Yes. Ja Rule writes his own rap verses and holds BMI songwriting credits, including Pop and Urban Award wins for co-writing hits such as "What's Luv?," "Always on Time," and "I'm Real (Murder Remix)." Source: Wikipedia.
By the Numbers
7
Studio Albums
110
Tracks Credited
86%
Self-Written
30 million records worldwide (as of 2018)
Records Sold
28
Years Active
209
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 95 / 110 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 110 tracks: how many Ja Rule wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Ja Rule has a writing credit86%
3%
84%
14%
Sole author3tracks3%
Co-written92tracks84%
Outside writers15tracks14%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Ja Rule's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 110 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)86%
Composer (music)84%
Producer5%
Performer97%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Ja Rule's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 86%
100%
93%
100%
100%
85%
88%
100%
1999Venni Vetti Vecci
2000Rule 3:36
2001Pain Is Love
2002The Last Temptation
2003Blood in My Eye
2004R.U.L.E.
2012Pain Is Love 2
Early · 98% written
Mid · 91% written
Late · 100% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
1990s
Venni Vetti Vecci
93%
2000s
Rule 3:36, Pain Is Love +3 more
100%
2010s
Pain Is Love 2
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Ja Rule sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Ja Rule
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Ja Rule, Tai, Irv Gotti, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Taiwan Green, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Co-wrote
Between Me and You
Rule 3:36
Written by Ja Rule, Lil' Rob, Irv Gotti, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Robert Mays, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Co-wrote
Put It On Me
Rule 3:36
Written by Ja Rule, Tru Stylze, Irv Gotti, Cadillac Tah, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Paul Walcott, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Taheem Crocker
Co-wrote
Livin' It Up
Pain Is Love
Written by Ja Rule, Robert Mays, Irv Gotti, Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Stevland Hardaway Morris
Co-wrote
Always on Time
Pain Is Love
Written by Ja Rule, 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Marcus Vest, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Co-wrote
Down Ass Bitch
Pain Is Love
Written by Ja Rule, 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti, Charli Baltimore, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Marcus Vest, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Tiffany Lane
Co-wrote
Thug Lovin'
The Last Temptation
Written by Ja Rule, Chink Santana, Irv Gotti, Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Andre Parker, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Co-wrote
Mesmerize
The Last Temptation
Written by Ja Rule, Ashanti, Chink Santana, Irv Gotti, Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, Andre Parker, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Co-wrote
Clap Back
Blood in My Eye
Written by Ja Rule, Scott Storch, Irv Gotti, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Co-wrote
Wonderful
R.U.L.E.
Written by Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Jimi Kendrix, R. Kelly, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Kendred Smith, Robert Sylvester Kelly
Co-wrote
New York
R.U.L.E.
Written by Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Dre, Cool, Irv Gotti, KRS-One, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Joseph Antonio Cartagena, Jason Terrance Phillips, Andre Christopher Lyon, Marcello Antonio Valenzano, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Lawrence Parker
Co-wrote
Caught Up
R.U.L.E.
Written by Ja Rule, Jimi Kendrix, Irv Gotti, Boogz, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, Kendred Smith, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Bryan M. Attmore
Co-wrote
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 7 albums
Covers Ja Rule's complete studio catalog of seven albums, from Venni Vetti Vecci (1999) through Pain Is Love 2 (2012). Venni Vetti Vecci remains marked unverified: several of its track credits could not be confirmed against a primary source after exhausting the source ladder.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 200. ID Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. · MV Marcus Vest · LR Lil' Rob · RM Robert Mays
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Ja Rule writes his own material, and the credits across these seven albums bear that out: he holds a writing credit on nearly every track, usually alongside producer Irv Gotti (legal name Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.) and, on collaborations, the guest artist's own verse or hook. His legal name, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, anchors the composer column throughout. Featured artists carry their own writing credit for their contributions, from Jay-Z on early guest spots to Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti on the Pain Is Love hits and R. Kelly on 'Wonderful.' A handful of interludes and skits across the catalog carry no published songwriter credit at all, a genuine gap rather than an omission, and the debut Venni Vetti Vecci remains unverified because several of its writer credits could not be confirmed against a primary source. Otherwise the authorship map is consistent: Ja Rule the rapper is also Ja Rule the credited writer.
Quick Facts
Murder Inc. RecordsCo-founded the label with producer Irv Gotti in the late 1990s as an imprint of Def Jam.
Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti runScored a run of hits with Jennifer Lopez ("I'm Real (Murder Remix)," "Ain't It Funny") and Ashanti ("Always on Time," "Mesmerize") between 1999 and 2003.
Fyre FestivalCo-founded Fyre Media with Billy McFarland in 2016, the company behind the failed 2017 Fyre Festival.
50 Cent feudFeuded publicly with 50 Cent for years through diss tracks and altercations, reportedly making peace in 2011.
Acting careerAppeared in films including The Fast and the Furious (2001), Half Past Dead (2002), and Scary Movie 3 (2003).
Creative Fingerprint
Ja Rule writes his own rap verses, typically building tracks in the studio with producer Irv Gotti and whichever featured singer or rapper joins the song.
The Story
Ja Rule, born Jeffrey Bruce Atkins on February 29, 1976 in Queens, New York, is a rapper who built his career alongside producer Irv Gotti and Murder Inc. Records. His 1999 debut, Venni Vetti Vecci, and its follow-up Rule 3:36 introduced a rasped, melodic delivery that carried into his commercial peak, 2001's Pain Is Love, powered by his run of duets with Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti. He writes his own verses, usually co-credited alongside Gotti and the featured artists on their own parts, across a catalog that includes The Last Temptation (2002), the 50 Cent-directed Blood in My Eye (2003), R.U.L.E. (2004), and his most recent album, Pain Is Love 2 (2012). Away from music, he co-founded the disastrous Fyre Festival in 2017. He has sold roughly 30 million records worldwide.
Awards & Recognition
Nominated for four Grammy Awards (2002-2003), including Best Rap Album for Pain Is Love - no wins
Won two BMI Pop Awards and one BMI Urban Award in 2003 for co-writing "What's Luv?"
Won BMI Pop Awards in 2003 for co-writing "Always on Time," "I'm Real (Murder Remix)," and "Livin' It Up"
Won a BMI Award-Winning Song honor in 2002 for co-writing "Put It on Me"
Won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2002 BET Awards
Won Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the 2002 NAACP Image Awards
Frequently Asked Questions Ja Rule
Does Ja Rule write his own songs?
Yes. Ja Rule writes his own rap verses and holds BMI songwriting credits, including Pop and Urban Award wins for co-writing hits such as "What's Luv?," "Always on Time," and "I'm Real (Murder Remix)." Source: Wikipedia.
Who is Irv Gotti?
Irv Gotti (born Irving Lorenzo) founded Murder Inc. Records and produced most of Ja Rule's catalog starting with his 1999 debut Venni Vetti Vecci. He is Ja Rule's main studio collaborator. Source: Wikipedia.
Was Ja Rule involved in Fyre Festival?
Yes. Ja Rule co-founded Fyre Media with Billy McFarland in 2016, and the company staged the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival. Charges against Ja Rule tied to the festival were reportedly dropped in November 2019. Source: Wikipedia.
Yes, one of the most public feuds in early-2000s hip-hop, playing out in diss tracks and physical confrontations. The two rappers reportedly ended the feud in 2011. Source: Wikipedia.
Did Ja Rule write songs for other artists?
Yes. He has writing credits on material for artists including Brandy, Shorty 101, Mary J. Blige, and TLC, alongside his own catalog. Source: Musician Guide biography.
Do Jennifer Lopez or Ashanti co-write Ja Rule's verses?
No. Featured artists on his tracks sing or rap their own parts, but Ja Rule's rap verses are his own, typically shaped in the studio with Irv Gotti. Source: Wikipedia.
Has Ja Rule won a Grammy?
No. He has been nominated four times (2002-2003), including for Best Rap Album for Pain Is Love, but has not won. Source: Wikipedia.
What was Ja Rule's debut album?
Venni Vetti Vecci, released June 1, 1999 on Murder Inc./Def Jam. It went platinum. Source: Wikipedia discography.
Is Ja Rule credited as a co-writer on his hit singles?
Yes. BMI recognized him as a co-writer on multiple hits with Pop and Urban Award wins in 2002 and 2003, including "What's Luv?," "Put It on Me," and "Always on Time." Source: Wikipedia.
Ja Rule
