From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2004 studio album by Ja Rule
R.U.L.E. is the sixth studio album by American rapper Ja Rule ; it was released on November 9, 2004, by The Inc. and Island Def Jam Music Group .[3] The album debuted at number 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 165,000 units in its opening week.[4] The album was certified Gold and sold over 658,000 copies in the United States.[5]
Singles from the album include "Wonderful " featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti ; the top 20 song "New York " featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe , and the song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd .
The album was also made in a heavily edited version removing profanities, drugs and violent content: it removes the skits "Weed" and "Stripping Game". This version of the album became the most edited album other than his previous album Blood in My Eye (2003).
Critical reception [ edit ]
R.U.L.E. garnered favorable reviews from music critics but some questioned if this was a return to form after the disappointing Blood in My Eye . K.B. Tindal of HipHopDX called the album Ja's best since Rule 3:36 and Pain Is Love , concluding that "The Inc. will always be Murder Inc. no matter what and Ja will always be at the head of the fam so get used to it, he's back."[7] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews gave a mixed review, stating "[T]his is not an overwhelming strong album lyrically, but it's a pleasant enough one to listen to musically - and from Ja Rule that's enough to get by."[8] Timothy Gunatilaka of Entertainment Weekly found love ballads like "Passion" and "Wonderful" suitable for Ja Rule, concluding that they "suggest he might want to stick to raspy romanticism."[1] AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier said that the album continued the depletion of Ja's relevance in hip-hop, stating, "And so the downfall goes—tragic, indeed, or not, depending on how affecting you find the pathos at work."[6] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club found Ja's reliance on emulating "2Pac 's tortured-thug persona" to craft mildly amusing "overwrought melodrama" overlong throughout the record and exacerbated further through "anonymous production, irritating skits, and [the kind of] raspy shower-stall warbling."[10]
Track listing [ edit ]
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[11]
Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "The Inc. Intro" Jeffrey Atkins Ja Rule 2:20 2. "Last of The Mohicans" (featuring Black Child ) 4:24 3. "Wonderful " (featuring R. Kelly & Ashanti ) 4:31 4. "What's My Name" (featuring Ashanti) 4:26 5. "New York " (featuring Fat Joe & Jadakiss ) 4:18 6. "Stripping Game" (skit) (removed from edited version) 1:15 7. "The Manual" Jimi Kendrix Irv Gotti Francion Corbett[a] 4:18 8. "Get It Started" (featuring Claudette Ortiz ) 4:00 9. "R.U.L.E." 3:37 10. "True Story" (skit) Richard Wilson Dat Nigga Reb 0:30 11. "Caught Up " (featuring Lloyd ) Atkins Smith Lorenzo Bryan Attmore Jimi Kendrix Irv Gotti Boogz[a] 4:29 12. "Gun Talk" (featuring Black Child ) Atkins Gill A. Parker Lorenzo 4:30 13. "Never Thought" 4:42 14. "Life Goes On" (featuring Trick Daddy & Chink Santana) 4:52 15. "Weed" (skit) (removed from edited version) Dat Nigga Reb 1:55 16. "Where I'm From" (featuring Lloyd) 5:11 17. "Bout My Business" (featuring Caddillac Tah , Black Child & Young Merc) Atkins Raymond Grant Richard Grant Lorenzo Taheem Crocker Gill Jeffery Crocker Simon Haseley 3:39 18. "Passion" Jimi Kendrix Irv Gotti Boogz[a] 8:37
Japan bonus track Title Producer(s) 19. "Better Days" Jimi Kendrix 4:37
Notes
^[a] signifies a co-producer.
Sample credits
"R.U.L.E" - Contains a sample of "They Ain't JE" performed by Jagged Edge .
"Bout My Business" - Contains a sample of "Hogan's Thing" performed by Simon Haseley.
"New York" - Contains a sample of "100 Guns" performed by Boogie Down Productions .
"Where I'm From" - Contains a sample of "The Boys of Summer" performed by Don Henley .
Weekly charts [ edit ]
Year-end charts [ edit ]
Chart (2005)
Position
US Billboard 200[25]
150
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard )[26]
46
Certifications [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ a b c Gunatilaka, Timothy (November 26, 2004). "R.U.L.E." Retrieved May 3, 2022 .
^ "Ja Rule: 'Wonderful' ". Radio & Records . No. 1573. September 17, 2004. p. 43.
^ "R.U.L.E.: Ja Rule: Music" . Amazon.com . Retrieved 2012-03-06 .
^ Written by Joe D'Angelo (2004-11-17). "News : Eminem Shreds The Competition, Even With A Premature Encore" . CMT. Retrieved 2012-03-06 .
^ "Rapper Ja Rule releasing first album in 3 years" . Reuters . 7 October 2007.
^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. "R.U.L.E. - Ja Rule" . AllMusic . Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ a b Tindal, K.B. (November 24, 2004). "Ja Rule - R.U.L.E." HipHopDX . Cheri Media Group. Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (November 9, 2004). "Ja Rule :: R.U.L.E. :: Def Jam" . RapReviews . Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ Jones, Steve (November 8, 2004). "Elton John's 'Peachtree Road': An unforgettable joy ride" . USA Today . Gannett . Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ Rabin, Nathan (January 17, 2005). "Purple Haze/R.U.L.E." The A.V. Club . Retrieved October 17, 2018 .
^ R.U.L.E. (booklet). The Inc. , Def Jam . 2004.
^ "ARIA Urban Chart – Week Commencing 7th March 2005" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association (784): 17. March 7, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Pandora Archive .
^ "Albums : Top 100" . Jam! . November 25, 2004. Archived from the original on December 14, 2004. Retrieved April 10, 2023 .
^ "R&B : Top 50" . Jam! . December 2, 2004. Archived from the original on December 6, 2004. Retrieved January 29, 2023 .
^ "Lescharts.com – Ja Rule – R.U.L.E" . Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH .
^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 46, 2004" . Chart-Track . IRMA .
^ "ルール" (in Japanese). Oricon . Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023 .
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Ja Rule – R.U.L.E" . Hung Medien.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ "Ja Rule Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 7, 2015.
^ "Ja Rule Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 7, 2015.
^ "Ja Rule Chart History (Top Rap Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 7, 2015.
^ "Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums - 2005" . Billboard . Retrieved May 7, 2015 .
^ "Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 2005" . Billboard . Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2015 .
^ "British album certifications – Ja Rule – R.U.L.E." British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved May 7, 2015 .
^ "American album certifications – Ja Rule – R.U.L.E." Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 7, 2015 .
Studio albums Compilation albums Mixtapes Singles Featured artist Tours Related articles