Released November 9, 2004 Length 71:30 | Recorded 2003–04 Label The Inc., Def Jam | |
Genre East Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, R&B Producer Irv Gotti, Cool & Dre, Chink Santana, Jimi Kendrix | ||
R.U.L.E. is the sixth studio album by American rapper Ja Rule; it was released on November 9, 2004, by The Inc. and Def Jam. The album debuted at number 7 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 165,000 units in its opening week. The album has become a certified gold for selling more than 600,000 copies in the United States. It marks as his successful return to the charts, after those feuds with other rappers. It supported the top 10 song "Wonderful" featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti; the top 20 song "New York" featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe, and the song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd. This is the last album to be released on Irv Gotti's label The Inc. Records.
Contents
The album was also made in a heavily edited version removing profanities, drugs and violent content: it removes the skits "Weed" and "Stripping Game". The skit track titled "True Story" was left on the album, based on the constant use of "fuck" was backmasked. This version of the album became the most edited album other than his previous album Blood in My Eye (2003).
Critical reception
R.U.L.E. garnered mixed reviews from music critics who questioned if this was a return to form after the disappointing Blood in My Eye.
K.B. Tindal of HipHopDX called the album Ja's best since Rule 3:36 and Pain Is Love, giving high praise to the variety of sexual lyrics and street tracks that Ja is able to deliver again with grit and determination, concluding that, "The Inc. will always be Murder Inc. no matter what and Ja will always be at the head of the fam so get used to it, he's back." Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews said that despite being overwhelmed with guest artists and needless skits, he praised the album for allowing Ja to deliver both pop-rap fluff and thug bravado tracks throughout the runtime, concluding that "This is not an overwhelming strong album lyrically, but it's a pleasant enough one to listen to musically - and from Ja Rule that's enough to get by."
Timothy Gunatilaka of Entertainment Weekly found love ballads like "Passion" and "Wonderful" much better for Ja's career than his return to spitting thug tracks, concluding that they "suggest he might want to stick to raspy romanticism." AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier said that the album continues the depletion of Ja's relevance in hip-hop set by Blood in My Eye, criticizing the filler material for being downbeat and Ja for gangsta posturing over pop-rap songs that feel cynical and deliberate, concluding with, "And so the downfall goes — tragic, indeed, or not, depending on how affecting you find the pathos at work."
Track listing
Sample credits