Just an overall strange week for famous Black guys. Plaxico gets out and the warden’s making room for Rule before the jail doors even get a chance to securely shut. In case it slipped the forefront of your memory, Ja’s going to jail stemming from a weapon charges following a 2007 NYC concert, the same exact show that got Lil Wayne popped and sent to Rikers for his own bid.
Pain Is Love 2 was originally set to drop today to coincide with Ja going to the clink but the release got pushed back. So Rule did what any working man would do before going to the pokey – he went to the studio last night with producer 7 Aurelius to bang out a few finishing touches for new material likely to be released while he’s away for 18 months. Very heartbreaking to watch Ja sweating it out in studio on his last free night and putting work down for “awesome” music not too many are even going to download, much less buy.
Before going in, the rapper has done several rounds of press, expressing his frustration with himself for being in the unfortunate situation of not being there for his high school-aged daughter and sons. Even though some will point to 50 Cent as a catalyst for Murder Inc.’s tumble from greatness, Rule told Rap-Up he bears no ill will towards the G-Unit general. Ja characterizes himself as being “stupid” for all of this and I have to agree because going to jail for the first time at the old age of 35 signifies that maybe certain priorities should have been rearranged and shifted in your life before running into a shitty situation like this. Piss on the guy if you want and characterize his music however you may but don’t forget The Inc. had the game on lock. Going from radio prince to prison pauper is quite a fall when assuming he potentially had enough paper stashed away to comfortably fade.
Still, Ja struck me when he made the statement that G-Unit did f*ck up a pretty good era with a movement fueled by “so much hate, anger, and jealousy that I think it put everybody in that space, even the fans.” In many ways, he’s right because while Curtis and co. didn’t exactly originate hate, they did escalate it and encouraged fans to openly do the same. Hell, I think the rap side of the ‘Net is fueled by dissension and bickering.
Dah well. Hold your head, Ja. We’ll see you once you get out and embark on the 0 days, 40 nights tour.
Pain Is Love 2 was originally set to drop today to coincide with Ja going to the clink but the release got pushed back. So Rule did what any working man would do before going to the pokey – he went to the studio last night with producer 7 Aurelius to bang out a few finishing touches for new material likely to be released while he’s away for 18 months. Very heartbreaking to watch Ja sweating it out in studio on his last free night and putting work down for “awesome” music not too many are even going to download, much less buy.
Still, Ja struck me when he made the statement that G-Unit did f*ck up a pretty good era with a movement fueled by “so much hate, anger, and jealousy that I think it put everybody in that space, even the fans.” In many ways, he’s right because while Curtis and co. didn’t exactly originate hate, they did escalate it and encouraged fans to openly do the same. Hell, I think the rap side of the ‘Net is fueled by dissension and bickering.
Dah well. Hold your head, Ja. We’ll see you once you get out and embark on the 0 days, 40 nights tour.