Ja Rule is a household name when it comes to the rap game. His musical style is a combination of heavy metal, hardcore rap, and R&B music. This formula is not only very unique, but it’s also very appealing to wider audiences, and this is why Ja Rule was able to achieve such success internationally.
This artist also has his name on several film roles. As a young kid, he knew he wanted to pursue a music career and never even thought about branching out. Years later, he became one of the most recognized names of the 2000s hip hop scene.
Early Life
Ja Rule was born on February 29th, 1976 in Queens, New York. His birth name was Jeffrey Atkins, and he was raised by both his grandparents and his mother. His grandparents were religious Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Ja Rule went to a public school, and he often ran into trouble because he was a small kid. He learned about the difficulties of life and realized that he had to get tough at a young age.
In 1990, he started writing music of his own. When he started high school, he got the nickname Ja Rule from his friends, and the name stuck throughout his whole life. Even though his family was very religious, Ja Rule never claimed any faith, but he did say many times that he believes in spirituality.
Career
After several years of writing music and working on his lyrics, Ja Rule started a hip hop group called Cash Money Click. He worked together with a couple of friends from 1994 to 1995 when they released their first singles as a group. Their songs got solid attention on a local level, but the group had many issues as one of the members was sentenced to five years in jail.
In 1998, Ja Rule got a solo contract with Def Jam Records through his friend Irv Gotti. On the label, he got the opportunity to do some guest vocals on Can I Get…, a Jay-Z song that became a known hit. Ja Rule released his first album in 1999 titled Venni Vetti Vecci, and it achieved instant success climbing the Billboard 200 to the number 3 spot.
The album was certified platinum at the end of the year. Ja Rule entered 2000 with the same momentum and released his second album Rule 3:36 that had even more success, going multi-platinum. He also landed his first movie role in 2000 in Turn it Up.
In 2001 he released his third album titled Pain is Love and played a role in Fast and Furious. It was his most successful album ever, and three of the songs on it became top ten hits.
In 2002 he released The Last Temptation and played a role in Half Past Dead. This album was also very successful, with two big hits.
In 2003 Ja Rule released Blood in My Eye, and many thought that this album was directed towards Eminem, G-Unit, and 50 Cent and others. There were a lot of controversial and inflammatory statements on both sides, and it was one of the most popular beefs in the hip-hop world.
After that, Ja Rule released a couple of more albums that were fairly successful. He also played several supporting roles along with a major one in Back in the Day.
Ja Rule Relationships: Who Has He Dated?
Similar to all superstars and rappers, he has had a turbulent love life. He has been married for a long time and had several controversies surrounding his marriage. Ja Rule has three kids from his marriage.
Aisha Atkins (married: 1994–present)
Christina Milian (2000–2002)
Jaid Barrymore (2005)
In the News
Throughout his career, Ja Rule was always known for his controversies, both private and professional. He dissed Eminem and 50 Cent, got into fights, had trouble with the law and so on. However, he was always able to get back in the game and get on top.
Sadly, this wasn’t the case in recent history. In 2017 Ja Rule and some other people organized a festival called Fyre Festival, which failed miserably and caused a lot of outrage on social media. Although he used this to his advantage and in 2019 when he made his comeback as a musician and toured the US.
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