There are always a lot of bright moments in the biography of rap performers. It's not just career achievements. Often in fate there are disputes and crime. Jeffrey Atkins is no exception. Reading his biography, you can learn a lot of interesting things about the artist. These are the nuances of creative activity, and life hidden from the eyes of the public.
The early years of future artist Jeffrey Atkins
Jeffrey Atkins, known to many as Ja Rule, was born on February 29, 1976 in New York, USA. His family lived in the vibrant neighborhood of Queens. Jeffrey, like his relatives, belonged to the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Despite the fact that the mother worked in the medical field, she could not save her daughter, who at the age of 5 suddenly began to choke. Jeffrey was the only child in the family. He grew up as a bully: he often got into fights, which served as the basis for frequent school changes.
Street Music Passion Jeffrey Atkins
Living in the turbulent neighborhood of Queens, it's no surprise that he's taken to the area. Here, teenagers often gathered on the streets, there were fights, shootings, and robbery. In Queens, from a young age, many use drugs, are fond of rap. Jeffrey was not seen in serious violations of the law at a young age, but he was seriously "dragged" by music.
The beginning of a musical career
Jeffrey Atkins, like many black guys, rapped from a young age. He was not going to give up the hobby, growing up. The young man was confidently going to succeed in the musical field. The guy went out to the guys from the young team that organized the Cash Money Click label. The musician at that time was 18 years old. It took 5 years before the aspiring artist managed to record his first album.
Nicknames of singer Jeffrey Atkins
Starting his career, Jeffrey understood that it was not serious to perform under his own name. All rap artists took pseudonyms. Having achieved success, in an interview on MTV News, Jeffrey would later explain that in the rap environment everyone knew him by the abbreviation of his real name. It just sounded like "Ja". Adding "Rule" to this was suggested by his friend.
So the pseudonym became more interesting. Many people know the singer as Ja Rule. In the musical environment, it is also called Common, Sens.
The rise of Jeffrey Atkins
In 1999, Ja Rule recorded his debut album Venni Vetti Vecci. The singer did his best. "Firstborn" immediately reached platinum status. The single "Holla Holla" was the most popular. The composition "It's Murda" with "Venni Vetti Vecci", which also contributed to recognition, Jeffrey recorded with Jay-Z and DMX.
Development of a musical career
For the next 5 years, the singer released an album a year. In 2000, the singer first recorded a single with Christina Milian. The success of the song prompted him to release a new album as soon as possible. The record "Rule 3:36" was a success. Immediately 3 songs from here became the musical themes in the film "Fast and the Furious".
For the song "Put It On Me" the singer in 2001 received an award from the Hip-Hop Music Award for the best song. And MTV presented an award for the best rap video. In 2002, the artist was nominated for "best rap performance in a duo or group" at the Grammy, but did not receive an award.
Both the 2nd and subsequent album Livin' It Up topped the Billboard 200 and were certified triple platinum. Family, Tweet, Jennifer Lopez and other artists took part in the recording of the 3rd disc. The album "The Last Temptation", released in 2002, completed a string of success in the singer's musical career. This record quickly gained popularity, went platinum.
Subsequent musical activity
The 2003 album has not reached the top. He was noted only on the 6th line of the Billboard 200. True, he reached the heights of "Top R&B / Hip-Hop Albums". Only the song "Clap Back" achieved popularity.
The next year's album "Blood in My EyeBlood in My Eye" repeated the regression of the previous one. This was followed by a break in the musical activities of the artist. Fans noticed the following progress only in 2007. The artist recorded a single, which did not show good results. In addition, there was a leak of material. Ja Rule decided to remake something by postponing the release of the next album.
As a result, The Mirror: Reloaded premiered only in mid-2009. After that, a break in musical creativity followed again. The next album appeared only in 2012. It was a remake of the 2001 album.
Attempt to reach Brazilian audience
In 2009, Ja Rule partnered with Vanessa Fly. They recorded a joint song. The composition was actively broadcast in Brazil, which is the native country of the partner singer. The song took a leading position in the ranking there, was nominated for the award "Song of the Year". This was the end of the conquest of Brazil.
Personal life of the artist Jeffrey Atkins
In 2001, Jeffrey Atkins married his old friend. Aisha was still at school with him. Their stormy romance began at that time. Spouses often appear in public together, creating the impression of an idyllic relationship. There are 3 children in the family: 2 sons and a daughter, who appeared 6 years before marriage.
Difficulties with the law
Like most rap artists, Jeffrey Atkins is involved in various offenses. In 2003, while on tour in Canada, he got into a fight. The victim told the police that the conflict was resolved without bringing the case to court. In 2007, the singer was arrested for possession of drugs and weapons. And a little later for driving without a license and finding marijuana again. In 2011, the artist was imprisoned for tax evasion.
Shooting at the cinema
Participation in the cinema began with the film "Fast and the Furious". While the musical career pleased the singer, he did not try to go into this field of activity. Since 2004, Jeffrey has been more active in film. He appeared in various films in minor roles. As an actor, Jeffrey Atkins has worked with Steven Seagal, Mischa Barton, Queen Latifah.
