Ja Rule beefed with 50 at a time 50 was just undeniable!! While Ja was doing his melodic type records, which were FIRE by the way, Fif came with a new energy and filled a void that was lacking in the game at that time!! That street & gritty rap!! Fif being shot 9 times and surviving also helped with his image in the game!! Then when GRODT dropped, there was nothing Ja can do to rebuttal that!! Ja definitely left a stamp in the game and gave the culture timeless records but at this point people seem to only mention Ja in connection to his beef that HE LOST to 50....it is what it is!!
There was plenty gritty street rap before 50 popped, they just didn't have an em and Dre co-sign and that interscope/XXL machine behind them. 50 started doing a bunch of melodic stuff soon after his beef with murder inc..
One man can’t kill a career on his own, and the industry seemed to kinda turn on Ja at the time. I remember at the time it seemed like everyone from Fif, to Em, Xzhibit, Busta, and others just seemed like they dog piled on Ja at the same time. Plus the media kinda ran with and accepted the narrative of 50 ending his career without really giving Ja a chance to come back. I don’t think I’ve heard a single song on the Blood in my Eye album on the radio besides Clap Back (which is insane for an artist on Ja’s level), and he actually had some reasonable success with the “New York” song in 04. But it seemed like someone just decided his career was over and wouldn’t let me climb out of the hole.
He was a top musician at one point, not just a top "rapper"! He reached the top and has countless hits! His growth was not stunted in any way because he reached his full potential! His career just ran it's course!
@@brandongilbert3071 right he was the biggest rapper on the planet from 2000-2006 ...he was the legit first crossover rapper ...what i mean he was over as a pop and rap act more than anyone before him...and the narrator is right 50 did take ja's style so did jayz
Yeah, the last time we heard from Ja Rule he was with the infamous Fyre festival Somewhere I can visualise Fiddy cackling at the karmic hand dealt his rival
I mean but Ja understood the rules of the game. Squash him before he gets big enough to squash you or gain steam. That’s what happened to cannibus, but 50 was a better artist & he had buzz through the mixtape scene too and had he not gotten shot, still would’ve had that Columbia deal.
Not saying anything would’ve made things worse. It’s hip hop. Responding is a part of it. 50 became one of the biggest stars on the planet. How do you not respond when one of the biggest rappers in the game is calling you out in front of the entire world?
Ja Rule definitely had a lane for himself and could’ve had a run from 1999- 2008. His first mistake is acknowledging 50 because 50 had more believable treet edge and had that interscope machine backing him. Ja problem was that he was trying to appeal to the streets when he was beefing but the streets wasn’t feeling those radio hits he had no chance.He should’ve just kept making hits for the ladies and eventually that Ja Rule hate train would’ve blown over. When you rap for the women they’ll buy your records and the dudes will follow what the women do simple. The general masses was just sick of him and wanted to make Ja Rule the punching bag of music. 50 Cent was just jealous and wanted his spot that’s all. He still had a solid 5-6 year run👍🏽btw he should’ve had a collab album with Ashanti around 2004 would went at least double platinum.
50/Feds Stunted Ja's growth for sure...he shouldn't have went back and forth with 50. And the timing just wasn't on Rule's side either. 50 is built for beef, Ja wasn't!!
Honestly, I don't think 50 killed Ja's career, it was the investigation by the FBI with Murder Inc. that killed it. That's tough to come back from when the FEDS trying to shut you down. Ja was tight though, had some club bangers and hardcore songs I like, so can't knock dude...he was a good rapper.
Definitely...and I never liked Ja Rule but couldn't act like he didn't make hit after hit. He had the musical talent. But I still think if 50 didn't go at him, or feds ain't come knocking, he'd still fall off because nobody survives rap forever. His sound was going to get old and repetitive. Like Wayne is my goat, top three rappers but after drought 3 and Carter 3 And all the songs I was listening to all day everyday I got tired of hearing him.
Ja literally mastered the delicate balance of pop appeal and street cred that so many rappers coveted then and covet now. Dude was releasing multiplatinum albums like it was nothing. He was a pop megastar.
If Ja Rule didn't ignore John Singletons phone calls after Fast & Furious. Ja would still be relevant right now too! He was feeling himself when he was on top of his game in Hip Hop after 3:36 came out.
@@SBTheBully Yes, I looked it up. Because I wondered why Ja wasn't in the series anymore. His success backfired smh. But, Ludacris is a great actor too though.
He actually said he didn't do Fast and the furious 2..... because it conflicted with the tour he was on. He said that the movie was paying him $500,000. When the whole tour he made like 13 million so basically he made the right choice at that time
I love Ja. To this day I find it ironic that 50 Cent and others dissed him for singing on rap songs when years later that would be the standard in mainstream hip-hop.
can we stop this. Every rapper has sung on a hook from Pac on Me & My Girlfriend to B.I.G. on Another but Ja was on some hitting high Thug notes shit. It was a period where homey had a list of singers that he had duets with. Also we always tend to forget when a rapper start beef it leaves them open to some aspect of their style or images that will be pointed out. Trust way before 50 came out Ja was already on the decline, 50 jut pointed out what alot of people were already saying.
@@maximbelmont4641 I agree with a lot of the points you said. Personally I never thought Ja had a good singing voice. I just really find it funny how 50 Cent dropped 21 Questions and eventually had a song years later with G-Unit "Rider Pt2" where he's using auto tune in a sing song way similar to a Kirko Bangs type rapper. A prophet Ja never was because Bone Thugz, Fat Pat, Klondike Kat, and sometimes The Pharcyde did the sing songy flow, but that alone shouldnt be a reason to diss an rapper if you're going to do the same thing he's doing.
@@maximbelmont4641 ja wasn't on the decline when he was beefing with 50. What are you talking about? he was the hottest rapper out at the time. Drake wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ja
@@051landookay Ja first single off The Last temptation was Thug Loving with Bobby Brown...I don't know where you were in 2002 but when that shit came out ppl said it was garbage. 2nd his next single was mesmerize with Ashanti. Listen to that song against...better yet watch the video...I don't know where you were in 2003 but no one was blasting that shit in the clubs or in their car. Now on the Drake remark: please tell me what about Drake style says he learn that shit from Ja. Cause I hope you don't really want to say it's singing since in music that shit is a norm. I don't think Ja stumble on something that would have never been thought before in the history of music...you know singing hooks for bitches isn't on some Coltrane shit. Especially since Drake blueprint was laid down by L.L. Cool J when he wrote "I need love" 30 years ago.
The beef started because they were both cool with each other’s enemies. JA was cool with an enemy of 50’s and 50 was cool with an enemy of JA. That’s how it started. Then add the jealousy, robbing, stabbing, etc. That’s why they will never be cool. It’s deep. Funny thing is, if they befriended each other instead of their enemies they probably would have worked well together, become close friends, and then change the game in a different way. [x]
That's a good suggestion bro! But I can tell you that he is still making music and doing good as far as how he's living his music just doesn't get played on the radio and he's not as big as he was before. I saw a video on him in December 2020 and he was saying how he was still doing music and that it wasn't really the beef with Tip that killed his career it was him having problems with his label and other stuff was going on that people didn't know about. T.I. is supposed to be getting him on his podcast radio show that's on RU-vid Exspitiously or whatever it's called to talk to him and see what he's been up to since they are cool now. Sorry if this was too long I don't know how I could've made it any shorter without all these paragraphs and all lol.
truth is 50 just couldnt be stopped and had all the resources after he got shot and was very smart in how he turned ja rules fan base against him . the cats that were fucking with him switch sides real quick in only a year later. I remember that shift like it was yesterday
No. People forget ja's run didnt really end until 2005. G unit did slow his career down and made people look at ja funny tho. Also music was changing and ja was prolly not gonna be a top tier rapper by the late 2000's anyway, just look at fifs music career after 2007.
You mean 05 when gane demolished the whole unit plus the south was starting to take over 25 cents killed NY rap thats why its the way it is now becuase he beefed with everyone thought he shook the whole industry but nobody was scared of him only the mainstream artists mainly they were acting like they were not going to do nothing or probably wanted him to shine but the south rappers were ready for dude to play chess like three 6 and Tommy Wright the 3 weren't scared of this clown
Man, when 50 flooded the streets with the mixtapes & started gaining major steam, I remember thinking damn, whoever sign him is gonna cash in. Then I heard Em/Dre signed him after Puff & others passed cuz of his street drama.
I honestly NEVER thought 50 ruined ja career, before 50 came into the picture ja had a good 3 to 4 year run, thats a standard run for any hip hop artist that is hot at any given time. Ja first album is a classic
Jarule made platinum albums all the way from 98 to 2003 which is a good run and Venni Vetti Vecci is one of the best albums ever which was Jarule debut album
I have to disagree. Ja Rule’s best work was his debut guest appearance on Mic Geronimo’s first album as well as the Cash Money Click Get the Fortune Maxi Single.
Bro I'm still waiting for that Musiq Soulchild and Carl Thomas video's I requested like in Feb. of this year. Not rushing you on it I just wanna keep reminding you that's all.
@@scinnyc but 25 ¢ has girl tendencies and only won a couple of beefs he lost to everyone mainly wu tang d block game the list goes on yall just know about the mainstream beefs but alot if artits are better than Curtis 🐀 son
That's the biggest misconception in hip hop that 50 Cent ended Ja Rule's career... it was the Interscope machine that ended Ja Rule. It was Ja Rule vs. 50 Cent, G-Unit, Eminem, D12, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, Obie Trice and he was also beefing with DMX at the time. It was overkill
Ja's blood in my eye album was a return to the sound he had on Venni Vetti Vecci there really was no switch up except for the fact that he didn't do street songs for 4 years. I glad somebody else finally called out 50 for stealing that sound for 21 questions. Another thing that you didn't hit on here was Ja's fascination with 2Pac which also hurt him. Then DMX dissed him and he fell out with Jay. Murder inc in the beginning was collaborating with Def Jam more but after a certain point of success they isolated themselves which hurt them.
This short documentary left out a very important and crucial part in this rivalry - 50, has the backing of Jimmy Ivone & Interscope. Had 50 been signed to Sleeping Bag Records for instance Ja, would have remained on top.
Def Jam abandoned his team and the Feds finished them off. 50 Had a whole team of people to make sure he succeeded which he did not have for that first album even though both Em and Destiny' Child was on it. He benefited from the controversy of getting shot while Ja was being sold out and robbed of millions of dollars.
Plain and simple shady team snitched. And made sure Ja woyldnt maje a come back why you think everyone knows thier disses but not murder inc disses what does that tell you
@@matthewmann8969 Wrong. The Roc, Ruff Ryder, and M Inc. was competing. Def Jam chose Jay over all of them. X ended up signing to Columbia, M Inc. folded, and the Roc got ethered.
@@nicholasstroman9558 yea its sad thats when he lost his fans and the idoits turned to 25 ¢ while he still on the internet being bored cuz the man dont got nothing else better to do while everyone has family and everything living the dream while dude is whining and complaining wishing it was 02 again 😆
Added you to my must watch. The care you put into this series is clear to see. Possible you could one for A Tribe Called Quest? Keep up the great work. Much love from Trinidad and Tobago.
Ja really started the singing hooks with rap like 50cent & drake doing as of today.🤷🏽♂️ Ja should of stick with the flow that made him millions along with radio play.
Actually 50 cent is the original hook singer and chorus maker . Ja rule took his style. 50 cents first song called "Glow of a Thug" released in 1996 before Ja rule was evena mainstream artist has him singing choruses. You can listen to Glow of thug on youtube
Ja Rule growth never was stunted, he reached superstar level. Hip-Hop music was changing after 05' (the South takeover) eventually Ja was gonna dwindle out eventually, right alongside with Nelly. Difference is it happened earlier than expected cause of Federal indictment and 50 Cent beef.
Stunted na. His career was exactly how it was suppose to be. Was/is successful. Dude made bread raised a family aint in prison. If he had passion to make more music he would.
I always thought had Ja just ignored 50 and Aftermath and kept putting out those big records after big records, he would have drowned out 50 and kept raking in money
@@bigcovideoz2063damn just saw this 3 years later 😂 50 would be hard to ignore but not impossible. Ja had the high ground, just keep putting out those huge records he was dropping. That's speculative on my part but worth a gander I guess
50 was just dropping fire after fire after fire.. his mixtapes were MOVING!!! If ja was putting out that same if not better level of heat, it would have def turned out different.
Cuz 25 ¢ stans made sure it wouldn't sell and at the 04 summer jam he still kept running hus mouth but the sane thing goes for 25 ¢ game dissed him and destroyed his brand
Yea 50 crushed him him they did everything to black ball 50 cent from all the radio stations. They even stopped certain artist from working with him. 50 created that mixtape buzz changing the entire format of a freestyle creating full blown songs. That automatic gunfire mixtape was brutal, on top of all the other disses. Once 50 signed to Eminem & dr DRE it got worse because at that point the entire New York turned against ja Jay z, busta rhymes, dmx, he got fucked up real bad. When get rich or die tryin dropped there was absolutely nothing ja could do to stop 50s momentum this diss songs that he came out with weren’t even that good he lost the battle lyrical & lost the war overtime🤷🏾♂️ shit happens
It’s crazy to me how all of this was mentioned not once did I hear anything about the F.E.D.S which was the biggest part of why Murder inc was dropped by the label but OK I get it 50 really sold the narrative well because the fans all fell for it I was living in this moment, and I always saw it different. They were so much things behind the scenes that hindered Ja Rule’s career besides 50 and the fans switching up on him.
I know. Dude really could’ve been the next 50 cent and had NYC behind him with production by just blaze. Maybe just blaze the one to blame bc the same thing happened with jay electronica. Delayed albums 🤷🏽♂️
50 was like the Terminator coming at Murder Inc. They jumped 50, stabbed 50, shot 50 and he still kept coming at them like a cyborg from the future. They must've have been like what do we have to do to stop 50. 50 was a savage back then.
This is really good video. You completely laid out why things went bad for Ja. And people who think the beef with 50 had nothing to do with Ja falling off, you’re completely in denial. So the backlash against him in the public had nothing to do with 50? His videos were being booed on 106 & park, you think that had nothing to do with the beef with 50? His record sales declined. So it’s all just a coincidence, huh? Ja himself even said there was a backlash against MI because of his beef with 50.
@@ERGSEG The funny part bout it is , even Busta Rhymes said on the Hail Mary '03 diss track w/ Em and 50 "106 & Park fans don't even fuckin respect you" .. 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
@Jac735 oh yh, I remember. 'The Reign' video. It's actually mad, because it was only a few years before that his video 'Put it on me' that was on the countdown for so long, they retired it.
@@tonysnow759 1 of the most 🔥 Disrespectful bars Delivery was OnPoint & the line was Authentic AF not a rumor or hearsay we witnessed 50 rapping on tracks fuck his career up...you can say JayZ Tupac Nas etc etc had more disrespectful bars & Ima agree with that because they did but that line from 50 hit different when you watched this shit happening publicly not behind closed doors or assumptions but this is just my OpinionatedFact Ima #OxyMoron at times 🤷🏽♂️
I personally always thought Ja Rule was fake af. His energy just never seemed authentic to me. All that growling he did in his raps didn't help his image either...like he was trying to be DMX, Onyx and Pac combined. I couldn't stand Ja in the late 90s/early 2000s but he had tracks here and there that I liked...most notably his few collabs with Jay-Z and DMX. But 50 was just the right person at the right time to come and pull Ja's hood card and bring something fresh to the rap game. 50 was that real nigga, while Ja was singing with JLo and Ashanti. He was the perfect target for 50 to go at. But in retrospect Ja wasn't that bad at all. But he still never compared to 50 because 50 was just such a beast in hip hop at the time that even til this day it still makes Ja look damn near insignificant
I think its time we gave JA his credit, JA was on top, 50 took his spot, then Kanye took 50's spot, then it was a mix of Lil Wayne, then Drake. It happens, JA is still a legend
Ja had 4 hot album witch all went platinum that a pretty good rap career now 50 cent didn't kill his rap career it was the feds when you got the feds on your neck you can't do anything plus his wave was running out and when 50cent came with that new energy every one switch sides the average rap career is 2years his time just was up
I don't think I could see ja's career going past 2005 because by that time trap music was already setting in and artists like gucci, Jeezy, Mike Jones and Chamillionaire were setting in nicely, I felt like 50 did him a favor because his music couldn't last in that wave, also 50's music survived because he made mostly street music anyways so he almost fit right in as well as being at the top of the rap game at the time anyways
Whar i like about Ja is his versatility with his flow......he can get raw with his radio freestyles then switch it up do a collabo with a pop or r&b star......theres only a few that could pull that off in rap.....plus if he's a stand up guy in person......😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
When niggaz found out 50 was talkin about Ja in "Wanksta" it was pretty much over already. When Get Rich Or Die Tryin dropped Ja was a forgotten memory
Similar vocal to DMX. "And I'm not Ja-Rule" - DMX DMX put another nail in his coffin. He did seem to get typecasted as a softee after all those sexy club hits. I mean back then in Poland we played it and thought he werent tough, not knowing he didn't pop out of nowhere and earned his name. Backtracking that now. Respect from me.
I know this request sounds crazy but I think you should do a stunted growth on Young Jeezy. He was a legit goat from 2005-2008 didn't hear much from him after that, then he returned with a song with Ne-yo disappeared again I think still makes music but I would imagine him in a boss position like Camron or P.Diddy signing new rappers.
A little less focus on Curtis, and more on making the Hits that he was making, and he would've been fine. Beef with X, and falling out with Jay didn't help either.
Absolutely but what REALlY did it was him dissing EM DRE and Busta for no reason. Of course he can't fight ,50/gunit em/D12/Obie and Dr Dre/aftermath by himself. But he did it to himself. Black child and that other guy from murder Inc was TERRIBLe and ain't gonna do nothing in a music beef. There albums never even came out ?
Yeah it was not just 50 dissing Ja but also Banks, Yayo, Buck, Game, Em, Proof, Bizarre, Swifty, Kuniva, Kon Artist, Obie Trice, Dr Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes, and plenty of others dissing Ja so Ja was being attacked by so many angles
No stunt growth with ja rule my NIGGA had a gooooood run his time just ran out can't make good music like this any more no stunt growth just mad respect from me
You missed the R.U.L.E. album which was a solid project. Really everything other than Last Temptation were solid projects. The beef overshadowed his talent, but is not like he was really making bad songs.
Say what you wanna say about Ja but this dude was putting out crazy hits post 50 of course. Ja stood his own ground Jay Z DMX Nelly Shady & Ja was literally platinum artist
