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Showing posts with label Ja Rule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ja Rule. Show all posts
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Lloyd On Cutting Ties With Irv Gotti & Ja Rule, "I Just Let The Past Be The Past"
Former Murder Inc. singer Lloyd has opened up about his ex-boss Irv Gotti and former labelmate Ja Rule.
He also talked about his new life as an Interscope Records artist.
"[It's] just a new energy and new drive," Lloyd said in an interview. "Creatively it's different because it's me and Pollow [Da Don] crafting the sound. I've never had this kind of artist/producer relationship before. We're making some great music...I just let the past be the past and move forward. No bad blood and no hard feelings [against Irv or Ja], just lessons learned. I wish all those guys the best...Love isn't necessarily the theme [on my upcoming album], but it's definitely a big part of it. Lust, love, relationships, sex, it's all in there. The sound is something you just have to hear. People will be surprised."
Last September, Lloyd spoke on his issues with Irv.
"I've made a lot of changes," Lloyd said in an interview. "I'm happy than I've ever been. I'm happy to say I worked out my own release and I am very optimistic about the future. Ever since I was signed, I was dedicated to trying to make good music, something that's worth hearing. And just trying to work with this rubble that I was given and build something out of it -- being the current state of the label when I first arrived. I didn't really have too much to work with...The label itself had no distribution. I was forced to record my own music with my own money with my own friends, while I was still under contract. All I had was me and my management and my friends in Atlanta...It wasn't so much person as it was business. I've learned to separate the two and sometimes in this business there is no friendship, no bottom line. The sad thing is a lot of young guys come into the game very early without knowledge or without a guidance in their lives and they fall victim to the glitz and the glam. I always try to look past that and keep my eyes on the prize which was becoming a great artist and really making music history one way or another."
Irv previously responded to accusations made by Lloyd about his role on The Inc.
"He is still signed with Murder Inc. and I will make a decision shortly on what I am gonna do with him," Gotti wrote in a statement. "His last record didn't sell well at all. And, once again, he had his CREATIVE freedom to do whatever he wanted to do. But for some reason the people did not respond to the album or to him. But I will decide what I wanna do! As always when it comes to me, it's Murder For Life! And anyone who doesn't wanna be a part of that, I will take into consideration."
In March, Lloyd announced a new record deal with Interscope.
"Baby and [Lil] Wayne were definitely the first people to reach out to me," he revealed in an interview. "I talked to them about a deal. That's who I thought I'd end up with in my heart. The problem is that Young Money/Cash Money is exclusive to Universal Motown. As you and I know, that's where I did my last two albums. I wasn't excited about going back. I tried to do a Young Money/Cash Money deal through another distributor, but it couldn't be done. At the end of the day, I'm still family, though."
Check out Lloyd talking about The Inc. down below:
Friday, June 18, 2010
Ja Rule On Jay-Z Rapping Past 40, "It's Always Gonna Be A Youth-Driven Business" [Video]
New York rapper Ja Rule recently spoke on aging rappers like Jay-Z and why hip-hop will not allow them to become irrelevant.
Rule believes Jay can still be successful because hip-hop has continued to grow and mature.
"It's always going to be a youth-driven business," Ja told DJ Vlad in an interview. "It's basically a rebellious music, a music of the culture, of the now, it changes constantly, so it's always gonna be youth-driven. But here's what you got to understand, as hip-hop gets older, so does the audience. I grew up listening to hip-hop, my kids are growing up listening to hip-hop, we listen to hip-hop together. So I'll get a Blueprint III album for myself and they may want New Boyz. It's a perfect contrast, let it be what it's gonna be. Hip-Hop's not going anywhere because the older we get, we're still listening...You gotta think 60 years down the line, if I'm a 60 year-old dude, I think I'm still gonna be listening to hip-hop...I don't think there's an age limit on hip-hop anymore, like I said, it's always gonna be a youth-driven music but we're growing up and we're getting older and we're still listening to hip-hop so, there's an audience for it all."
In a recent interview. Jay talked about still being able to compete with young artists like Lil Wayne despite being over 40.
"One of the reasons I wanted to make Blueprint 3 was because of the challenge," Jay told the magazine in a cover story out this week. "We've seen people like LL [Cool J] have longevity, and we respect the heritage of what he's done, but it's not like, right now, he's competing on the same level as Lil Wayne. So for me to still be able to compete at that level at my age, that's rarefied air. It's never been done. I think the problem with people, as they start to mature, they say, 'Rap is a young man's game,' and they keep trying to make young songs. But you don't know the slang -- it changes every day. You can visit the topic, but these young kids live it every day, and you're just visiting. So you're trying to be something you're not, and the audience doesn't buy into that. And people wonder why. 'I made a great Southern bounce song!' You're from New York, and you're 70! Why are you bouncing?"
Last year, Jay-Z chopped it up about nearing 40 and still wanting to have a long-run in hip-hop.
"I hear it all the time -- 'Yo, he should let the young guys, the new generation of guys come in,'" Jay explained in an interview. "But you don't become the front-runner in music because someone lets you. You have to claim your shoes...If you grow up listening to hip-hop, you love hip-hop and that's the end of it. But if you're a 30 year-old rapper still trying to make music like you're 15, then you're making it narrow. At my age, I can't relate to a 15 year-old. I deal with mature and relevant topics for my age group -- it has to all be based on true emotions. The more diversity and the more mature we make hip-hop, the bigger the net you cast."
Earlier this year, The LOX's Styles P discussed placing a timetable on his rap career.
"You can't rap forever. We got young D-Block, I'm still in the [rap] game but eventually I gotta pass the baton but eventually I'll be out of the relay. It'll be all on them and I can just spot check when I want to. I think a lot of rappers and emcees forget to pass the torch and open the door for other people. So when I do do that and I'm not playing the whole game, I wanna do something where I 'can' play the whole game -- around six, seven more years so I can relax and do the whole book thing..."
Check out Ja Rule's interview below:
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Ja Rule Wants Nicki Minaj & Lil Kim To Squash Beef, "They Could Be Making Hot Records Together" [Video]
New York rapper Ja Rule has weighed in on the current Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj beef and said both artists should place their differences aside and collaborate.
Rule said his previous experience beefing with 50 Cent has lead him to believe most rap disputes are not as serious as they appear.
"I thought Nicki was paying homage," Rule explained to DJ Vlad. "I never heard Nicki say nothing disrespectful about Kim. As a matter of fact, in interviews I thought I heard Nicki say she likes Kim -- for me, having been in possibly the biggest beef in hip-hop, I think hip-hop beefs are wack because the beef I was in, n*ggas act like I didn't battle back, I didn't make rap battles, nah, y'all motherf*ckers didn't want to hear my raps back at 50 [Cent] or y'all didn't want to hear what I had to say about 50 because he was the new hot artist at the time -- everybody rode on that wave which I understand...I think it's silly for Nicki and Kim to be arguing. I think they could be making hot records together because it's obvious that Nicki likes Kim, she did the same pose, like, that pose is so obvious Kim. Nobody can mistake that for being you, that can only be said as paying homage. It's not like she tried to steal that from you. It can't, that was your sh*t."
Former Kim associate Lil Cease recently said Minaj has already paid homage to her.
"You can't knock [Kim] for that. But the paying homage thing, when I seen Nicki Minaj with the green hair, when I seen her do similar pictures that Kim has done -- I look at that as paying homage," Cease reasoned. "I saw other things where Nicki did pay homage; she said some [complimentary] things about Lil'Kim. But we don't know what's going on. We don't read between the lines like MCs do. Kim probably sees or hears things none of us probably sees or hears. She's just making her judgment from what she's seeing. We can't knock her for that. At the end of the day, Nicki is Nicki. She's building her own lane. She's doing what she's gotta do. She's hot, she's sexy. I'm sure she's got some things from Kim, but [Nicki's] setting her own lane."
Kim claims Minaj has subliminally taken shots at her on numerous occasions.
"For the last year, she's been subliminally taking shots at me, subliminally taking shots at the other girls in the industry and I mean come on, we read that interview where she said 'Oh, being that the other rap chicks in the game ain't got sh*t to do right now, when I'm by the pool, they can feed me grapes,' I remember that sh*t," Kim said in an interview. "I keep my ears to the street at all times. Just because I do my Hollywood thing and my Malibu Barbie thing don't mean my ears ain't to the streets at all times."
Last April, Rule explained his personal feelings on the relevance of rap beefs.
"I think the beef sh*t is wack," Rule revealed in an interview. "My beef was different, it was real. Physical altercations, all that. A lot of these beefs today, are just publicity stunts for artists to try to sell records. They try to further their careers or whatever, doing so by creating conflict with other artists who are creating a buzz. I think it's watered down hip-hop. Even though hip-hop was founded on the battle, it came from that. It's still, with how far hip-hop has come, the beef records take away from the talent and the creative process of it all. I just think all the beef records and that sh*t is wack."
Check out Ja Rule speaking on Lil Kim & Nicki Mianj below:
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Ja Rule's NYC Gun Case Takes Unexpected Turn
New York rapper Ja Rule's felony gun case has taken an unexpected turn after a judge decided to allow DNA evidence to be used against him in his August trial.
Details on the ruling began to circulate on the Internet Tuesday (June 8) afternoon.
Rapper Ja Rule was dealt a legal blow Tuesday when a judged ruled DNA evidence could be used by the prosecution during his gun possession trial. A lawyer for the 34-year-old performer, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, questioned whether tactics used to test a small amount of DNA recovered from the weapon are scientifically reliable. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Richard Carruthers decided that "low copy" DNA evidence is legally acceptable and may be used in Atkins's trial going forward. Atkins's request for a hearing on the matter was denied in a written ruling.
Rule will have an opportunity to defend himself on August 18.
The August court date comes after the judge denied Rule's request for a hearing regarding DNA evidence. According to the New York Post, prosecutors claim that a miniscule amount of the hip-hop artist's DNA was found on the handgun. However, Rule's lawyer, Stacey Richman, has argued that the DNA sample is too tiny to provide reliable test results. Yet, the judge asserted the reliability of the DNA test methods, referencing a case in which the same DNA testing that Rule's defense is contesting became instrumental in exonerating a defendant who spent four years in jail. The Post also reported that Richman will explore whether the judge might be willing to re-evaluate his decision regarding the DNA testing.
An appeal on the DNA decision is reportedly in the works for Rule.
Defense lawyer Stacey Richman said she planned to appeal the ruling. Ja Rule, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal weapons possession, was allowed to skip the proceeding for a movie shoot out of town. The case against him stems from a stop of his $250,000-plus Maybach sports car after a July 2007 concert. Police say they found a loaded semiautomatic gun in a rear door of the car.
Aside from legal matters, Rule is currently putting together his new album, Venni Vetti Vecci.
"It's been a good ride, you know what I'm sayin'? It's been a wild ride but it's been fun. But with this album I feel like I've conquered all those little obstacles that I had to get around, and now I'm ready to get this product out to the world again...I worked with a lot of different producers on this album. Some new guys, some veterans. The album's put together really well. It just has an overall feel to it, the sound is vintage Ja Rule, but then it's different, I've been playing with this new sound that I've been trying to develop. It's kinda hot, it's David Guetta meets the hip-hop world. The beats different, they're fresh, some of them are hard bass driven, and some of them have the big drums, big kick. It's kinda that sound that's tearin' up overseas right now, but we haven't really put our finger on it yet over here in the states. So I kinda put my own stamp on it with the sound and the music and stuff, and hip-hopped it out. It sounds real good."
No further details have been revealed as of now.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Ja Rule Calls Rap Beefs Wack, "The Records Take Away From The Talent & The Creative Process Of It All"
Former Murder Inc. Records artist Ja Rule recently shared his views on rap beefs and said emcees are just using diss tracks to sell albums.
Rule said his past beef with 50 Cent was related to a physical altercation.
"I think the beef sh*t is wack," Rule revealed in an interview. "My beef was different, it was real. Physical altercations, all that. A lot of these beefs today, are just publicity stunts for artists to try to sell records. They try to further their careers or whatever, doing so by creating conflict with other artists who are creating a buzz. I think it's watered down hip-hop. Even though hip-hop was founded on the battle, it came from that. It's still, with how far hip-hop has come, the beef records take away from the talent and the creative process of it all. I just think all the beef records and that sh*t is wack."
Last year, Murder Inc. associate Cadillac Tah said 50 admired Rule during their 2002 beef.
"I guess [his plan] was for him to try to Tupac it, Tupac and Biggie," Tah explained in an interview. "Find a target, go after the target to make people look at him. That's kinda always been his little strategy even when he made the song 'How to Rob.' He did that so everybody would switch the attention to him, it wasn't like that was a bad plan. It worked, so if it worked it means it was a good plan. I was just not advising him to do that -- He played a ill strategic game. He threw Ja off of his grind and jumped on Ja's sh*t. He always wanted what Ja had, I mean that kinda fame, how Ja was killing 'em on the radio songs every five minutes...He came in the game with 'What up blood, what up cuz,' and then it's 'I wanna take you to the candy shop,' and he would start singing a whole lot. It's the same sh*t you had my n*gga on the Summer Jam screen about, making fun of that -- and you d*mn near made a whole singing album like that."
Rule also said his rap war against 50 was unfair due to the G-Unit leader's association with police.
"I went at 50 too, I don't think n*ggas think about that either," Rule said in an interview earlier this summer. "I went at that n*gga hard too. 50 done had a beef with a gang of n*ggas. Even the first record he made I think was 'How 2 Rob,' and I was the only artist that when I seen him, I was like, 'Eh, that ain't funny homie. What's happening.' You feel what I'm saying? Everybody else that seen him, 'Hahahahahaaa,' silly n*ggas. Nah n*gga, ain't no dap, n*gga. It ain't funny. What's happening? And I went at his head. He couldn't f*ck with what we as doing on these streets so he went into a booth and became Superman. And that's how that whole thing transcended and he was talking so much to the police, n*gga couldn't really express his true feelings. He got my n*ggas facing 20 years in jail, my n*gga Supreme is doing life right now. When n*ggas talk all that sh*t, I laugh because they don't know the infrastructure with how it all spiraled to what it is today."
The rapper went after 50 on the Rick Ross diss track, "Mafia Music" remix.
"Guess who's bizzack," Rule raps. "I spit murder, the music is mafia...One cold afternoon you get shot at your home/Now 'I Smell P*ssy'/P*ssy got lips, but it don't talk to me/That's why you my b*tch/And you on my d*ck/Aha 'cause I f*cked you up once, I f*cked you up twice and you still talking sh*t/What must I do, to get through to you/ Curly, get off my d*ck...Read in-between the lines when you hear me talk/Get on get outta line, this is Rule York."
Sunday, April 4, 2010
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