In a list of the greatest rappers in the world, Ja Rule would hardly be missing. With a very strong voice, he was one of the biggest voices in the rap industry in the early 2000s, before he finally lost out due to the numerous feuds he was involved in. Apart from being a rapper, Ja Rule is also a record producer and actor.
Who is Ja Rule? Biography
While a larger part of the world knows the rapper as Ja Rule, he was born Jeffrey Bruce Atkins on February 29, 1976, in Queens, New York. His father, William Atkins, left the family when he was still a child, and the responsibility of raising him was left to his mother, Debra.
His mother lost a child while still in the womb as a result of a breathing complication, and so Atkins was raised without siblings as a Jehovah’s Witness – a religious organization that his mother would later leave.
By the age of 12, Jeffrey Atkins had already begun selling drugs to his friend’s family in Queens. He started selling drugs after moving out of his grandparents’ house and living with his mother, who was also in trouble at the time.
What drew him away from the streets where he was trying to make a life for himself was the rap music he started in 1993. His first work was with the hip-hop group Cash Money Click, which included Chris Black and O-1. His first album, Venni Vetti Vecci, was released in 1999. It became a success in a very short time, reaching platinum and paving the way for his next album Rule 3:36, which was released in 2000 and surpassed the first album.
Pain Is Love is his next album, which was released in 2001. It became another very successful album that sold more than the previous ones. The single Always on Time with Ashanti became one of the most popular songs on the album, which was nominated for the best rap album at the 2002 Grammy Awards.
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His next albums were The Last Temptation (2002), Blood in My Eye (2003), and R.U.L.E. (2004). More releases followed, but nothing was as successful as his previous albums.
Wife, Kids, Gay
In 2013, rumors surfaced claiming that the rapper was gay. Nevertheless, there is no confirmation of this and he is married to Aisha Murray. The couple first met when she was Aisha. Aisha was 14 years old when she was still in high school and they have stayed together ever since.
Their relationship has not been without challenges, but Aisha Murray Atkins and Jeffrey Atkins are still together, and in 1995 they gave birth to a child, Brittany. Their next children, Jeffery Junior and Jordan, were born in 2000 and 2005 respectively.
There were times when there was speculation that the couple was heading for divorce after rumors arose that Ja Rule had cheated on his wife and he was gay. Despite all this, the couple is still strong.
What Happened To Ja Rule?
Even after he became as successful as he was as a rapper, Ja Rule soon disappeared from the hip hop scene after his various legal battles, during which he spent some time behind bars, as well as his never-ending feuds with other rappers that turned out to be his undoing.
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One of his first big feuds was the one with 50 Cent, and the feud would develop into a dispute with the entire G-Unit. In 2002, 50 Cent signed with Shady Records and Aftermath, and this move sent Ja Rule into a rage that threatened to do so. He attacked Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade, and many believe that his constant feuds with other rappers led to his downfall in the music industry.
Although it became very difficult for him to make a significant impact on the rap scene, Jeffery Atkins has been an actor for a long time. He has starred in a variety of films including Turn It Up (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Half Past Dead (2002), I’m in Love with a Church Girl (2013), and Fly (2018).
Height
Ja Rule is not only a man with a thick voice but also a man with a good height and body weight. He is 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighs 72 kg (159 lb).