Ja Rule sits down with DubCNN to talk about his new album, new label and his future. Check it out above.

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There is still no release date in the Universal database for The Game’s R.E.D., so take this with a grain of salt…. Still, this copy of the track came over directly from an insider at the label, with the artwork embedded in it. Looks like Game is channeling Ice-T’s The Iceberg / Freedom Of Speech…Just Watch What You Say LP. Tell you one thing, this cover isn’t going to “sit well” with Wal-Mart execs. Expect multiple versions of the cover if this is what they are rolling with.

Meanwhile, the track is “The Jump Off”, a kind of so-so Scott Storch joint featuring Ja Rule…… Either 50′s done with the label or just don’t give a fuck.

Listen: The Game + Ja Rule + Scott Storch – “The Jump Off”

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     Ja’s first single “Clap Back” gives ample evidence of his ability to make a street record.  Scott Storch’s addictive two-bar guitar loop, supplemented with thunderous kicks and Ja screaming “Let’s take them to war!” could induce even the biggest of pussies to fight.  But his incessant insult hurling at the Aftermath clique on the title track and “Things Gon’ Change”, is unnecessary and will test the patience of even his most loyal fans. This is exemplified by
the scathing freestyle, “The Wrap”(which burrows the instrumental from Mobb Deep’s “The Learning” (Burn) where Ja touches on Murda Inc’s money laundering rumors (“if its dirty/then we rinsing it off”), his R&B offerings (“they say I rap to rhythm and blues/but when I turn on the radio I hear ya’ll niggas rapping it too”) and further insults aimed at Dr. Dre (“Niggas want to ball but can’t on the West Coast/Dre day’s been dead a long time ago”).  But of course Ja saves his most venomous pot shots for 50 Cent “ay yo this nigga/this nigga running around talking bout/I got shot nine times/I got shot/want everybody to be motherfucking sympathetic/ay yo 50/pull your skirt down B/ay yo niggas get shot everyday B/you tough.”  While 50 has certainly played his part in escalating the feud, with the amount of time and anger Ja dedicates to 50 with Blood In My Eye, he comes away sounding like a stalker and further disputes his claims to want to end the beef (although the conversation with Minister Farrakhan did come attached with a disclamier that stipulated Ja was in a more combative state of mind when this LP was recorded).

     Aggravating matters is the myriad of JV rappers who sneak onto the album.  James Gotti  enhances the wackness level of “The Life” with his stiff delivery and puzzling similes (“That’s why cats don’t hang around me like Chinese stores”).  Other posse cuts like “The INC Is Back” gives shine to more varsity rejects like Black Child and Shadow. 

            As expected, Ja’s 2Pac fetish continues on Blood.  He mimics Pac’s rhythmic enunciation on “Race Against Time II” drawling “Ridadadadadadie” during the hook.  Also, he allies himself with former Pac affiliate Fatal Hussein throughout the album in hopes of maybe channeling Pac’s energy and mystique (not to mention gaining more ammunition for the war he is waging with 50 Cent).

            In the end, Blood In My Eye clears up little about where Ja currently stands as an artist.  The album shows no growth and feels like a mixtape with all the guest appearances.  Ja’s far removed from the highly sought-after songwriter who helped Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, and others collect tons of plaques.  Instead of reestablishing himself, he wastes our time reigniting a beef he claims he wants to end.

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The Last Temptation doesn’t break any new ground, but then again, did you expect it to?  The radio joints are here, the current airwave infection from “Thug Lovin” showcases Bobby Brown sinful interpolation of Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” The proven pairing of Ja and Ashanti shows up on “Mesmerize”, as he ends up singing just as much as her and the the duo creates another bad boy/down ass bitch love anthem.  Another no-brainer for a hit is the collab with The Neptunes, on “Pop Niggas”, where the Star Trak boys beat are destined to return “the Rule” back to the club. 

The title track “The Last Temptation”, featuring Charli Baltimore, tries to take you back in the day, but it should be taken away, as all of these platinum plaques have him falsely convinced that he can sing. Chuck comes harder than him on the track and easily outshines.  Also the case on “Connected”, where Death Row’s Eastwood and Crooked I rip Irv Gotti’s and Chink Santana’s stereotypical West Coast sounding beat to shreds, only to be followed by a weak 2Pac impersonation from Ja.  Alert - if you ever liked the song “Anniversary” by Tony Toni Tone, skip past “Murder Me”, as it will make you wish sample clearances were harder to come by, with Rule and Cadillac Tah  having a girl beg for sex and murder as one in the same.

The Last Temptation boils down to Ja singing more and trying too hard to be a thug.  Some times on point and with a cocky delivery, while others he sounds uneasy and not confident in himself.  He’s a rapper, an actor, a singer (?) and coming off more bi-polar than ever - he’ll bang your girl one second and holla “muurrrrddder” the next.  Love him or hate him though, he has nothing to prove to anyone.  He has his fan base and that is who this album might appeal to.  Hopefully his last temptation is to sell more records, before finally returning to the streets and being him self.   

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New York, NY – Rapper 50 Cent, who received major press and radio play from his single, “How To Rob” a humorous song about how he fantasized about robbing the industry’s top rap-stars, was stabbed 103 times last weekend, as he was leaving The Tunnel, early Sunday morning.

Apparently, the rapper was confronted by a large group of popular rap artists outside of the club, led by Ja Rule who stood in the front of the crowd. Ja Rule, who according to witnesses, opened a switchblade with the flick of the wrist, asking “Are you ready to rock, punk,” at which point the fray began.

50 Cent, who was knocked over immediately, was then charged by over 75 emcees, many whom were upset about their names being mentioned in his song “How To Rob”. Witnesses say among the angry mob of rappers / stabbers, were both LL Cool J and Canibus, who seemed to have formed an alliance.

“Well, we had to put our differences aside and come together for one common cause,” said Canibus.

“Yeah, it was cool, I like working with Canibus again,” said Cool J.

Other rappers, who were not mentioned in the song, also showed up for the stabbing.

“I mean, he didn’t really dis me in particular”, said Ghostface Killah, “But, you know, he’s tryin’ to come out by sayin’ everyone else’s names and shit, so you know, the god had to roll up on him – purple gorilla maxin’, chain with Jesus hangin’ off.”

“Yeah you know, I had to put it down for the south”, said Trick Daddy.

After being stabbed over one-hundred and three times in virtually ever part of his body, the rapper’s luck got even worse, when he was suddenly attacked by a pack of rabid dogs, who bit him repeatedly. Witnesses say, among the dogs were many a ferocious pitbull, along with one wild golden retriever.

“I don’t think it was a dog, actually. I think it was a dingo. The really crazy yellow one was a dingo,” said Fifty.

According to Ja Rule, who coordinated the event, the dogs were not a part of the plan, but actually showed up at the last minute.

As of today, 50 Cent remains in the hospital in a full body cast, with his life is on the line. Yet the ambitious rapper hopes to pull through, to finish the recording of “How To Rob Part 2″, by the weekend.

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