Str8HipHip

SHH: How are you?

Ja Rule: I’m good, how are you?

SHH: I’m okay… So tell us about this new project?

Ja Rule: The Mirror! In stores November 13th. It’s my new album; it’s a real hot album. About 15 tracks on it. I worked with a lot of different producers on the album... Erick Sermon, Ty Fyffe, Mel-Man, Minnesota, Blue Steel, Seven, Chink Santana... A lot of different producers. ..

SHH: Oh okay. So tell us about the current videos you have out for “Uh-Oh” with Lil Wayne and your new single “Body”?

Ja Rule: “Uh-Oh” with Lil Wayne was hot.  Shout out to the whole Cash Money Records and Young Money Family. That video was real fun we shot it in NY and really got a chance to capture the whole city in it. The “Body” video was a good experience too. We got incredible feedback on that record and decided to make it the second single. The video was simple and creative to me and will carry me into the November 13th release date so radio and TV show the joint some love!

SHH:  What can we look for from you and the “New” Murder Inc.?

Ja Rule: Oh man… We got a lot of heat and new artists. Vanessa Carlton is one of them, she’s real hot. I have my new company as well (M-Pire). It’s  my Hip Hop music group under Murder INC. I got new artists Harry-O, Young Merc and others coming out on there… We doing a lot of things this year.

SHH: So let’s talk about the Murder INC trial and things you’ve gone through between projects. The trial was one of the most publicized trials in Hip Hop and entertainment in general. Did that put a strain on you and Irv Gotti’s relationship having to see him go through that?

Ja Rule: No, not at all. That’s my brother. I’ll ride with him to the bitter end. We gonna ride till the wheels fall off.  So it was something we went through together as a family. And we got through it together as a family, so I’m real happy that Irv was vindicated and now we can move on and continue to make great music.

SHH: Do you feel  that you can still have a relevant voice in Hip Hop being that you’ve been through so many trials and tribulations? Do you feel that fans can still take in your music with the same love they showed in the past?

Ja Rule: Yeah… I feel I’m more relevant than before because I went through the whole beef thing, the whole trial thing and just a lot of turmoil. I mean, it draws people closer to the artist. They can see that Ja Rule ain’t just what you see on tape. I also go through my problems as well, like everybody else. So I think all these things drew people closer to me as an artist and they’re curious to see what I have to talk about on this album and how I felt. I think people are going to be real interested in what I have to say on this album.

SHH: So speaking of problems. Your beef with 50 Cent has simmered down somewhat.  Is this a situation that you feel needs to still be address and if so is it on your new album?

Ja Rule: Nah… I ain’t talking about that anymore. I said what I had to say on Blood In My Eye and numerous interviews. You know I’ve said it a bunch of times… I don’t think the public wants to hear about it anymore. I think the public kind of got tired of it. They know that we don’t like each other and we just gonna keep it at that. I think now it’s going to be a matter of who’s putting out the good music.

SHH: So how do you feel about 50 Cent’s new album Curtis?

Ja Rule: I’ve heard only a few cuts, you know?

SHH: No opinion on it?

Ja Rule: Not too impressed…  He’s had better record, you know what I’m saying? So we’ll see (Laughs) Good luck…

SHH: So another person from your past that seemed to spring up as a problem has been DMX. How is your relationship with him?

Ja Rule: You know me and X haven’t spoken in a long time… I’ve read he’s said some nasty things about me.  That’s the past you know? But that’s X. If you know him, you know X has a problem. It’s no secret and everybody knows that X has drug problems. I’ve known X for a lot of years and whenever X goes on his tangents, it’s kind of like, “that’s X.” We kind of just brush that off as him being him, but there comes a time in your life when you got to grow up and stop making excuses for a person. And X is at a time in his life where I got to give him tough love right now. Right now he’s still a friend of mine. It’s not like the me and 50 situation; me and X, we’re friends (We were friends)… I know his situation, I know his family, his kids and stuff, so it’s a little different between me and X. So when he says these things, I know it’s not X talking, it’s the drugs talking. So I want X to get better, so if you’re reading this right now, “X get your stuff together and come on back.”

SHH: What about Jay-Z?

Ja Rule: Me and Jigga is good. That’s my dogg. We been kickin’ it off and on the past few months, so it’s all good. With me and him I think it’s more of a competition. We’re both real competitive and want to be the best. So that’s what that is about, but we good.

SHH: So what’s going on with your acting career? Anything coming out that you’d like to tell us about?

Ja Rule: Yeah. I just finished a couple of movies. One is called Don’t Fade Away and one is called Furnace. They will be out later this year. I’m also working on a project right now; it’s actually my life story. You’ve see the other side of the story now you can kind of check out the real side of the story. We’re working on that right now with Flavor Unit, Queen Latifah & Shakim… That will be coming out real soon too.

SHH: So do you plan on touring with this new album?

Ja Rule: Absolutely! Probably December or January… You know around the holidays. Get you so Ja Rule tickets as a little stocking stuffer!  (Laughs) Those nice tour tickets as your stocking stuffer. Yeah we’ll see how it all goes. I’m real excited and actually want to get on the road again. I love the way the fans react and definitely want to have them all hear my new and old material all at once.

SHH: Sounds good. So do you have anything else to add in before we wrap up?

Ja Rule: November 13th… It’s Murder… Still… M-Pire! Go pick up the new album and support the music. I’m out.