Ja Rule is doubling down following the backlash he received after announcing he inked a $100 million deal and says it’s “statistically impossible” for Billboard to leave him off their 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list given his numbers.
In a new interview on The Tamron Hall Show, Ja Rule reflected on his tweet from 2023 that reacted to his exclusion from Billboard and VIBE’s 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time tally. According to the rapper, while he is not knocking anybody on the list and understands that music is subjective, he argues that Billboard is all about numbers and statistics, making it illogical for him not to be included.
In the tweet in question, the multiplatinum-selling rapper begged to differ after the list was published without his name, claiming that “there ain’t 50 rappers dead, alive or waiting to be born” that were better than him. After tagging the publication, he added: “Congrats to everyone on the list well deserved but check my resume.”
While the tweet caused laughter to erupt among the live studio audience, Ja Rule got the chance to explain his point of view seriously. The rapper suggested that since Billboard was all about statistics, it would logically follow that he should be among the top-performing rappers of all time – statistically.
When asked if the list made him mad, Ja Rule explained: “Not really. These lists, they’re meaningless because music is subjective. You like who you want to like, you know everybody has their favorite artist,” he began. “But my thing was: this is a list comprised by Billboard. They do numbers and statistics, if I’m not mistaken. Okay so, that list is impossible to make without Ja Rule being on it—statistically impossible.”
The rapper continued: “There are artists that don’t have number one records, don’t have number one albums. I’m not knocking anybody on the list because, like I said, music is subjective. And when it comes to some of the older artists, you kind of got to go by different metrics because they didn’t have the sales, they didn’t have the things. But I said what I said.”
Ja Rule has earned two No. 1 albums along with three chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot 100 and eight top 10 hits. Overall, the rapper has seventeen entries on that chart, and six of his eight albums that have entered the Billboard 200 were top 10 hits. In addition, the majority of his albums are certified Gold or higher, including two that are multiplatinum.
The former Murder Inc. Records rapper also spoke briefly about a more recent post he made on X, formerly Twitter, that caused a ruckus. The rapper announced a new deal with his label that he said was “potentially worth a hundred mill,” but fans were not convinced and began to troll him about it. However, Ja Rule’s tweets that would follow urged naysayers to mind their business in 2024, adding that he was tired of taking the high road. During the interview, Ja Rule doubled down on the tweet saying, “Yeah, that road is backed up right now.”
The rapper is slated to go on tour this summer, and he said it will be unlike anything he’s done before. “People have seen me perform plenty of times but not like this,” Ja Rule explained. “This show, I’m doing with full production. I’ve got mountains and fire, I got suns and moons, floating stages. I wanted to do this one a little different. Like I said, I wanted to celebrate this with my fans so we’re gonna have a good time.”
Some of the artists on the roster set to appear alongside Ja Rule are Keri Hilson, Mya, and Lloyd. The tour will launch this March in Europe.
