Studio Album · No. 6

R.U.L.E. Songwriting Credits by Ja Rule

2004 Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings 18 tracks 71 min

Produced by Irv Gotti, Ja Rule, Jimi Kendrix, Chink Santana, Cool & Dre, DJ Twinz, Boogz, Dat Nigga Reb, Demi-Doc, Artie Green, Francion Corbett, Milwaukee Buck  ·  Engineered by Bee Allen, Milwaukee Buck, Ken Duro Ifill, Brian Springer, Tom Coyne

Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings Hip HopPop Rap
88%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 15 of 17 tracks · 1 not yet documented

Authorship Breakdown 15 / 17 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 17 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ja Rule carries a lyricist or composer credit.

88%
15 trackswritten by Ja Rule 2 tracksoutside writers 1 trackwriters not documented
Ja Rule's roles on this album

Share of the 18 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist83%
Composer83%
Producer6%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

18
Tracks
26
Lyricists
12
Producers
658,000+
Worldwide Copies Sold
2004
Released
Data Insight

Ja Rule writes his own verses throughout R.U.L.E. and shares composer credit with Irv Gotti on nearly every track, reflecting Murder Inc.'s in-house songwriting process. Producer Jimi Kendrix, credited under his legal name Kendred Smith as a composer, plays the largest production role on the album and shapes most of the non-single material. The two biggest singles bring in outside pens: 'Wonderful' adds R. Kelly's own writing hand, and 'New York' folds in Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Cool & Dre alongside a KRS-One interpolation credit from Boogie Down Productions' '100 Guns.' Featured Murder Inc. artists Black Child, Chink Santana, and Cadillac Tah also carry composer credits on the tracks they appear on, consistent with the label's practice of crediting its own artists as co-writers on posse cuts.

R.U.L.E. is the sixth studio album by Ja Rule, released November 9, 2004 on The Inc./Murder Inc. and Def Jam Recordings. It arrived after Ja Rule's public feud with 50 Cent had eroded his commercial standing, and the record leans on Irv Gotti and in-house Murder Inc. production rather than outside hitmakers for most of its 18 tracks. The lead single 'Wonderful,' built with R. Kelly and Ashanti, returned Ja Rule to the pop charts and topped the UK Singles Chart. 'New York,' a posse cut with Fat Joe and Jadakiss that pulls its hook from Boogie Down Productions' '100 Guns,' became a rallying New York anthem despite an uncredited Mandoza sample. The album mixes radio-aimed R&B collaborations with street-focused cuts and skits featuring Murder Inc. affiliates Black Child, Cadillac Tah, and Young Merc. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA in January 2005, though critics were split on whether it marked a comeback or a further step in Ja Rule's declining relevance in hip hop.

Track Listing & Credits 18 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
The Inc. Intro
Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins Ja Rule Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)
2
Last of the Mohicans
Ja RuleBlack ChildChink SantanaIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsRamel GillAndre ParkerIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Chink SantanaIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Black Child (Featured Vocals)
3
Wonderful #5
Ja RuleIrv GottiJimi KendrixR. Kelly Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Kendred SmithRobert Sylvester Kelly Jimi KendrixIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)R. Kelly (Featured Vocals)Ashanti (Featured Vocals)
4
What's My Name
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv GottiBob James Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert McElhiney James Jimi KendrixIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Ashanti (Featured Vocals)
5
New York #27
Ja RuleFat JoeJadakissDreCoolIrv GottiKRS-One Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsJoseph Antonio CartagenaJason Terrance PhillipsAndre Christopher LyonMarcello Antonio ValenzanoIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Lawrence Parker Cool & DreIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Fat Joe (Featured Vocals)Jadakiss (Featured Vocals)
6
Stripping Game
Not documented - - -
7
The Manual
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Jimi KendrixIrv GottiFrancion Corbett Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)
8
Get It Started
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Jimi KendrixIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Claudette Ortiz (Featured Vocals)
9
R.U.L.E.
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv GottiJazze PhaBrandon CaseyBrian Casey Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Phalon AlexanderBrandon CaseyBrian Casey Jimi KendrixIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)
10
True Story
Richard Wilson Richard Wilson Dat Nigga Reb -
11
Caught Up #20
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv GottiBoogz Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Bryan M. Attmore Jimi KendrixIrv GottiBoogz Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Lloyd (Featured Vocals)
12
Gun Talk
Ja RuleBlack ChildChink SantanaIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsRamel GillAndre ParkerIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Chink SantanaIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Black Child (Featured Vocals)
13
Never Thought
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Jimi KendrixIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)
14
Life Goes On
Ja RuleChink SantanaTrick DaddyIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsAndre ParkerMaurice YoungIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Chink SantanaIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Trick Daddy (Featured Vocals)Chink Santana (Featured Vocals)
15
Weed
Richard WilsonArtie Green Richard WilsonArtie Green Dat Nigga RebMilwaukee BuckArtie Green -
16
Where I'm From
Ja RuleLloydChink SantanaArtie GreenDemetrius McGheeIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsLloyd Polite Jr.Andre ParkerArtie GreenDemetrius McGheeIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Chink SantanaDemi-DocArtie GreenIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Lloyd (Featured Vocals)
17
Bout My Business
Ja RuleRaymond GrantRichard GrantIrv GottiCadillac TahBlack ChildJeffery CrockerSimon Haseley Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsRaymond GrantRichard GrantIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Taheem CrockerRamel GillJeffery CrockerSimon Haseley DJ TwinzIrv Gotti Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Cadillac Tah (Featured Vocals)Black Child (Featured Vocals)Young Merc (Featured Vocals)
18
Passion
Ja RuleJimi KendrixIrv Gotti Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsKendred SmithIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. Jimi KendrixIrv GottiBoogz Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 52 contributors

JR
Ja Rule
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album15 written
JB
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins
Writer
On this album15 written
IG
Irv Gotti
Writer · Producer
On this album14 written
ID
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Writer
On this album14 written
JK
Jimi Kendrix
Writer · Producer
On this album8 written
KS
Kendred Smith
Writer
On this album8 written
CS
Chink Santana
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album4 written
AP
Andre Parker
Writer
On this album4 written
BC
Black Child
Writer · Vocals
On this album3 written
RG
Ramel Gill
Writer
On this album3 written
AG
Artie Green
Writer · Producer
On this album2 written
RW
Richard Wilson
Writer
On this album2 written

More from Ja Rule

1999 100%
Venni Vetti Vecci
Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings
20 tracksProd. Irv Gotti
2000 93%
Rule 3:36
Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings
16 tracksProd. Irv Gotti
2001 100%
Pain Is Love
Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings
16 tracksProd. Irv Gotti
2002 100%
The Last Temptation
Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings
13 tracksProd. Irv Gotti
2003 85%
Blood in My Eye
Murder Inc./Def Jam Recordings
14 tracksProd. Irv Gotti
2012 100%
Pain Is Love 2
Mpire Music Group
13 tracksProd. 7 Aurelius

Frequently Asked Questions R.U.L.E.

Who wrote R.U.L.E.?
Ja Rule wrote his own verses on every track and shares composer credit with Irv Gotti throughout. Producer Jimi Kendrix (credited legally as Kendred Smith) co-writes most of the non-single material, and featured artists like R. Kelly, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Cool & Dre add credits on the singles they appear on.
Did Ja Rule write his own lyrics on R.U.L.E.?
Yes. Ja Rule (Jeffrey Bruce Atkins) is credited as a writer on every track on the album, including the skits with published credits.
Who produced R.U.L.E.?
Irv Gotti served as executive producer alongside Ja Rule, with in-house Murder Inc. producers Jimi Kendrix and Chink Santana handling most tracks. Cool & Dre produced 'New York,' and DJ Twinz produced 'Bout My Business.'
Who is credited alongside Ja Rule on Wonderful?
'Wonderful' features R. Kelly and Ashanti and is written by Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Jimi Kendrix (Kendred Smith), and R. Kelly (Robert Sylvester Kelly).
What sample or interpolation is in New York?
The chorus of 'New York' interpolates Boogie Down Productions' 1990 song '100 Guns,' earning KRS-One (Lawrence Parker) a writing credit. The beat also carries an uncredited sample of Mandoza's 'Nkalakatha.'
How did R.U.L.E. perform commercially?
The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with 165,000 first-week units and was certified gold by the RIAA in January 2005, selling more than 658,000 copies in the US.
Was R.U.L.E. edited for content?
Yes. An edited version removed the skits 'Weed' and 'Stripping Game' along with profanity, drug references, and violent content, making it one of Ja Rule's most heavily edited releases.
Who are Black Child, Cadillac Tah, and Young Merc?
They are Murder Inc. affiliated rappers who appear on the album's posse cuts. Black Child (Ramel Gill) appears on three tracks, and Cadillac Tah (Taheem Crocker) and Young Merc join him on 'Bout My Business.'
Data note: 'Stripping Game' (track 6), a skit, has no writer on record anywhere checked. Wikipedia leaves its writer field blank, the Discogs release carries no per-track writing credits, MusicBrainz records no work for the recording, and its Genius page lists no writers. Every song on the record is fully credited.

Sources

Wikipedia: R.U.L.E. Wikipedia: Wonderful (Ja Rule song) Wikipedia: New York (Ja Rule song) Wikipedia: Caught Up (Ja Rule song) MusicBrainz: R.U.L.E. (release group) Discogs: Ja Rule - R.U.L.E. (release 369436) Wikipedia: Cool & Dre Wikipedia: Chink Santana Wikipedia: Fat Joe Wikipedia: Jadakiss Wikipedia: Jazze Pha Wikipedia: Bob James (musician) Wikipedia: Caddillac Tah Genius: Stripping Game (Skit) MusicBrainz: R.U.L.E. (release, work relationships) Discogs API: R.U.L.E. (release 6747479 track credits) Cover Art Archive: R.U.L.E. by Ja Rule