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Article: Ja Rule: rap star rules hearts & charts.(Jeffrey Atkins)
- Article from:
- Ebony
- Article date:
- April 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ALMOST overnight, music fans around the world were bombarded with the sights and sounds of Ja Rule. The 25-year-old rap artist with devilish eyes, a 5-foot-6 muscled frame, deep, forceful, voice (think Barry White with a perpetual sore throat) and an irresistible pout stormed the recording industry with an audacity that would shame Napoleon. And his message is clear: Ja Rule is on top of the world, and plans to stay there for a while.
Ja Rule emerged from obscurity in 1998 when he rapped a few lyrics on Jay-Z's single, "Can I Get A ..." In 1999, he released his debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci (his version of the Latin quote "I came, I saw, I conquered") and it ...