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1
London
02:00 - 04:00

Clandestine record label, The Trilogy Tapes, tear up the NTS studios once a month, ripping through the grittiest and muddiest tracks. No words on this one, just tunes.

2
Montreal
02:00 - 03:00

Contemporary pieces of obsession intertwined with glimpses of reality.

Ja Rule

Ja Rule

Ja Rule has been played over 70 times on NTS, first on 14 February 2013. Ja Rule's music has been featured on 69 episodes.

Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976 in Queens, New York), better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer and actor signed to his own label Mpire Records. He began his career in the group Cash Money Click and released his debut solo album, Venni Vetti Vecci, in 1999. He has since released 2000's Rule 3:36, 2001's Pain Is Love, 2002's The Last Temptation, 2003's Blood in My Eye and 2004's R.U.L.E. He now plans to release his seventh studio album, Venni Vetti Vecci 2010, sometime later this year.

He is best-known for hits "Put It On Me", "Between Me And You", "Wonderful" and for being associated with Jay-Z as a part of The Murderers. Ja Rule has sold over 20 Million albums worldwide and has released six albums with one on the way. His best-selling albums are Pain Is Love and Rule 3:36. Ja Rule has beefed with rappers DMX, 50 Cent, The Game, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem.

Early life:

He attended Junior High School in Floral Park, New York, where he met his future wife Aisha Murray and they graduated in 1991. They attended Martin Van Buren High School together but he did not graduate. When Atkins was five years old, his sister died from respiratory problems. Growing up in a strict religious home, Atkin's family did not celebrate birthdays and Christmas, and as a child, was not allowed to listen to rap music. When he first heard it, he decided to be a rapper. He would sneak the music into his house and played it on his CD player when his mother wasn't around. Atkins is married to his high school sweetheart, Aisha Atkins née Murray.They have three children: Brittney (11), Jeffrey Junior (6) and Jordan (3).He and his family live in a mansion in New Jersey.

Rise to Fame:

At age 15, Atkins appeared with 0-1 and Chris Black as part of Cash Money Click. This would lead to him being signed by TVT Records in 1994. He would end up being heard by a young DJ who called himself DJ Irv, then later Irv Gotti. Gotti, was a friend of Jay-Z's and he was also a DJ for Def Jam Recordings. During the mid 90s his main priority was meeting Ja Rule. He wanted to sign Ja to his new label Murder Inc. Records. He wanted Ja because of his distinct deep voice. After Irv was able to sign Ja along with DMX and Jay-Z to Def Jam. He began to have an idea that they all work together. They formed a group named The Murderers. They recorded many songs together. Friction tore the group apart, DMX, a rapper that sounds very similar to Ja accused him of trying to steal his style with the deep voice, by saying that before the three were signed Ja tried to make his voice sound lighter but heard him embrace the deep voice and tried to imitate it. They had planned to release an album together, but this idea was scrapped and they all made appearances on their respective albums. Still, around this time, Ja Rule was still fairly unknown. Jay-Z, at the time a young star and new to Def Jam, was the most popular rapper in hip hop. Russell Simmons had the idea that in order to build hype around Ja Rule and capitalize on Jay's popularity that Ja Rule do a verse on Jay-Z's 1998 single Can I Get A…, which also featured Amil. Ja's performance of the verse made him a household name and he became an instant star and by the release of his album a year later he was one of Def Jam Recordings premier acts.

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Ja Rule

Ja Rule has been played over 70 times on NTS, first on 14 February 2013. Ja Rule's music has been featured on 69 episodes.

Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976 in Queens, New York), better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer and actor signed to his own label Mpire Records. He began his career in the group Cash Money Click and released his debut solo album, Venni Vetti Vecci, in 1999. He has since released 2000's Rule 3:36, 2001's Pain Is Love, 2002's The Last Temptation, 2003's Blood in My Eye and 2004's R.U.L.E. He now plans to release his seventh studio album, Venni Vetti Vecci 2010, sometime later this year.

He is best-known for hits "Put It On Me", "Between Me And You", "Wonderful" and for being associated with Jay-Z as a part of The Murderers. Ja Rule has sold over 20 Million albums worldwide and has released six albums with one on the way. His best-selling albums are Pain Is Love and Rule 3:36. Ja Rule has beefed with rappers DMX, 50 Cent, The Game, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem.

Early life:

He attended Junior High School in Floral Park, New York, where he met his future wife Aisha Murray and they graduated in 1991. They attended Martin Van Buren High School together but he did not graduate. When Atkins was five years old, his sister died from respiratory problems. Growing up in a strict religious home, Atkin's family did not celebrate birthdays and Christmas, and as a child, was not allowed to listen to rap music. When he first heard it, he decided to be a rapper. He would sneak the music into his house and played it on his CD player when his mother wasn't around. Atkins is married to his high school sweetheart, Aisha Atkins née Murray.They have three children: Brittney (11), Jeffrey Junior (6) and Jordan (3).He and his family live in a mansion in New Jersey.

Rise to Fame:

At age 15, Atkins appeared with 0-1 and Chris Black as part of Cash Money Click. This would lead to him being signed by TVT Records in 1994. He would end up being heard by a young DJ who called himself DJ Irv, then later Irv Gotti. Gotti, was a friend of Jay-Z's and he was also a DJ for Def Jam Recordings. During the mid 90s his main priority was meeting Ja Rule. He wanted to sign Ja to his new label Murder Inc. Records. He wanted Ja because of his distinct deep voice. After Irv was able to sign Ja along with DMX and Jay-Z to Def Jam. He began to have an idea that they all work together. They formed a group named The Murderers. They recorded many songs together. Friction tore the group apart, DMX, a rapper that sounds very similar to Ja accused him of trying to steal his style with the deep voice, by saying that before the three were signed Ja tried to make his voice sound lighter but heard him embrace the deep voice and tried to imitate it. They had planned to release an album together, but this idea was scrapped and they all made appearances on their respective albums. Still, around this time, Ja Rule was still fairly unknown. Jay-Z, at the time a young star and new to Def Jam, was the most popular rapper in hip hop. Russell Simmons had the idea that in order to build hype around Ja Rule and capitalize on Jay's popularity that Ja Rule do a verse on Jay-Z's 1998 single Can I Get A…, which also featured Amil. Ja's performance of the verse made him a household name and he became an instant star and by the release of his album a year later he was one of Def Jam Recordings premier acts.

Original source: Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

Happy (DnD Vocal Mix)
Ashanti feat. Ja Rule (DnD mix)
Murder Inc Records, AJM Records, LLC.2002
Down 4 U (D'n'D Conemelt Mix)
Irv Gotti, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Charli Baltimore, Vita feat. Ashanti, Charli Baltimore, Ja Rule, Vita
Murder Inc Records2002
Livin' It Up (Radio Edit)
Ja Rule feat. Case
Def Jam Recordings, Murder Inc Records2001
Down 4 U
Irv Gotti, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Charli Baltimore, Vita
Murder Inc Records2002
Livin' It Up
Ja Rule
Def Jam Recordings2005
Caught Up
Ja Rule, Lloyd feat. Lloyd
The INC Records, Murda Management2004
Put It On Me
Ja Rule, Lil' Mo, Vita
Def Jam Recordings2001
You Are Everything (Remix Radio Edit)
Dru Hill feat. Ja Rule
Def Soul, University Music Entertainment, Island Records1999
Down Ass Bitch
Ja Rule
Not On Label0
Living It Up
Ja Rule
Not On Label0