | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Rap/Sung | "Always On Time" | 2003 | Nominated |
| World Music Award | World's Best-Selling Rap Artist | Rap/Hip-Hop | - | 2002 | Won |
| BET Award | Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist | Hip-Hop | - | 2002 | Won |
| GQ Men of the Year Award | Musician of the Year | Rap/Hip-Hop | - | 2002 | Won |
| Teen Choice Award | Male Artist of the Year | Rap/Hip-Hop | - | 2002 | Won |
| NAACP Image Award | Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist | Rap/Hip-Hop | - | 2002 | Won |
| Soul Train Award | Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year | Rap | "Pain Is Love" | 2002 | Nominated |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Da Hip Hop Witch | Himself | |
| 2000 | Turn it Up | David 'Gage' Williams | |
| 2001 | Crime Partners 2000 | ||
| 2001 | The Fast and the Furious | Edwin | |
| 2002 | Half Past Dead | Nicolas 'Nick' Frazier | |
| 2003 | Scary Movie 3 | Agent Thompson | |
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Himself | |
| 2004 | The Cookout | Bling Bling | |
| 2004 | Shall We Dance | Hip Hop Bar Performer | |
| 2005 | Back in the Day | Reggie Cooper | |
| 2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | Smiley | |
| 2006 | Kenny | TBA | post-production |
| 2006 | Furnace | TBA | post-production |
Miscellanea
- He is a Leap Year baby.
- He did a collaboration with rock band Metallica titled, "We Did It Again."
- He had a sister that died when he was five years old, due to respiratory problems.
- "Ja Rule" is an acronym for, "Jeffery Atkins Represents Unconditional Loves Exist."
- Irv Gotti and Ja Rule recently made peace with rapper The Game and it is rumoured that there will be a collaboration between the two artists.