Editing Ja Rule (section)

===50 Cent feud, ''Blood in My Eye,'' and ''R.U.L.E.'' (2003–2004)===
[[File:KexEdit-0.8.6.jpg|thumb|Ja Rule (left) in 2000 with [[Kenneth McGriff|Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff]], a notorious [[Queens, New York|Queens]] gangster closely affiliated with [[Irv Gotti]] and [[Murder Inc. Records]]]]

Shortly after the release of his fourth studio album, Ja Rule's ongoing beef with fellow Queens rapper [[50 Cent]] reached its peak, with both artists taking to radio stations almost daily to trade insults and diss tracks.<ref name="http://hiphopdx.com">{{cite web|url=http://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.2422/title.50-cents-10-most-infamous-beefs|title=50 Cent's 10 Most Infamous Beefs|website=HipHopDX.com|date=June 3, 2014}}</ref><ref name="MTV News">{{cite web|last=MTV News|author-link=MTV|date=November 3, 2003 |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/j/ja_rule/news_feature_031103/index.jhtml |title=Ja Rule on 50 Cent, God and Hip-Hop |publisher=MTV |access-date=July 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820000603/http://www.mtv.com/bands/j/ja_rule/news_feature_031103/index.jhtml |archive-date=August 20, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="xxlmag.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/xxl-magazine/2006/07/50-cent-games-haters-play/|title=50 Cent Games Haters Play – XXL|website=XXL Mag|date=July 27, 2006 }}</ref><ref name="hiphopdx.com">{{Cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.29625/title.ja-rule-details-50-cent-altercation-in-2000|title=Ja Rule Details 50 Cent Altercation In 2000|date=July 7, 2014|website=HipHopDX.com}}</ref><ref name=MTV>{{cite web|first=Reid|last=Shaheem |date=April 25, 2003|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1471546/20030425/story.jhtml |title=DJ Tells 50 Cent, Ja Rule: One More Dis Record, Then Quit It|publisher= MTV|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030501124439/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1471546/20030425/story.jhtml|archive-date=May 1, 2003|url-status=dead|access-date=July 25, 2007}}</ref> On January 3, 2003, the Murder Inc. offices were raided by [[FBI]] agents and [[NYPD]] officers due to accusations of money laundering and drug trades toward [[Kenneth McGriff|Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff]], who was associated with Irv Gotti.<ref name="billboard.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/72794/report-feds-raid-murder-inc-in-irv-gotti-probe|title=Report: Feds Raid Murder Inc. In Irv Gotti Probe|website=Billboard.com}}</ref> Due to the federal investigation, Ja Rule had a late response in his beef with 50 Cent.<ref>[http://empiremediakings.com/2018/02/15/flashback-ja-rule-on-why-he-didnt-clap-back-at-50-cent-sooner] {{Dead link|date=February 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> By association, 50 Cent's labelmates [[Eminem]], [[Obie Trice]], [[D12]], and Ja Rule's former friends and associates [[DMX (rapper)|DMX]] and [[Busta Rhymes]] were brought into the feud too. Ja Rule released the diss track "Loose Change" in April 2003, where he attacks 50 Cent, as well as Eminem, Busta Rhymes and [[Dr. Dre]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2018/05/ja-rule-boasts-eminem-50-cent-loose-change-most-disrespectful|title=Ja Rule Boasts His Eminem/50 Cent "Loose Change" Diss Was the Most Disrespectful|website=Complex.com}}</ref> 50 Cent eventually responded with "Hail Mary", which used the beat from [[2Pac]]'s [[Hail Mary (2Pac song)|song of the same name]] and featured Eminem and Busta Rhymes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/50-cent-ja-rule-beef-history-timeline-what-cause-rap-instagram-latest-a8621631.html|title=The history of 50 Cent and Ja Rule's long-running feud|date=November 7, 2018|newspaper=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> The beef continued to be highly publicized throughout 2003, and eventually led to Ja Rule meeting with Minister [[Louis Farrakhan]] in October, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_1091.shtml | title = Farrakhan warns hip-hop artists: Clap-back will only lead to coffins | publisher = [[The Final Call (newspaper)|The Final Call]] | date = November 4, 2003 | access-date = April 15, 2008 }}</ref>

Ja Rule's fifth studio album, ''[[Blood in My Eye]]'', was released on November 4, 2003, under the Murder Inc. label, which renamed itself "The Inc." several days after the album release. The material was intended simply as a mixtape, but was released as an album to fulfill Ja Rule's contractual commitment to Murder Inc. to release one annually. The album was described as a "hate" album directed at various rappers, including 50 Cent, [[G-Unit]], Eminem, [[Proof (rapper)|Proof]], Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others, and marked a return to the [[hardcore hip-hop|hardcore style]] Ja Rule had used in his earlier career. It spawned one hit single, "Clap Back", which reached number 44 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and won a Source Award for "Fat Tape" song of the year. It peaked at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 200, selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release, and had sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S. by 2008.<ref name="album charts">{{cite web|title=Ja Rule – Charts & Awards (Billboard Albums)|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p366173|pure_url=yes}}|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 17, 2008}}</ref>

Ja Rule's sixth studio album, ''[[R.U.L.E.]]'', was released in November 2004, debuting at number 7 and selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single, "[[Wonderful (Ja Rule song)|Wonderful]]", featuring [[R. Kelly]] and [[Ashanti (entertainer)|Ashanti]], peaked at number 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single was followed by the street anthem "[[New York (Ja Rule song)|New York]]", featuring [[Fat Joe]] and [[Jadakiss]], which charted at number 27 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The third single was the love song "[[Caught Up (Ja Rule song)|Caught Up]]", featuring [[Lloyd (singer)|Lloyd]], which failed to make an impact on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The RIAA certified ''R.U.L.E.'' Gold on January 14, 2005,<ref name="RIAA"/> and by October 2007 the album had sold 658,000 copies.<ref name=reuters>{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=Gail|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0720752020071007|title=Rapper Ja Rule releasing first album in 3 years|work=Reuters|date=October 7, 2007|access-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref>