Ja Rule Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
R.U.L.E. doesn't have much going for it, but it does include a few noteworthy songs: the album's lead single, "Wonderful," an R. Kelly showcase that also boasts an Ashanti feature; the album's street single, "New York," a Cool & Dre production with a pop-gangsta edge and strong raps from Fat Joe and Jadakiss; and lastly, "Life Goes On," a 2Pac-style ballad highlighted by features for Trick Daddy and Inc in-house producer Chink Santana. The album's remaining 60 minutes consist of standard-issue Ja Rule album filler: dreary pseudo-autobiographical raps that paint a conflicted portrait of Ja Rule, the paranoid pop-rap gangsta who believes himself to be a street martyr. Still, even if Ja Rule as an artist seems increasingly inauthentic with each passing album release, "Wonderful" is R.U.L.E.'s saving grace, playing like a trademark R. Kelly song, albeit one featuring Ja Rule and Ashanti. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The year 2003 wasn't a good one for Ja Rule, who had been blasted over and over that year by 50 Cent, the rap industry's latest upstart darling. 50 had blasted Ja Rule for blasphemously impersonating 2Pac and for making pseudo-gangsta pop-rap music -- and by and large, Ja was left speechless. It was simply a matter of fact: Ja Rule had indeed aped 2Pac's persona to an extent, he had indeed made pop-rap duets with Ashanti his stock-in-trade, and he was thus an easy target who was bound to be clapped at some point. So by late 2003, the year of 50 Cent (who had sold millions and millions of records, racked up hit after hit, and saturated the media with his omnipresence), Ja Rule and his camp, Murder Inc, were in a desperate state of damage control. They kept quiet throughout most of the year, waiting for 50 Cent's moment in the sun to pass, yet by the end of the year Ja Rule had readied his inevitable return, Blood in My Eye -- a rushed 45-minute release with a pair of good singles ("Clap Back," "The Crown") and a lot of vengeful return shots at 50 Cent and his camp (notably including Eminem among the targeted). Relative to what Ja Rule had been doing the past couple years, Blood in My Eye is a very focused and heartfelt album, and certainly much more gangsta than anything he'd done since his DMX-modeled debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci, although Ja is much better making catchy pop-rap tracks with grimy posturing and singalong hooks. Still, there's something to be said for pride, particularly in the rap world, so perhaps it was best that Ja Rule vent his frustration here and put this predicament behind him so that he could move on with his career and once again start making the sort of pop-rap singles that he'd experienced so much success with. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The few rap-R&B hybrids on Rule 3:36 (2000) paid off large dividends by the time of Ja Rule's next album, Pain Is Love. A day didn't pass between the release of the two albums when Ja Rule's voice couldn't be heard on urban radio, and at the time of Pain Is Love's release in October 2001, he had not one but two singles getting nonstop airplay: "Livin' It Up" and "I'm Real," the latter a Jennifer Lopez song featuring him as a guest rapper. It should be no surprise then to discover that Pain Is Love follows the same formula that had made Rule 3:36 such a commercial success: craft some radio-friendly crossover singles, often featuring pretty young female R&B singers as romantic counterpoints, and then fill out the album with hardcore rap, often featuring Murder Inc.'s roster of secondary rappers, to sustain Ja Rule's thug reputation. Actually, this formula is fine-tuned on Pain Is Love to account for some exceptions -- for instance, the lead single, "Livin' It Up," interpolates Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do" for its crossover-R&B aspect, while the title track recycles an old, generally unheard 2Pac verse to great effect -- and a significantly more balanced album is the result. Plus, there's enough strong material here to encourage full-album listening, as the crossover singles no longer stand out apart from the hardcore rap filler to the degree that they did on Rule 3:36. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On his second album, Rule 3:36, Ja Rule includes a few radio-friendly rap-R&B hybrids ("Between You and Me," "Put It on Me," "I Cry"), which are then filled out with the same style of Ruff Ryder-style hardcore rap that characterized his debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci (1999). Whereas that album had featured some prominent guests from the Def Jam stable (Jay-Z, DMX, Erick Sermon, Memphis Bleek), Rule 3:36 is primarily an in-house affair, featuring the extended Murder Inc. roster. The result is an uneven album comprised of crossover-R&B singles and hardcore rap filler; even though the commercial prospects are improved, Rule 3:36 isn't any more satisfying than Venni Vetti Vecci had been. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Before even releasing his debut album Venni Vetti Vecci, Ja Rule had made a name for himself appearing on cuts by Mic Geronimo, DMX, and Jay-Z, which naturally increased expectations for his first effort. Perhaps the expectations were raised a little bit too much, since Venni isn't the stunner some may have expected, but it nevertheless is a strong opening salvo. Ja Rule doesn't bend the rules of East Coast hardcore hip-hop enough to truly distinguish himself, but he does deliver a solid record, filled with tough party jams and good straight-ahead gangsta. If the record runs a little long, it nevertheless has enough fine moments to make this a promising debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'The Last Temptation'
Release Date 1/1/1902
Tracks 13
Label Universal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ja Rule's self-proclaimed return to the streets isn't that rough compared to most hardcore rap; after all, Irv Gotti, Chink Santana, and the rest of Murder Inc. have a formula that's worked well in the past, and they're not about to desert it with artists like Ja and Ashanti hitting the charts every time they release a single. The first up, "Thug Lovin'," sets it off in style, with Ja Rule turning in one of his best raps yet and guest Bobby Brown adding flair to a pop-heavy production. Ashanti shines on the first of her two tracks, "Mesmerize," a smooth and sexed-up duet with a polished, honey-smooth production framing Ja Rule's gravelly hip-hop soul. Her other feature, a remix of "The Pledge" (the latter originally on Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.), boasts great mic features from Nas and Ja Rule, plus a few odd, disembodied lines heard from 2Pac before the fade-out. Stepping in for Ashanti elsewhere with solid vamps are Charli Baltimore ("Last Temptation") and Alexi ("Murder Me"), though Ja does fit in a few real hardcore tracks too: "Pop N****s" and "The Warning." The Last Temptation isn't going to surprise anyone familiar with what Murder Inc. is all about, but their trademarked balance of the rough (Ja Rule) and smooth (Irv Gotti) has rarely sounded better than it does here. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
