June 29th 2023.
Hip-hop music has been a critical part of the Black American experience since The Sugar Hill Gang’s 1979 classic, “Rapper’s Delight.” For those who’ve grown up with the culture, we’ve had our share of summer smashes, number-one albums, and we’ve opened the doors of the culture for the whole world. We’ve seen hip hop turn corner boys and bosses alike into rap megastars - and one of these megastars is Ja Rule.
From 1999 to 2005, a Ja Rule track was always present on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts. He transcended the genre and ushered in new possibilities for natural-born lyricists. Of course, hip-hop’s talking heads will debate all-time greats and where Ja Rule falls among them is up to history to decide. But it's clear that hip-hop would not have the mass appeal it does without his presence.
Now, at 47 years old, Ja Rule is once again paving the way with his music app ICONN Live, offering fans unique free live broadcasts and the ability to chat directly with their favorite artists. And with his VIBES concert series, he brings back the intimate experience of sitting with a full body of work. BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with the icon to talk hip-hop’s past and present, his wine company, and what he wishes he knew when he first broke into the music industry.
Ja Rule defines himself as a father, husband, and dedicated creative. His goal is to keep pushing the culture forward and doing great things. He believes that the genre is still too young to tell whether or not it has aged gracefully, but he is confident that it can easily mix with anything - rock, country, or pop - and that is its superpower.
With his ICONN Live app and VIBES concert series, Ja Rule is creating new avenues for new artists to showcase their talents. He hopes to bring on many artists to perform their classic albums, like Lauryn Hill for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill or Snoop for Doggy Style.
Ja Rule also owns Rose Vine Cellars, a wine company, which was spurred by his own search for a red wine he liked. Now, he has 15.4% alcohol volume in his Cabernet, and is one of the few Black-owned wineries in the US.
In the business of music, Ja Rule wishes he had known more about publishing and masters, and had paid more attention to number-one singles and top-10 albums. Now, his advice is to always bet on yourself - and bet on Black.
If hip-hop was a person, Ja Rule would tell it to behave, stop acting up, and not mess up the money. Ja Rule has taken risks and been willing to try new things, and he credits this courage to the way he grew up - you have to bet on yourself, and have supreme confidence in what you do.
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