INTERVIEW: Ja Rule Opens Up On The Passing Of Irv Gotti, Talks Murder Inc Legacy, Fatherhood, Whiskey + More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Ja Rule Opens Up on Irv Gotti's Passing, Murder Inc Legacy, Fatherhood, Whiskey, and More

Release Date: April 10, 2025
Host: DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, with Lorna Rosa filling in for Jess Hilarious
Guest: Ja Rule

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1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with the classic vibrant energy of "The Breakfast Club," where hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God warmly welcome the legendary Ja Rule to the show. Lorna Rosa joins in as the temporary host in Jess Hilarious's absence, setting the stage for an engaging and heartfelt conversation.

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2. Ja Rule’s Journey in Music

Ja Rule reflects on his enduring impact in the music industry, emphasizing how his music from the late '90s and early 2000s continues to resonate with audiences today.

Notable Quote:
“We were in an era. Diddy was there doing what Bad Boy was doing... I kind of just filled the void of those female records that was kind of missing in the industry at the moment.”
—Ja Rule [01:37]

Ja Rule discusses how he carved out a unique space amidst giants like Bad Boy and Def Jam, focusing on creating relatable female-centric tracks that were previously underrepresented.

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3. Relationship with Irv Gotti and Murder Inc.

A significant portion of the conversation centers around Ja Rule's relationship with Irv Gotti, his experiences with TVT Records, and the eventual formation of Murder Inc.

Notable Quote:
“This is my make it or break it moment... I just rhyme after rhyme after rhyme and kept going.”
—Ja Rule [02:17]

Ja Rule recounts how he met Irv Gotti through his friend Chris Black while hustling in Hollis. This pivotal meeting led to his signing with TVT Records and later transitioning to Def Jam under Irv's guidance, shaping his career trajectory.

Additional Insights:

• TVT Records: Ja Rule shares the challenges with TVT Records, highlighting missed opportunities to sign major artists like Jay-Z and Dre. He critiques TVT’s inability to capitalize on the evolving hip-hop scene, which ultimately led to his departure.

• Def Jam Era: Upon joining Def Jam, Ja Rule felt it was a dream come true, comparing Def Jam to Motown for rappers. He narrates a memorable moment where Jay-Z recognized his potential, forecasting his future stardom.

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4. Personal Reflections and Fatherhood

Transitioning from his professional journey, Ja Rule delves into his personal life, discussing fatherhood and the evolving perspective that comes with age.

Notable Quote:
“I used to be a dumb young knucklehead. I used to think I wasn't gonna live to be 25 and all this other goofy. But... here I am, 49, looking at my kids...”
—Ja Rule [30:02]

Ja Rule reflects on his transformation from a young artist focused solely on his career to a responsible father witnessing his children’s milestones, such as graduations and weddings. This shift has deepened his appreciation for life and influenced his priorities.

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5. Business Ventures – Whiskey Brand

Ja Rule shares his venture into the spirits industry with his whiskey brand, Amber and Opal, detailing the inspiration, production process, and marketing strategies.

Notable Quote:
“Whiskey ain't nothing if your health ain't good. If you're not in good health, you can't enjoy it.”
—Ja Rule [21:50]

Key Points:

• Origin: Inspired by a business venture during COVID-19, Ja Rule, along with partners, explored whiskey through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). This led to the creation of Amber and Opal, a brand focusing on inclusivity and high-quality blends.

• Production: Ja Rule discusses the meticulous blending process, incorporating Chinese black tea (Lapsung Souchang) to achieve a sweet and smoky flavor profile. He emphasizes the involvement of his team in crafting a smooth and approachable whiskey for both enthusiasts and newcomers.

• Marketing: The brand aims to innovate traditional bottle service by providing mixologists and customized drink menus, enhancing the consumer experience beyond standard offerings.

• Distribution: Initially distributed through Park Streets in California and Florida, Ja Rule plans to partner with larger distributors like R&DC to expand nationally. He underscores the importance of diversity programs in securing initial distribution channels.

Notable Quote:
“We want everybody to enjoy Amber and Opal. We are a black-owned brand, but we're not a black brand.”
—Ja Rule [58:14]

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6. Community Initiatives – School in Ghana

Highlighting his commitment to philanthropy, Ja Rule discusses his recent project of building a school in Nasu, Ghana.

Notable Quote:
“This is something that's going to live way beyond me... teaching the girls how to be sanitary with themselves.”
—Ja Rule [60:12]

Key Points:

• Project Details: Ja Rule recently completed a six-classroom block in a rural area of Ghana, focusing on essential education and sanitation. The initiative aims to provide sustainable education and improve living conditions in underserved communities.

• Partnerships: Collaborating with organizations like Pencils of Promise and the Andy and Scooter Bronze Foundation, Ja Rule underscores the collective effort required to make a lasting impact.

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7. Reflections on Hip Hop Evolution and Legacy

Ja Rule offers his perspective on the growth and changes within hip-hop, addressing comparisons to contemporaries like DMX and Drake, and the nature of artist feuds.

Notable Quote:
“People are fickle. If you don't have haters, then you ain't doing something right.”
—Ja Rule [39:13]

Key Points:

• Artist Comparisons: Ja Rule reflects on being an early adopter of blending singing with rap, positioning himself as a precursor to artists like Drake. He discusses how his innovative approach laid the groundwork for the modern rap-singing hybrid.

• Public Perception and Feuds: Addressing longstanding feuds, Ja Rule emphasizes personal growth and resilience. He maintains that while public perception can be fickle, his focus remains on his family, business, and positive contributions.

• Evolution of Hip Hop: Ja Rule notes the shift from physical album sales to streaming, highlighting how different eras benefit from their unique modes of distribution. He appreciates the longevity of his music and its continued relevance among both old fans and new generations.

Additional Insights:

• Legacy of Irv Gotti: Ja Rule pays homage to Irv Gotti's vision and influence, lamenting missed opportunities and expressing a desire to honor Irv's legacy through his ongoing work.

• Mental Health and Perspective: The conversation touches on coping with loss and maintaining perspective amidst the pressures of fame and life’s unpredictability.

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8. Closing Remarks

As the episode winds down, Ja Rule reiterates his commitment to his ventures and community projects. The hosts congratulate him on his accomplishments and share light-hearted moments, reinforcing the supportive atmosphere of the show.

Notable Quote:
“Building a career isn't just about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations.”
—Ja Rule [64:22]

Ja Rule encourages listeners to support his endeavors, including his whiskey brand Amber and Opal, and his educational initiatives in Ghana. The episode concludes with warm goodbyes and a reminder of the impactful legacy Ja Rule continues to build.

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Conclusion

This episode of "The Breakfast Club" offers an in-depth look into Ja Rule's multifaceted life, from his influential music career and enduring legacy to his personal growth, business ventures, and philanthropic efforts. Through candid conversations and heartfelt reflections, Ja Rule provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of his journey, challenges, and aspirations, making it a compelling listen for fans and newcomers alike.

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Key Takeaways:

• Legacy Building: Ja Rule emphasizes the importance of creating lasting impacts through music, business, and community initiatives.

• Adaptability and Resilience: Navigating industry changes and personal challenges, Ja Rule demonstrates adaptability and resilience.

• Philanthropy: His commitment to education and community development highlights his dedication to giving back and fostering positive change.

• Innovation in Music and Business: From pioneering rap-singing hybrids to launching a unique whiskey brand, Ja Rule continues to innovate and influence various fields.

End of Summary

Transcript

[Ja Rule]

Wake that ass up.

[DJ Envy]

Early in the morning, the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Lorna Rosa, filling in for Jess. We got a special guest in the building.

[DJ Envy]

The legendary Ja Rule, ladies and gentlemen.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, what up? What up, family? Family.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Welcome back. How you feeling, first and foremost, brother?

[Ja Rule]

I'm good, man. I'm good. Good, you know. You know, it's been in and out, but, you know, for the most part. I'm good. I'm good.

[DJ Envy]

What's aging better, man? You, Your music or that whiskey that you got now?

[Ja Rule]

That whiskey you here to promote?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We were talking about it the other day. We were saying, you know, from the artists from our era, and even a couple of years before that, your music still connects to people.

[DJ Envy]

It's aging well.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It ages well.

[DJ Envy]

I don't care where you at, young, you hit in restaurants, you hit on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Elevators, medium, clubs, festivals. It aged well. Was that the intention when you made those records or not?

[Ja Rule]

Definitely. Definitely not. You know, just in there being creative and, you know, trying to do something a little different. You know, everybody was kind of tackling this or that. You know, we was in an era. Diddy was there doing what Bad Boy was doing. And then, you know, you had Rockefeller and you had Rough Riders. So it was like a. It was a space that needed to be filled, and I think that was the space I feel. You know, J and M had the ultimate floss and fly and flashy shit going on, and X and Them was the Streets and, you know, Diddy, you know, and Bad Boy was Bad Boy and what they were doing with their movement. So, you know, I kind of just filled the void of those female records that was kind of missing in the industry at the moment.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I want to. If you don't mind, I want to go back a little bit. I've known you for a long time, known of you for a long time. But I don't think a lot of people know the true story of Ja Rule and how you got signed and your deal and everything. With the recent passing of Irv, I just wanted you to talk about that a little bit.

[DJ Envy]

We need to crack some whiskey for that.

[Just hilarious]

The Cups was on the way.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's a celebratory story, though. You know what I mean? So talk about the first time you met Irv and how that was and why you didn't sign a TVT at the time.

[Ja Rule]

Well, I did actually sign a tv, so I'll tell a story a little bit. So my man, Chris Black, Big Shout out to my brother Black. You know, we was hustling on two fifth and Hollis, you know, doing what young, hungry black men do in the hood.

[DJ Envy]

Selling drugs.

[Ja Rule]

Selling some drugs, you know? And he used to go to the studio with Irv and Mike Geronimo. He used to come back to the block with his mixtapes. Like, it was a mixtape at the time. It was just, like, little tapes that they was making, basically, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, I'm like, yo, what's up? Like, I want to go rhyme with Irv. And Mike Jerome, at the time, he was DJ Irv. So, yeah, I want to go rap with them, too, you know, because we had, like, a little group kind of thing we was kind of doing, but not really. I was kind of like, more or less the rap out of the crew, me and my other homeboy. And so when I said that to Black, he was like, yo, I'll bring you up there. So he brought me up there, and that's when I met Irv. And Irv was like, yeah, yeah, he think he nice. He's like, all right, go ahead, put it. Get in the booth. Let me see what you. See what you do. And for me, that was a. Okay, this is my make it or break it moment. Like, this is my moment moment. Like, this dude right here is the guy that's helping motherfuckers get record deals in the neighborhood. So I didn't leave the booth. I wouldn't leave the booth. I just rhyme after rhyme after rhyme and kept going. And at the time, you know, I had an arsenal of rhymes. So I was like, yeah, this n. Got it. So that's how our relationship started.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And he brought you to tvt was the label at the time, right?

[Ja Rule]

Brought us to TVT. You know, I was young. I was, like, 17, 18. I really didn't. I really didn't care how it was gonna play out at the moment. I was just like, let's get this record deal. Let's do what we doing and, you know, you know, try to. Try to make this movement reality. You know, before that, it was just like, you know, she was doing the school beating on the tables and lunchrooms. You know, I be in the hood with the homies. You know, rapping wasn't really, like, a real. It wasn't a dream yet, is what I'm saying. You know, until that moment, you know what I mean? Then it really became real to me. Like, yo, we could get a record deal. We could. You know, we could put out some Records, maybe we could go gold. And that was the. That was the goal back then, is to go gold. So, yeah, so we signed to tvt. He had Mike Geronimo there first, and then we signed with him. Interesting story about tvt. I tell y'all a real interesting story about tvt. Because TBT could have been the biggest label or one of the biggest labels, because Irv brought Steve Gottlieb. Jay, he brought him X. Dre brought him the Chronic. What? I swear to God.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy.

[Ja Rule]

He had all these projects, and he didn't know. I guess he didn't know how to capitalize on what was happening with the movement of hip hop at the moment and how it was shifting and changing or whatever. And he just kept saying no to everything that came his way. Word.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And how did. So how did it go from there? Because, you know, when Mike Geronimo came out, Shit's Real was the record. Yeah, it wasn't a huge, successful record, but it was big.

[Ja Rule]

It was enough.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was enough.

[Ja Rule]

Especially from Queens, for sure.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What made y'all say, this is not the place and we need to leave? And did you think it was all the way wrong?

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, just that you didn't sign Dex, you didn't sign Jay, you didn't sign Dre. This might not be the spot. He may not know what he's doing over here. They say nah, but big shout out to Steve Gottlieb. You know, he was. You know, it's crazy when you making a lot of money doing something, it's kinda hard if it ain't broke, don't fix it type, type, you know, deal. So he was making a lot of money with TB tunes, which was, like, doing, like, little, you know, like. What do you call them? Like, jingles? Like, jingles box like shit, you know, from when he's doing on the show. Like, he was making a lot of those for his. For, like, different, you know, shows and. And commercials and stuff. He was making a lot of money doing that. So when the hip hop shit came his way, he really didn't know how to just jump on it and move. And he was, you know, carrying his feet. And he probably could have had it all if he. If he'd have moved on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you got the deft.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, so got so that, you know, it all just happened so crazy, so fast, you know, like, we realized TVT wasn't the situation. And I was on hiatus for a long time after that, for, like, three years, because my man Black was part of the group. He Went to jail. So he did five years in prison. And so they Black child or just another. No, no, my man Chris Black. Okay. Chris Black. So that kind of, you know, threw everything off with the group. And so we was. I was basically in hiatus for three years. I didn't, you know, know where I was gonna end up. And it was. It was just in limbo.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you.

[Ja Rule]

Thank you, Lauren. Yeah, that good. That. That. That good. A no. Cheers. Cheers. So much love to y'all, man.

[DJ Envy]

Cheers.

[Ja Rule]

Appreciate y'all.

[DJ Envy]

Smells good.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, it's, you know, check it out.

[Just hilarious]

And you were a whiskey drinker.

[DJ Envy]

I'm not a whiskey drinker.

[Just hilarious]

I thought you tried the.

[DJ Envy]

I did. When I saw Fawn get into Uncle Nearest, I tried it then Beyonce, of course. That is very, very smooth, isn't it?

[Ja Rule]

This the best.

[Just hilarious]

This is the best whiskey I've ever had.

[DJ Envy]

I'm not dissing. I'm not even going to say anybody else's whiskey. All I'm going say is, I've never drank whiskey and not made that face. I'm like, give me something to drink out of.

[Ja Rule]

Chase. Very smooth.

[DJ Envy]

This is very smooth.

[Ja Rule]

Very smooth. We'll get into that in a minute. You know, cuz, we. We wanted to really create this for the whiskey cubes, you know, that. For that reaction of a first time, you know, not a first time, but a person who's maybe not a whiskey drinker per set you wanted. We wanted to, you know, you said.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Irv brings you to Def Jam. And at the time, there's so many artists at Def Jam. Did you feel like that wasn't your fit? Did you feel like it was going to be a fight? Did you feel like they were going to use you the proper way? Because at first I felt like they didn't.

[Ja Rule]

You know what? When I got to Def Jam, it was a dream come true. Def Jam was like Motown for any rapper if you, you know, especially if you was from Queensland, you know, Russell Simmons, you know, but they were, you know, running DMC wasn't on Def Jam, but you always felt like they were, you know what I mean?

[DJ Envy]

Because.

[Ja Rule]

Because of the affiliation. But, you know, Ll, you know, you go list on. But if you wasn't on Def Jam, he was managed by Rush management. So it was like being on Def Jam was everything, right? And so having that deal and having the, you know, see what. What people don't understand is I had, you know, Leo's back. Leo had my back from day one. From, you know, from. From when. When it all started. He. He Wanted to sign me first, but I couldn't get out of my deal with tbt.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Gotcha.

[Ja Rule]

So in the meantime, Gotti was like, I got somebody else that you'll like. And he brought him X. And so, you know, they didn't understand X at first, you know, so that was that tug of war going on. But then they finally, you know, made the move, or convinced them to make the move, and X became what he became. And then I, you know, rest in peace to X as well. And then I came after, right after that. But I always had, you know, I always knew that Leo wanted me as an artist on Def Jam. So that was. I was great. And I know he was one Irv, too, because that's how he kind of sought out to find me in that way. Jam Master J, rest in peace, his soul. You know, legendarily, you know, there's this meeting going on in Def Jam, and me and Irv, we used to do this shit. We used to go jack the box. So every time we see Meth and Red's video come. I mean, Meth and Mary's. You're all I need video, come on. We'd order our video right after it, you know, hope we get the trickle down effect. So, you know, Def Jam, they're having this big meeting up there. And the legend of the story is they're, you know, gloating over there. Meth and Mary, beautiful, you know, amazing work. And then this little grainy black and white video comes on and it's, you know, me that 17, 18, just rhyming with the big voice. And Jay J. Master Jay stood up in the meeting. He said, that little nigga right there is going to be a star.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Ja Rule]

And Leo said, well, find them for me. And that's how that kind of just started, you know. And, you know, the rest kind of just spiraled into what it was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How did that feel when you first came? DMX came before you commercialized?

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[Just hilarious]

Wasn't it like, y'all were like a year apart? Right? Like, he came.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, Jai actually came first.

[Just hilarious]

Oh, okay. I thought it was 97 idea.

[Ja Rule]

I was. No, I didn't come first. Exorcist Music and Records and everything came first. But, you know, like I said, my situation with Def Jam was already in the making. It was already in the making in the next game.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And then everybody compared you to him. Right. And everything that you did was, he's trying to be like dmx. How did that affect you during that time?

[Ja Rule]

You know, of course it's gonna affect Affect you, you know, And I'm young too, you know. You know, I got a chip on my shoulder. I'm like, nah, I'm not trying to be like nobody. I'm me, you know, and, you know, me and the dog, we. We definitely, you know, had our bouts over a little stupid shit like that. But so what I did and I. And I took a extreme gamble, you know. My first album was very successful.

[DJ Envy]

Vinny Vetovici.

[Ja Rule]

Vinny Benavici. Yeah, you know, I sold, you know, close to 2 million records on my debut album. And then those things started happening. He's trying to, you know, he like gags or he's trying to be like Pac. And, you know, so I said, you know what? I got something for all these niggas. I'mma switch it all up. Went out to la, got me a big ass fucking mansion out in Hollywood Hills. First time I ever had anything like this in my life. And it was like the most ghetto fucking mansion you ever want to see in your life. We had like renaissance of furniture in the joint. It was crazy, you know what I'm saying? We. We had a room that we called the Dorm, and just 10 niggas slept in there, you know, so it was a wild. A wild time. But I wanted the music to reflect new times in my life, you know, Things that I was doing now, things I was seeing now, experiencing now, you know. And so I went completely left, grew my hair out, said, they can't say I look like X or Pac. Them niggas never had braids, you know what I'm saying? So I grew my hair out, got braids, you know, was wearing it. Wild. Jimi Hendrix, you know, bandana. Just looking, just. Just being me, you know. And the music started to reflect those moments.

[DJ Envy]

So it was all your idea to change the image in the music.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, it was. I mean, you know, Gotti just kind of flowed with whatever I wanted to do, but he always, you know, would circle back to, you gotta keep it, you know what I'm saying? Don't go too far this way rule, you know what I'm saying? You gotta have your street element. You gotta keep it, you know, you gotta keep it street. And so, you know. Cause I'm an artist, a creator, first at heart. So, you know, I wanted to do wild, crazy shit, you know what I'm saying? Everybody like, n. You know, it was kind of back a little bit.

[DJ Envy]

It was kind of like reverse Jodeci. And what I mean by that is, remember, they always tell a story about how they Dressed Jodeci like hip hop. But they did the R and B records. But you. You still had discreet shit in you, but you was still doing the R and B records, but you were still rapping hard on the R and B record.

[Ja Rule]

You know what's crazy? I listen to, like, records, like, always on time, like, the dirty versions. And. And I'm like, funny story. We were just in. In. In. In Africa. I was over there building my new school, and so they're playing, like, the dirty versions of these records. The kids out there, and I'm like, God damn. My wife is like, yo. They tell them they got the chain, get the cleans. The hooks ain't. They can't say what he's saying. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, I used to. You know, I used to say what I wanted and do what I wanted on. On the verses. But then the hooks were so pretty that it kind of just cleaned it all up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did they give you pushback because of that? Cause Gotti is sold, right? Gotti will rap all the time. Like, everything is street with Gotti. But then you went left a little bit and started catering to women and making those type of songs. Was there any pushback at all?

[Ja Rule]

Not from Gotti. Cause Gotti, you know, Gotti's all about what's hot. Gotti was like, the music's hot. Shit sounding right? Shit's hot. The one time we think Gotti got a little bit nervous was put it on me. Everybody knew it was a big record, right? But everybody was like, this is, like, different. Like, this is, like. But I didn't feel it was. I felt like I was already stepping in that arena. I was already doing, you know, the records that had it had that feel. And maybe I was taking it a little step further or whatever, but I felt like I was already in that lane, so it didn't matter. But, you know, lo and behold, you know, we put it out and it became the record it was. But, you know, me and Gotti were very fearless in that. We. We understood that this was a. This was gonna be a make or break situation. You know, a lot of artists go through what they call the Southmore jinx, and here I am taking the biggest gamble you could take with a Southmore album.

[DJ Envy]

It was like a new debut, though, in a lot of ways.

[Ja Rule]

That's what it felt like, and that's how I felt. I felt like, this is like new Ja Rule. This is like something y'all ain't feel before. This is completely. It's Me, but it's like, me with a different, you know, look to it, you know, feel to it. And, you know, they didn't really like that. Def Jam didn't love it. They didn't love the album. They didn't love, you know, where I was going visually with it. They didn't love it, really. After doing 2 million records, they want you to do whatever broke, don't fix it.

[DJ Envy]

And then you sold four or five.

[Ja Rule]

I know, but you. You can't call that, you know, beforehand, right? And, like, you. Like you. Like I said, you know, we was going through a time where a lot of artists was going through sophomore jinx. You put out that sophomore album and didn't do, you know, as good as the first time. So I was taking a big risk in doing it. They wanted me to go change the album. Gotti came and he's like, yo, rule, this is what they say. And I told them, go fuck theyself, you know, but it's ultimately your decision. You know, what you want to do. And I'm like, I'm not changing shit. I'm like, I'm. This is, you know, we just. We just gonna have to, you know, fight. Fight for what we believe in. And we did. And it was. It turned out to be a great decision on that. On that side.

[Just hilarious]

I was gonna ask you in those moments, like, what were the conversations with you and Gotti? Because I never met him before, but his energy seems so sure all the time. But that's a lot of pressure when you. You know what I mean? Like, y'all are in it. Like, this is the big moment, and you gotta say, go fuck yourself. But at the same time, it's like.

[Ja Rule]

But, you know, Gotti had a different way of speaking and hand. I've heard, you know, I'm more. A little more diplomatic, you know, but. But. But it's cool. You know, sometimes in life, you need both sides. You need Malcolm, and you need Martin. You know what I'm saying? So you need somebody to be like, all right, we're gonna talk to Martin right now. We don't want to talk to Malcolm at the moment, you know, so it works.

[DJ Envy]

You know, I think a lot of Irv's. I call it passion. But I think a lot of the rah rah came from the frustration of being a visionary and knowing you're right and knowing that these do not see the vision. See it so clear. I can see what jai is so clear. I can see what X is so clear. I can see what hov. Is so clear how don't y'all see it? That would be frustrating too, especially when you see how everything played out.

[Ja Rule]

Very, very frustrating. But that, that's the struggle, you know, that, that's the, the push and pull between creatives and, and, and you know, the, the, the suits. The suits. It's always going to be the fight, you know, but now that I'm on both sides of it, I get it. I fight myself because I want to just be creative. But then I'm like, it costs too fucking much to just be creative sometimes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You think, did Irv before he passed? I know you guys had a lot of conversations. Does he think he got the credit he deserved? Because when he passed, you heard every last little thing that he's.

[Ja Rule]

Every record that he did, every record.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That he's produced, all the behind the scenes stuff from the making the Belly to everything.

[Ja Rule]

It's so crazy. As much as Irvin, you know, loud and outspoken, he wasn't about those things. Like he, he, he would never, you know, he. I produced this and I produced, you know, he, he, he did a lot of outside records, outside of Murder Inc. That he never really, you know, gotten interviews and spoke about or anything. You know, he just kind of just talked about what he did with me, X and, and, and Jay, you know, because, because you know, we were his favorites. But you know, he, he did do a lot, know with a lot of other artists and, and you know, big records and, and records that, you know, should be definitely, you know, contributed to his legacy.

[DJ Envy]

You know, I'm sitting here with you and I'm thinking to myself, how do you even talk to Ja about Irv? Because you and Irv clearly loved each other.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Out loud. And people ask questions like, how does his passing make you feel? It's like, I don't even know if those are appropriate.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Questions.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah. Like I said, I go in and out like, you know, I be. I'm very understanding of what life and death is. You know, we're all born to die. At some point that's gonna happen, you know. You know, one of the things he always used to say is, you know, that that is our destiny. But in the middle of that, we live, you know, Junior. Rest in peace to Junior as well. You know. J.R. lauren, he always used to say live dash, you know. Cause that's what they put on your tombstone. 19 Whatever or whatever to, you know, whatever. So he always used to say live the dash. That's just what it is, you know, so I know that my brother live he lived the dash, you know what I'm saying? He lived his life. And so I can be happy in knowing that, but I'm still hurt, you know, by the way it all, you know, just kind of happened so fast.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you regret it at all? You regret not talking to your brother and being hard on your brother? Like, I was listening to Chris, Irv's brother, doing the conversation, and he was like, it was the lifestyle. And I tried to talk to him, but he was like, just, Irv didn't listen. Do you wish you would have been more like, yo, bro, you got to do this. You got to go to the doctor, bro.

[Ja Rule]

You got to do this. Yeah. You can't. You're not telling Irv that. Y'all know Irv. When Irv got his money, he wants something, he's going to be, oh, that got the record. He ain't going to stop. And he's the same way with how he wanted to live his life. You like? Well, I think last time we was here, he, you know, oh, no, no, I'm sorry. It was maybe, drink champs.

[DJ Envy]

Drink Chance.

[Ja Rule]

And he talked about. He's like, you know, he was like, are you taking care? So he's like, not all the time. You know what I'm saying? But that's whatever I used to, you know. One of my last. My last text to him was, yo, how you doing? You taking care of yourself? How's your health? You know what I mean? How you feeling? You know what I mean? We ain't spoken, you know, couple of weeks, whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm good. So, you know. You know, that. That's. That's her, you know, and. And I'm happy to know that. That he lived his life the way he did Frank Sinatra. I did it my way. So I'm. I'm happy in knowing that, you know, but I am a little disappointed because I feel he could still be here.

[DJ Envy]

What does that mean when you say it happened so fast? Like.

[Ja Rule]

Like, I, you know, so of course I'm behind the scenes internally. I'm dealing with this in private. You know, it's not a public knowledge. And so, you know, I felt he was getting better. And then it was one. You know. You know, something happened. I think he had, like, a mini stroke. He went back to see the doctor, and then it just kind of. His health just started kind of deteriorated from there, and it just kind of happened fast. I was, you know, and I'm like, God damn. But again, it puts things in perspective. It puts life in perspective. Absolutely. Health and perspective. It puts money in perspective. Like, you know, we all out here chasing, you know, the money to this, to that, but, you know, it ain't. It ain't. It, ain't it. I know it's sounds like cliche or whatever, but it. Money ain't nothing. If your health ain't good, you can't enjoy it. Right. You know, what, what's the money, you know, you know, your family can enjoy, you know, that's. That's fine. You. You die, you know, I guess, you know, you. You get along knowing that, you know what I'm saying? But you can. You can't enjoy it, you know, if you're not. If you're not in good health.

[Just hilarious]

So if you don't mind me asking, if it's too personal, you can say you don't want to answer. Have you had those moments now, after everything, where, like, you wake up and, you know, maybe it's like a dream happens and you're like, okay, like I hear you or like I feel you, or like, you know, something like that where it's like a comforting feeling.

[Ja Rule]

Nah, you know, I'm not going to sit here and saying I'll be having like, out of body experiences and shit. You know, I just. Like I said, I'm seeing a lot of death in my life. And so I've always dealt with it very well. This is the first one that I. That somebody has died that's very. That's this close to me, you know, that we built so much. We've done so much together, and so that's a little different. But, yeah, it's. It's. It's. Yeah, it's tough, but. But yeah, I can't say that I've experienced those type of joys, I would call them.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I would've loved to see the gang back together, just. And maybe they were just the whole Murder Inc. Family back. Cause you guys grinded from the bottom. You made believers out of people that weren't. You know what I mean? Whether it was yourself, R and B. I mean, Irv did Ashanti and Lloyd. You know what I mean? And I would just wish the gang would have got. Was there any chance of that?

[Ja Rule]

I think that ship sailed. I think that ship sailed, but not. You know, what's so crazy. Me and Gotti used to always talk about this, and I, you know, it's the old. It's the old Motown story of Smokey Robinson and Barry Gordy. You know, Barry Gordy wasn't gonna come to the 25 year anniversary. Cause he felt like, you know, Mike and Diana and all these traders, they left them. And, you know, when. When the things was, I guess he felt the highest. And, you know, they just went with the money and, you know, left the situation or whatever. And, you know, Smokey sat him down. He said, it's not about who leaves, about who comes back. And I. I felt that. And I'd always say that to. To her. I said, things happen. People grow. People grow apart. I said, it's not about who leaves. I said, at the end of the day, it's about who comes back. I said, because that shows the respect and the love was always there. And. And I think that's important. You know what I mean?

[DJ Envy]

I think the problem is, though, people wait to come back at the funeral.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So you say the ship is sailed.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Then we've seen, you know, Ashanti speak on it and, you know, seen her post about it. So clearly they were still love there.

[Ja Rule]

It's always been there, you know, it's always been there. You know, I've tried to clean it up many times, but I got to a point where I was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You tired of being in the middle?

[Ja Rule]

Yeah. You know, something like, just let it be. It is what it is. But as long as everybody's called you, I'm fine with it.

[Just hilarious]

I think publicly we knew that you were kind of like in the middle, trying to figure everything out. And then when everything happened and like, she posted and, you know, she talked to Angie Martinez about, you know, how she was feeling. I know that you guys probably had conversations after and like, you know. Cause now it's different. Cause he's not here anymore. What was that like for you? Cause you're kind of still in the middle, but he's not here anymore. And like, you know, what is.

[Ja Rule]

I mean, we. You know, it's crazy because we had conversations prior about, you know, them patching things up. And I've had conversations with Gotti about them patching it up. And it's always been on the table, but just never happened.

[Just hilarious]

Cause she said she threw an olive branch prior to.

[Ja Rule]

She has. She has. And, you know, there's been moments when Irv has just been stuck in his ways and just.

[DJ Envy]

He's a cancer like me, so.

[Ja Rule]

So it's been hard to patch that up. But I know, you know, that he did love her. You know that. I did know that. I do know. And so that's why I always tried to patch it up. Because I know both sides of the story. I know both of Them. And I know, you know, that they. That they shared something, and, you know, that that's whatever, but it's just one of those things. But I feel that now that, you know, in passing, I feel like everybody will come back and we can do some things together as a. As a unit, you know, as a group, whatever. Me, Lois, Chauncey, you know, and the rest of the crew, they've always been on board.

[DJ Envy]

So how would Irvin felt seeing Hov at the funeral?

[Ja Rule]

You know, I spoke about that at the funeral, and I. I spoke to that, and I told Hov. I said he would be happy to see me. You know what I mean? I know that for a fact. So I let him know that. From me to him.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's dope. All right, well, now let's move on.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, let's talk about the school in Ghana, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I was talking about his daughter getting married. Which way you want to go?

[Ja Rule]

We just talk a lot.

[DJ Envy]

This is scary.

[Just hilarious]

I told you.

[DJ Envy]

I'm be honest with you. This whiskey's scary.

[Ja Rule]

Come on, man.

[DJ Envy]

Now I'm going tell you why it's scary. Because it's really, really good. And it's very smooth, and you feel a little soft, and the first sip is warm.

[Ja Rule]

We have got. What do you call it? A banger Endorsement Charlemagne. Very smooth.

[DJ Envy]

Very, very.

[Ja Rule]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, your daughter's getting married.

[Ja Rule]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, did the young man come to you and ask you and how was that conversation?

[Ja Rule]

Yo, he did. He's a. Yo. He's a really great dude, man. My dude, Tevin, man. He's a good guy. He's Jamaican, you know. You know, so they have. That. They have good respect, you know, he.

[Just hilarious]

Laughed when you say he's Jamaican.

[Ja Rule]

He's a good dude. He's Jamaican.

[Just hilarious]

I don't know why you say that.

[Ja Rule]

I said that. I was getting to the point.

[Just hilarious]

Oh, go ahead.

[Ja Rule]

Because they have a culture, you know, and they have a way, you know, that us African Americans don't. You know what I'm saying? So it's, you know, it was very respectful, and, you know, he did it the traditional way. It was cool. You know what I mean? And of course, I'm like, yeah, you know, Mario, please take a. No, you pay for the wedding. Of course. Okay. Of course. I said, that's the part of the tradition that needs to change. That definitely needs to change.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I got four girls.

[Ja Rule]

Charlotte got four girls. Yes.

[Just hilarious]

Because your son is graduating from college at the same. That same month, right?

[Ja Rule]

Yep. He is my youngest son, Jordan. He's graduating from Scad and he gonna.

[Just hilarious]

Need a nice gift. And then you gotta pay for the wedding.

[Ja Rule]

Yep. So they tapping my pockets.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, that's the beauty of life though, right? Like when you think about JA 20 years ago, did you realize, like, I'm gonna be a father, you know, like, like this is the difference?

[Ja Rule]

Well, yeah, I was a father 20 years ago, but I mean, like, did.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You see like grandfather and kids and graduate?

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, you know, when I was locked up, right? This old head, oh, geez. To always sit, say, only thing worse than getting old is not.

[DJ Envy]

Not getting old.

[Ja Rule]

Word up. He used to say that to me all the time. And now that I'm getting old, I, I finally appreciate that statement, you know what I mean? Because I used to was a dumb young knucklehead. I used to think I wasn't gonna live to be 25 and all this other goofy. But you know, lo and behold, here I am, you know, 49, looking at my kids, you know, you know, graduating from college and, you know, and getting married. And so it's a blessing when you.

[DJ Envy]

See how many people who have not, you know, survived in hip hop. Does it give you more of an appreciation of life?

[Ja Rule]

Of course. You know, it's a dirty game, man. It feels like only hip hop goes through that, you know, seeing so many young brothers die at such a young age, it's kind of crazy, you know, knowing that that's how I thought when I was young in hip hop, you know, so it's kind of, it's kind of weird to just kind of seeing it all on old and, and, and that's how these young brothers, you know, also think. And it's like, you know, we gotta break that, that, that, that cycle too.

[DJ Envy]

So how do you tell folks it gets greater later or do you just show em?

[Ja Rule]

I think they starting to see it okay. You know, I mean, you know, they have great examples out there. You know, you see HOV and B and married with kids, doing well in life. You know, there's other great examples like LL and his wife, Math and his wife, and me and my wife, you know, you can mention a lot. So you see the growth in hip hop, you know, you're starting to see a lot of artists that you may not even know was married for a very, very long time. Cube and his wife, you know, so there's a lot of us out there that just kind of really embody what love and hip hop is about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I feel like after Covid too, I feel like the hip hop world, him.

[Ja Rule]

Being his wife, you Know what I'm saying?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I feel like the world had a different respect for 90s and 2000 music. Did you feel that as well? Like there was a shift where it went.

[Ja Rule]

I seen a bump in my royalty savings.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But why do you think that is? Cause, I mean, I've seen a time where tours were scattered, but now I see like a much more love and respect for that era of artists.

[Ja Rule]

You know, it's hard to put your finger on it because I feel like every era had great artists. I just feel like our era was the biggest in sales. And so, you know, that, that takes on a different animal when, when, when, you know, when people get to, you know, buy your CD and put your post on their wall and, you know, it's a different connection. And I think we kind of just our era, you know, we, you know, we benefited the most from that in hip hop. I feel, you know, these, you know, new artists, yeah, they got the streaming and era and they're, you know, making a lot of money and they can be independent and go do shows and all that other stuff. But I think the longevity aspect of it and how people kind of fell in love with us as artists, I think that aspect of it is kind of like, it's kind of come and gone, you know, but if you catch them and you got them, you know. Cause now you have them as followers on your gram and that people just don't really unfollow you once they follow you, they kind of like there, you know what I'm saying? So they have a plus there.

[DJ Envy]

And we need age appropriate tours. Like, you know, when you 45 plus, you want to go somewhere and still vibe to what you came up on in a safe environment. Like, who says that we don't still want to go out to concerts, party.

[Ja Rule]

At tour this summer? Come on and see us, man. We, we putting it down the right way this summer.

[Just hilarious]

But I've seen you, I've seen you in concert and it's a lot of young people there. Like a lot. Like, yeah, it's not. You would go there and be like, what is happening?

[DJ Envy]

But that's their old school.

[Ja Rule]

And it feels crazy for us.

[Just hilarious]

It is, because I'm thinking about that. I'm like, if I saw you at a Ja Rule concert, I'd be like, why is Charlemagne here at a Ja Rule concert? Because we, for us, it's like, we go because it's nostalgic and it's fun, fun. And it's like whatever. But it's your eras be like, what.

[DJ Envy]

You doing wearing Jordans?

[Just hilarious]

I get it. I get it. But it feels like it's like y'all are ours now. Like, back up. Oh, hey, not enough.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And that's my daughter, so she feels the same way.

[Just hilarious]

Like, when she's that music, she feels.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like that's her music. Like, she loves that music, but she doesn't look at age. She's just like, that's my song. I hate on the radio because it feels good. Like, that's how it feels.

[Just hilarious]

You put on y'all songs and it's like a good summertime day. Like, you know, if you feel. Feel it, it's different. But for sure, when I went, I forget. I think I was in LA when I seen you. It was very. It was younger than me. I was like, oh, wow.

[Ja Rule]

I got a good, you know, generational push because, you know, that's what their mothers were listening to and stuff like that. I asked them sometimes, you know, they be 25, 20. I'm like, what you know about the job? You know, I'll ask them. And they be like, my mama used to. Oh, my big sister. I was like, okay, I got Gotcha.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I do you one better. My daughter done ran into you so many times. Josh. I had no idea that Josh sang no song.

[Just hilarious]

I was about to say, like, the song.

[DJ Envy]

Come on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And she be singing. I'd be like, you know who that is, right?

[DJ Envy]

She's like, no.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm like, you know, forget it. She had no idea.

[Ja Rule]

She just said hello to you, and.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She, you know, whatever. She seen you at the ball, and she had no idea you sing no song. She was like, really? I'm like, yeah, but she's 23 years old. She had no clue.

[Just hilarious]

But I think now with, like, the bridging of the Gap with, like, social media, it's like, you kind of. Cause a lot of times, too. Like, I know my niece, she will play certain songs, and I'd be like, how did you even know that song? It's TikTok. And she'll literally say, oh, it's TikTok. And she might not know who you are, but she can sing the song word for word.

[DJ Envy]

Ja Rule created a whole genre of music.

[Ja Rule]

I feel the same way. I don't know some of the new kids, but I can sing the songs. I know the songs.

[DJ Envy]

So Ja Rule was Drake before Drake.

[Just hilarious]

Who you yelling at?

[DJ Envy]

I'm sorry.

[Ja Rule]

Whiskey.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Away from me, man.

[Just hilarious]

I know you feel it, cuz I'm getting hot, but don't be yelling at me.

[DJ Envy]

No, the whole singing Rapping hybrid.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

AB that was, that was J. Literally.

[Ja Rule]

I definitely own that space for a minute. You know, I'm not the first artist to singing rap, obviously, but, you know, I, I like to think that I was the. Or like to say or own the fact that I was the first artist to really create duets. Hip hop duets. Like, you know, you. You don't know if I'm Real is my record or J Lo's record or you don't know if mesmerizes my record or Shanti's record because the way I wrote them, it's. I'm so infused in the record. I'm on the hook with him. I'm. She got a verse, I got a verse. You know, it sounds like, you know, what. What Tammy and. And Marvin would do back in the day as R B record, you know, so that. That dynamic really didn't exist in hip hop until I started doing it because I had the. The delivery, the liberty of writing those records. And so at the time, I didn't know what I was doing. I just kind of wanted to be on the record and be on it as much as possible. I'm like, I'm writing a record for Jennifer Lopez. I need to be on the record. Like really on the record, you know, so I'm on the hook. I'm on the verse. I'm in the first verse, you know, then she comes in and I got my own second verse and she comes back on the third. You know, I wrote it that way so it can be a back and forth kind of thing. And I think I started that.

[Just hilarious]

I saw you said you wish the Internet was around during the time of like you and 50s back and forth, but listening to you tell that story, I'm like, don't you like, aren't you happy that it wasn't? Because getting enjoyed that without social media, without feeling like you had to post it and tag it and talk about.

[Ja Rule]

It because, you know, you sometimes you gotta show certain elements of certain things. Social media was good for that. Social media is good to show certain things. That's all.

[Just hilarious]

I'll just say got you.

[Ja Rule]

Without getting too into it, involved.

[DJ Envy]

What similarities did you see in the situation between Kendrick and Drake and you and 50? And I'm just talking about as far as how, you know, the public turned on consumers and consumers turned on, you.

[Ja Rule]

Know, that's, man, you know, fans are fickle. You know, I knew that, you know, that's what made me kind of transition. How I look at, you know, how I make my money. You know, it was kind of like, okay, I can't put all my eggs in this basket. I kind of, kind of diversify in a lot of different ways, because if these niggas flip on me for whatever reason, I ain't like the way I fucking wore my hat, you know what I'm saying, the other day or whatever? And, you know, it's that, you know, music, it's a crazy thing, you know, But I do see certain things that are similar and just the way, you know, public perception, you know, how people can kind of, you know, turn their back on you because you're winning so much. I think that's what, you know, people really. I think that's the issue people really have with Jake. You're just fucking too hot. You know what I'm saying? The boy don't lose, and people wanted to see him get a little bit of dent in his armor, that's all.

[DJ Envy]

Did you ever want to reach out to him?

[Ja Rule]

What? That man is fine. You know, the crazy thing is. And the crazy thing people don't understand with my beef. And I'm looking at the same thing with Drake's beef. I'm like, he's rich. He's chilling. Same thing with me. I'm like, I'm rich. I'm rich.

[Just hilarious]

You feel like that now, though, but in the moment, you probably was pissed off, like, yo, I was.

[Ja Rule]

But the end of the day, see, the crazy thing is things can look so much better, bigger and deeper in our small bubble, right? But I go places, and I didn't feel that energy, you know, for a minute, I had. The energy was there. Don't get me wrong, right? And, you know, we was fighting motherfuckers, and, you know, it was what it was, but after a time, it's not that, and the energy's gone. And people was like, yo, Rule, I love his music. I fuck with Ru, I'm going to his shows. I'm doing. So it wasn't. It was never that, you know, where it was like, okay, I'm suffering in my financial state. So, yes, I had to suck up some things that I was feeling from a fan's point of view. But at the end of the day, I can hang my hat on what I came to do. I accomplished. My family's good, I'm good, my money's right. Fuck it, I got some haters. If you don't have haters, then you ain't doing something right. You know what I'm saying? And you move on with it. So I always looked at it. Like, you know, people. You know, the fans and the people around it is like, oh, Drake, Drake will be fine. I'm still here 25 years later doing what I do, getting six figures a show. It's like. It's like, I don't. I don't want people to ever think that, you know, a rap beef is that. That important to the grand scheme of things. Like, you know, people are not, you know, Drake's investors and people that do business with him not gonna do business with him anymore because he's doing that. That's not happening. You know, so it's a. There's a lot of aspects to it that people don't understand.

[DJ Envy]

You ever stop to think to yourself, you know, all those years ago, you put out the clapback record, right?

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

And when you put it out, everybody was like, what is Ja doing? But now, 25 years later, not only is the record dope, everybody uses the term clapback literally.

[Just hilarious]

You'd probably be in the shade room.

[Ja Rule]

This mine I might control still.

[DJ Envy]

It's going, Jasmine Crockett might have that. Jasmine Crockett might clap back.

[Ja Rule]

Sheesh. But, yeah, you know, I laugh at stuff like that. You know, I even laugh at moments of certain records that came out that didn't really translate as well as they should have, I felt at the time. But I played them now at shows, and people sing them worthwhile. Worse, I'm like. Like, I was listening, okay, you know, say I was paying attention to. To these records while, you know, like, like, like wonderful.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, wonderful fight.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, but it was. It was my first number one record in the uk. You understand what I'm saying? So, yeah, it was. It was. It was dope, but it was popping over there, you know what I'm saying? It wasn't, you know, it wasn't kicking it the way it should have I felt over here, you know, but, you know, so certain things like that I feel now and Clap Back is another one, you know, when I do it, it's like, oh, now everybody knows the words to clap Back. Okay, I get it. I got it. It's cool. But. But, you know, you know, music is. Is. Is subjective, man. People like artists, they don't like artists. You don't gotta like Ja Rule. That's cool, you know what I'm saying? People that vibe with me, fuck with me, come fuck with me. That's what it is. People who don't, it's cool. I don't know you anyway, you know what I'm saying? So it really doesn't bother me at all.

[DJ Envy]

It's all. It's also interesting to me that you are 50, have not outgrown each other. And what I mean by that is, if you talking to 50, ja gonna come up. If you talking to ja, 50 gonna come up.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah. I mean, I don't. I don't bring him up per se, at all.

[Just hilarious]

No, we do.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The media does.

[Just hilarious]

Yeah.

[Ja Rule]

But, you know, because I think that's because he's, you know, a troll, and he keeps it going. You know what I'm saying?

[Just hilarious]

You'd be throwing jabs and throwing them back, but you be.

[Ja Rule]

You know, I'll go to the circus once in a while, you know, But I really like to stay clear of that shit. Yeah.

[Just hilarious]

Cause when the residency stuff happened, I was like, oh, Lord.

[Ja Rule]

You know, I like to have fun sometimes and poke jabs at him, too. But that's all it really is. It's like. And to me, it's like. It's silly. You know, we're both successful black men. I think the focus should be on, you know, continuing to make sure that we. We pay it forward, push forward, make sure the coach keeps going forward. I think that's more important. You know, I see some of the things that he gets involved in, this fuse on something like, grow up, my nigga. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, that's what I be thinking of myself, you know? And so when I see the things that he does and, you know, he did. The nerve. Smoking or nothing, I'm like, how do.

[DJ Envy]

You feel about that? You saw it.

[Ja Rule]

Of course, nobody likes all this goofy, but it's goofy. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, I'm not. I'm. You know, Prem said it best. You know, I spoke to Premium Day. He's. You know, Freeman's always got the. The right words and the right word things to say because I was hot. You know what I'm saying? I was hot. I was. I was ready to go nuclear. And. But, you know, I say, you know. So I spoke to Prem anyway, and Prem said. Yo, he said. He said, you know, rule. He said, here's what you got to understand about who we are and what we are. We are masters of self defense. And I said, I love that. I said, because I'm not. I'm. I'm. I don't want to start trouble, make trouble with people. I'm. You know, but if we got to get into it, make it, oh, I'll. I'll end it. I'll put it to where it go. I'll take it to the next, you know. So that's why I'm like, you know what? That is the. The best description of what I am and who I am as a man that I could ever think about, you know what I'm saying? Because that's who we are as men. We're here to protect our families, protect our homes, defend our honor, our names, our reputation. That's we here. I'm not here to be a bully and bother people. I'm not. That's not. That's not what I'm. I'm here to do, you know what I'm saying? But I am a master of self.

[DJ Envy]

But in a way, you do have to understand why Fit feels the way he feels, though, right? When you think about everything that y'all.

[Ja Rule]

Been through, I really don't really. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Fighting, the shooting, the stabbing.

[Ja Rule]

We're shooting. We ain't got nothing to do with that.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, well, never mind.

[Ja Rule]

You know what I'm saying? I know the reality of it all, you know what I'm saying? And that ain't got nothing to do with us, but I guess it's good for, you know, people to play that when they want to play that and then play victim when they want to play victim, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, like I said, I leave it all alone. I live a really, really cool life. I'm in a good space. And so I'm like, you know, if you. Sometimes you just got to remove yourself from the circus. And that's what I've chose to do. And so that's why I've been being real, real quiet and cool and just enjoying my. My time. And, you know, it's funny because, you know, like, you know, I'll get DMS and from, you know, other enemies. You know what they say, A friend of.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, a friend of enemy. Enemy of my friend.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, I got a lot of. I got a lot of those. You know what I'm saying? No.

[DJ Envy]

Enemy of my.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Enemy of my friend.

[Just hilarious]

Because you probably don't get down with that, right? Like.

[Ja Rule]

No, no, no. But it'd be like, people y'all know very well, you see this. Hold on.

[DJ Envy]

So y'all. You know, it's so crazy because we say that all the time. When Ja Rule was going through his situation, Ja got jumped. That's why I don't really like the car compared to Drake Kendrick thing, like, you got jumped. So all of those relationships you never made amends with, I Thought, yeah, me.

[Ja Rule]

And Game is cool. You know, it was buzzing for a moment.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. Eminem for a moment.

[Ja Rule]

Me and Ax is cross. We cool, you know? But the rest. Yeah. Nah, they all on that side of it. Okay. You know what I'm saying? So I don't pump with them niggas like that.

[DJ Envy]

Even all these years later. You just.

[Ja Rule]

Nah, you know, it's. It's like, you know, Charlemagne. It's like anything else, like the Cold War, man. Like, we. We can exist without having to coexist. That's cool.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, I gotta ask, you know, what was your mind frame and what were your thoughts when they said that they were bringing the Fyre festival back?

[Ja Rule]

I'm glad. I'm glad you brought that up, Mr.

[Just hilarious]

Envy.

[Ja Rule]

What was the. I'm glad you brought that up. Remember when I was here Brown that time, and my good brother Envy was like, ja, How. How could you have a partner that's doing some shit?

[Just hilarious]

What's in this whiskey? What is in this whiskey, yo?

[Ja Rule]

What?

[Just hilarious]

Yo, now he just. Charlemagne. That's a clock. That's how you clock that we got to cheer some mutual understanding, because that.

[Ja Rule]

Was so smooth.

[DJ Envy]

Yo.

[Ja Rule]

I just.

[DJ Envy]

The job. So many times.

[Ja Rule]

I said, it's possible, right? You right.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, message.

[Ja Rule]

Be doing behind your back, man. I swear to God.

[DJ Envy]

But you more cognizant of that now. Who you attach your brand to, I'm sure.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, for sure. For sure. And you know what's crazy? Andy, you could probably attest to this.

[DJ Envy]

Like, yes, he can.

[Ja Rule]

The beauty of all. You know, you don't want to go through nothing, like, you know, those type of situations. But the beauty of it is now when I vet a situation, people don't get mad at all. Like, when I'm. When I'm, like, real anal about, like, nah, nah. I don't know. Let me just check a little bit more, see what this is about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[Ja Rule]

They do not, like. It's no sweat. They're like, I get it, Ja. I get it. I get it. You know what I'm saying? So that, I guess, is a plus for things where people are very, you know, forgiving when it comes to how hard I'm vetting the next situation that I'm getting into.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You have to.

[Ja Rule]

You have to.

[Just hilarious]

Well, with Amber, Opal, speaking of vetting.

[Ja Rule]

Yes.

[Just hilarious]

I was watching an interview where you talked about. And we had tried this before, and we were talking about the tasting and stuff, and I Honestly, Amber and Opal is the whiskey.

[DJ Envy]

I'm not even capping this really good this is the first whiskey I've ever tasted. I'm like, yo, this is actually really good.

[Just hilarious]

You can do it in car. I feel like this in the morning. You could do this in like a good coffee.

[DJ Envy]

It tastes like an old fashioned already.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. All you need is the ice cube.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Just hilarious]

What do you smell? Smell?

[Ja Rule]

I'm getting tore up online because I poured a over ice and called it neat and mad at me. I made a mistake. Leave it alone.

[Just hilarious]

But you did a good job with this. What do you smell when you smell it?

[DJ Envy]

It's like sweet and smoky at the same time.

[Ja Rule]

See that smoky taste that you, that you, that you taste that smoke finish? That is a, a Chinese tea, Chinese black tea that we use called Lapsung Souchang. You see my, you see my black brother back there? I'm. I'm got to give him all the props because he's the whiskey enthusiast out of the crew. And so this blend, he was sweating, you know, Say, you see he bald too. So he's back there sweating. Get putting this blend together the right way. And, and he, and he did the damn thing with it. And you know, I was the guy that was tasting it. That was you. That. I'm not really a whiskey drinker, but tasting it was like, I could drink this.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ja Rule]

So I was important to the, to the, you know, to the, to the tasting. When I thought I wasn't, you know, I was sitting there like, man, I don't know what I'm tasting. I don't know if this, you know, whatever. And they're like, just taste the shit I'm drinking. A, B, C, D. I'm like, they all kind of taste the same. Just tell me which one you like. You know what I'm saying? And so that, that, that's important. And we wanted to really nail that for the whiskey. Curious, you know what I mean? People who are maybe first time whiskey drinkers are not really, you know, whiskey enthusiasts.

[DJ Envy]

Why whiskey for you?

[Ja Rule]

Well, it started as a business venture, I'm not going to lie. You know, during COVID you know, I'm with a really, really great investment group and we've been doing a lot of crazy investments. So we got into like web3 stuff and stuff, you know, was doing that stuff. It was like, it was fun investing during like gaming investing. Damn near Covid. So one of the things that came across our desk was a whiskey Dao. And a dao is a decentralized, organized, autonomous. Autonomous organization. Centralized, autonomous organization is what a dao is. So it's basically like a group of people get together and we're all on a board and we all get to vote and make decisions on how company grows, blah, blah, blah. So we did this and what it was is we bought a whole warehouse full of whiskey out in Iowa and we were going to wait to the whiskey age, hit it seven year mark, when it became like a premium bourbon and just flip it. So that was the plan. But as we got hit our seven year mark, some of the guys in our group started busting open the bottle, the barrels and making personal bottles for home. And, and so, you know, me and Herb decided, let's, let's, let's start something really, really dope. And so we did that. But what happened was he found a distillery out in Baltimore. So this is where this batch is actually made because they told us don't use those barrels because that premium bourbon now, and if we infuse it with the honey, it's gonna dilute the aging. And so we decided. Well, we didn't actually decide. They, they recommended that we buy their three year old, two year old barrels and make our, you know, blend. And so that's what we did. And amazing partnership thus far. You know, the blend is amazing. As Charlemagne has said several times, how.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Difficult is it to get into these stores?

[Ja Rule]

You know, that's been what's the hardest part. It's been a little bit challenging. But you know, we were able to get into a really dope diversity program before they stop dei.

[Just hilarious]

What distributors?

[Ja Rule]

So we're with, we're with Park Streets and they distribute us through California and Florida. But you know, we're looking to do a major distribution. So we'll probably sign with R&DC really soon. They have a national footprint, so we'll deal basically with them. But, you know, we're doing great. We do our diversity program that we were able to get into and you know, people don't like to talk about it, but I think it's important that you do talk about these programs because they do help us as a, as a black culture, black people. And I think, you know, you should look into it or whatever. They're gone now, so it doesn't matter. But while they were here, people weren't talking about it enough. And these are some of the great programs that were out there. And so we got into it and we were able to get into 102 doors at Total Wines and in 10 cities, like, you know, right off the bat. That's a new company, so that was a plus. And Then, of course, we have distribution online as well. You can get [e-mail] and Reserve Bar as well.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So do you try to change the landscape? And the reason I ask. Right. You coming out as an artist, right. You remember the drink at the time was Hennessy.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Then it changed the vodka.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Then it changed the tequila.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you try to change the landscape of the clubs or you say, now we're not taking the club route?

[Ja Rule]

No, no. Yeah, we definitely in clubs. We're in 11. We were in Dre's. You know, we definitely.

[DJ Envy]

What are you.

[Just hilarious]

Places where people would. Connoisseurs would understand it. That makes sense. Okay. Marketing wise, that makes sense.

[Ja Rule]

Absolutely. And, you know, I want to do something really, really cool. You know, I'm looking into it, how we can make it happen. But you know how they have bottle service. They bring you the bottle service. I want to do a little something different. When you order a bottle of Amber and Opal, you'll get your own, you know, mixologist, and they'll come with a, you know, a menu of drinks that you can actually make, and they'll make for you right there at the moment.

[DJ Envy]

That's fine.

[Ja Rule]

So, yeah, you know, it's a little. Little different twist on what we're doing. Bottle service, but it's still bottle service. Instead of the big silly car and all this other shit, you know, somebody you can actually sit there and learn about the.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Make your drinks for you.

[Just hilarious]

A lot of times when celebrities do alcohol brands, it's like everything's already done in a brand comes to you like, hey, put your face on and sit next to it. I know that. That this was the complete opposite for you.

[Ja Rule]

It was.

[Just hilarious]

What have you learned business wise that, like, you thought you already knew, but being in spirits, you were like, oh, okay.

[Ja Rule]

You know, it's crazy. I knew that, you know, this was going to happen. What's happening to us right now, you know, because it happened to us when we was in the clothing business, when I had Irvin Jeffrey, me and Irv had that company. And the more doors we got into, the more clothes we had to actually make. So we didn't have the white label deal, and so it was all coming out of our pocket. And so what you start to realize is the hotter you get, the more product you have to actually make. Now in the clothing industry, it's a little bit tougher because you're dealing with seasons. And so if you don't sell it in that season, it's last year's thing or last Season's thing. And now you're out into the bargain stores and you're losing, you know, profit on your, on your, on your retail sales. But what's, what's good about, you know, alcohol is. It's alcohol so it can sit on the shelves for a while, but you still want it to move. You don't want it to be sitting too long, and they feel it's not moving, you know, so it's a little catch 22 on how you got to kind of, you know, get people to sample the product, you know, before they go into a store and buy a $70 bottle of amber and opal with 69.99 is our, know, retail price. But, you know, how do you do that? Well, one of the ways we're trying to, you know, do that is going to the dope, you know, restaurants and, and the dope night spaces. And so people could say, all right, let me get a cocktail of that off or at the table. They could taste it off there in a restaurant, they can get a cocktail, you know, that's a lot cheaper than $70. And they could taste it and say, I like that. I will buy that. You know, so it's one of those things you just got to kind of keeps, keep grinding it and sorting it out.

[DJ Envy]

Why the name Amber and Opal?

[Ja Rule]

My brother came up with the name, but I love where he went with it. You know, my thing about names, and that's what I told him. He was like, come up with the name. I said, herb, let me tell you something about name. My name is a name's a name. The product has to be right. So he came up with a beautiful name and the product is right. And so this is Amber and Opal. The amber obviously is the hue of, you know, what we're looking at and the color of the, you know, but the Opal is. It's a precious stone. And it's the only precious stone that comes in multiple colors. Brown, white, you know, black, you know, tan. And so that we wanted that to be encompassing of our message of inclusivity. You know, we are a black owned brand, but we're not a black brand. We want everybody to enjoy Amber and Opal. And so, you know, that, that, that's kind of where the name came from.

[DJ Envy]

That's crazy. You said a name is just a name. Because it's not just a name.

[Ja Rule]

It's not. You can have a great name.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Ja Rule]

But you can also have a terrible name. But if your product is great, then you have Uber becomes Twitter, you don't give a fuck. You know what I'm saying?

[DJ Envy]

Or you can have a name like Murder Inc.

[Ja Rule]

Right?

[DJ Envy]

You got to change, right?

[Ja Rule]

But the name worked because the product was great.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Ja Rule]

And so we had to change it for, you know, other reasons. You know, people still call us down. People never gonna stop calling my name. But. But I say that because I've come up with so many names of things and that's what I've learned along the way. Like, you know, we can come up with an amazing name, but if the product is not dope, nobody remember the name.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Ja Rule]

You know what I mean? Or you can have the worst name in the world. The product is amazing. Your Uber. You know what I'm saying? You know, whatever these crazy names that people come up with, you know, do.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You own part of my.

[Ja Rule]

Yes, you do.

[DJ Envy]

I guess this is my last question.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I guess now we gotta go to Ghana.

[Ja Rule]

Oh, go to Ghana.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You go to school in Ghana. So talk about the school in Ghana.

[Ja Rule]

That you, that you built. Yeah, so I just got back from Ghana yesterday. Last night I built a six classroom block in Nasu, Ghana. Amazing feeling, you know, probably the most important thing that I've done.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Ja Rule]

In my career thus far. You know, I say that because this is something that's going to live way beyond me. You know, all the thousands of kids that I get to go to this school and learn English and learn math and, you know, science and history and all those great things. Things. It's really, really, you know, special. And, and what people have to understand is, you know, we're not in Acra, you know what I'm saying? We're, you know, I land in Accra, in, in, in Ghana, that's the capital. When I, we, we drive two and a half hours outside of Accra to Nwasu, where it's like really, really villages of people and they don't have much of anything. They don't have, you know, really a lot of fresh water and, you know, they don't have, you know, so we had to build the bathrooms there so they can, you know, have sanitary places. You know, they're still teaching the girls how to, you know, you know, be sanitary with themselves, wash themselves, things of that nature and, you know, with their menstrual cycles and stuff like that. You know, we was at a, a tribe out there just now where they still believe that the blood from the woman's menstrual cycle is evil. And so the women have to go into an outhouse for seven days. And while they're doing their menstrual. And so. So it's also a learning experience that, you know, we're offering out there, too. I did this through, you know, Pencils of Promise, you know, Andy and Scooter Bronze, you know, foundation. Really. They do really, really great work, man. So I've been working with them for the last few years, and, you know, I, you know, broke ground on the school last year, and this year, you know, we here opening the school, cutting the ribbon, and the kids are amazing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Congratulations.

[DJ Envy]

Amazing.

[Just hilarious]

You had one more question?

[DJ Envy]

No, it was just about, you know, when you spoke about changing the name, you know, for the feds, and, you know, you talked about Irv passing earlier and how you felt like. Happened so fast. Does it ever make you feel like, damn, we survived so much that you didn't think it would end the way it ended?

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, you never really think about the engine, right? How it all plays out. I don't think anybody really has that scripted in. It's just. It's just. It's just one of those things that I'm. I'm blessed to. To know that I'm here, and I want to keep his legacy alive as long as I'm here. It's just. It's just tough, man. This is a tough one for me. Real, real tough one for me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We appreciate you for joining us.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Out and about. Pick up the new whiskey, amber, and opal.

[Ja Rule]

For sure.

[DJ Envy]

You said total wines?

[Ja Rule]

Total wines. Yeah, we. We know. We. We going in other spaces, too.

[Just hilarious]

I ain't never seen you drink this much.

[DJ Envy]

Really good.

[Ja Rule]

I mean, I love that, man.

[DJ Envy]

It's really good.

[Just hilarious]

No, but that was how we. When we first tried it the last time. You were not up here for Interbo, but we just ran into you. I was like, this is whiskey.

[Ja Rule]

Real smooth. It's.

[Just hilarious]

No way.

[Ja Rule]

Yeah, Lauren, she's definitely. She definitely gave it the stamp of approval. Yeah.

[Just hilarious]

Congrats.

[DJ Envy]

She's a drunk, so if she said.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You were a drunk. Not even alcohol.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, no. I'm sorry. She does a lot of taste testing. That's what she does. Wow.

[Just hilarious]

Well, actually, I used to work in the spirits industry, so, you know, boom, period. That's how I knew to tell you to smell it. But that big nose over there, I'm about to come across this table.

[Ja Rule]

Nasty.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, well, ladies and gentlemen, Ja.

[Ja Rule]

Rule, it's the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning.

[DJ Envy]

Wake that ass up early in the morning.

[Ja Rule]

The Breakfast Club. Taking control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Just kidding. I am the boss. This is Carlos Miller from the 85 South Show. And building a career isn't just about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community and and future generations. Whether you're starting out or even making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way. Because like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Find out more at statefarm. Com.