ja rule
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Ja Rule
You can add Ja Rule to the list of artists considering selling their music catalogs, but owning his collection of hits will come with a catch if he does sell it.
In an interview with Bloomberg Business, the Queens rapper spoke about selling his catalog. Still, before you can own hits such as “Always On Time” and “Put It On Me,” potential owners must agree to something not usually seen in typical artists’ agreements.
Rule told Bloomberg Business he wants to sell his catalog in a reversion deal. That means part of his sold catalog will be returned to his family in the future.
“I’ve found out recently that my catalog is very lucrative,” Ja Rule said. “So I’ll be looking (to sell). I’ve really been talking about doing a reversion deal where I would probably give up half my catalog, and it would revert back to my family.”
“I think it’s kinda hard to put a number on the value,” he adds. “Usually, the value of the music starts to go down as the artist starts to go away. The value of the music starts to depreciate.”
Ja Rule Wants To Make Sure His Family Will Still Eat off His Music
The Murder INC. artist didn’t share a dollar amount for his catalog but predicted the price would only go up because the value of artists and streams is already increasing.
“It’s kind of weird, but what’s happening now is we get less than a fraction of a cent for a stream, but that number is going up,” Ja Rule continued. “It’s going up to about 15 percent. So with that happening, I think a lot of these companies are realizing the money that’s out there.”
Of course, to add even more value to his catalog, Rule brought up the fact his singing/rap style has paved the way for other artists like Drake.
If that doesn’t jack up the price of Ja Rule’s music catalog, we don’t know what will.
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Photo: Prince Williams / Getty
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“If at first you don’t succeed, try again” is generally a good motto to live by, but we’re not sure if the man behind the ill-fated Fyre Festival of 2017 should actually be taking heed to the age-old proverb.
Recently the co-founder of the original Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland confirmed that he’d be bringing back the real life “Hunger Games” that had social media talking back in 2017, but this time around his partner-in-crime, Ja Rule is distancing himself from what could be another struggle jamboree in the islands. Speaking to People about McFarland’s attempt to resurrect the controversial event that featured fancy government cheese sandwiches for its attendees, Ja had no qualms about not being a part of Billy’s brainchild.
“I don’t know nothing about it!” the 47-year-old rapper tells PEOPLE at TuneCore’s 50 Years of Hip Hop event in New York City Thursday night. “I don’t know nothing about it. I ain’t in it!”
Ja Rule’s finally doing shows again and y’all think he’s gonna risk the little bit of popularity he’s gotten back for another struggle debacle?! Not bloody likely!
Naturally McFarland caught wind of Ja Rule’s comments and took to Twitter to formally deny him entrance to the party that Ja didn’t even want to attend by writing “definitely not invited.”
The question is, who wants to be invited? Scamming dozens of investors and thousands of would-be festival-goers with promises of a music-infused weekend complete with big name music artists and luxury accommodations at the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, McFarland’s original Fyre Festival proved to be a disaster. The luxury accommodations were basically FEMA tents, the food provided was straight out of an episode of Survivor, and the only music guest actually involved was Ja Rule who didn’t even make the trip out to the island.
Eventually that same year McFarland and Rule were hit with a $100 million class-action lawsuit and the following year McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud and other fraud charges relating to a different ticket-selling scam that July. Billy was sentenced to six years behind bars and was released in 2022 after serving four.
Luckily for Ja, he ducked charges related to the festival and has since gone on to regain some of his music momentum as of late.
How Billy McFarland plans to make things right with another Fyre Festival is anyone’s guess but if you’re willing to give that man your money and fly out to a tropical setting knowing it could lead to the government rescuing you at some point, that’s on you.
Would y’all be willing to go to a Fyre Festival without Ja Rule’s blessing? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Ja Rule doesn’t dominate the charts in Hip-Hop’s current climate but he’s very much a certified hitmaker and has earned his status as a top touring act. In a recent chat, the Queens, N.Y. star believes that Hip-Hop music is having a negative impact on the decision made by one of the NBA’s brightest stars in Ja Morant.
TMZ Sports chatted up Ja Rule as he was leaving an airport and got his take on Ja Morant and his recent issues, especially the flashing of the gun on Instagram Live in Colorado after a Memphis Grizzlies game. According to the “Holla Holla” artist, Morant is applying Hip-Hop’s current sound to his real life.
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NBA player Patrick Beverley said on his podcast, The Pat Bev Show with Rone, that the music of choice for Morant is where all the decisions stem from. Ja Rule also agreed with that assessment, urging the young superstar to focus on his burgeoning NBA career and leave the tough street image in the rearview.
“Hip-Hop is very influential,” the rapper born Jeffrey Atkins began. “I’ve done things in my youth because of Hip-Hop. Redman made ‘How To Roll A Blunt,’ we started smoking blunts.”
Morant has gotten grilled plenty in the press and by former NBA stars, including a candid sit-down with ESPN’s Jalen Rose. Rose issued his own stern warning to Morant, stating that he understood what he was going through and hoped that Morant would correct course.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
It’s not really a list if it doesn’t get people in their feelings. Case in point, Ja Rule took to Twitter to drag Billboard after noting he didn’t make the cut in its 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list.
Regardless of Ja’s beef, the list was already causing a stir due to some suspect choices. For example, in what universe does Andre 3000 come in at 12 only to be followed by Rakim at 13 and Big Daddy Kane at 20? Sure it’s Billboard, and VIBE, so the context includes charts and sales, but that means 3 Stacks has a solid beef since him and OutKast moved big units and were chart darlings.
Anyway, as for Ja Rule not cracking the top 50 isn’t exactly a top priority in rap debates, but the Queens rapper nevertheless took issue.
“There ain’t 50 rappers dead, alive or waiting to be born better than me… #ICONN #Vibes,” wrote Ja on Twitter on Thursday (Feb. 9). “@billboard congrats to everyone on the list well deserved but check my resume… #ICONN #Vibes.”
Now Ja does have a gang of major hits, but Hip-Hop itself is 50 years old and that’s a lot of great MC’s, regardless of sales and chart placement. Just saying.
Rule eventually added, “This the last thing I’m gonna say about the list… I’m pissed cause this was not an oversight it’s statistically IMPOSSIBLE to comprise this list without me so my question to @billboard who records these stats is what went into the decision to leave me off??? Just curious…”
Conspiracy theories aside, Billboard‘s list was revealed via countdown, with Jay-Z ultimately coming in at no. 1. Twitter has been debating the validity of the list ever since it full dropped. Check out some of the more passionate reactions in the gallery.
1. Ice Cube felt a ways…
10. At least someone is happy.