The Ja Rule Episode

Don't get it twisted on code and me and danceing for no buttment biscuits. It's Willie d y'all scar faces here with us in spirit. Collectively we are the ghetto boys, reloaded for another episode of information and instructions to help you navigate through this wild, crazy, beautiful world in studio with us right now. Yeah. How you feeling, man? You fresh off of versus battle? How does it feel man versus? An?

Amazing feelings? It's an amazing experience. You know, big shout to you know Tim Swist, Oh you gotta get about the mic. Yeah, And I was a big big shout to you know, Timm and Swiss for such a wonderful platform for artists to showcase their talents. You know, you know, it's it's evolved. You know, it started out, you know, artists is playing their records and you know, really just a celebration of hip hop and entertaining one another during

the pandemic. And then it's just it's it's you know, once the once the world started to open back up, it evolved, you know, and now it's, yeah, it's always going to be a celebration hip hop, but now it's it's it's a you know, with live audience and everything. It's a it's a performance. It's it's a stage presence, it's your showmanship is it's everything that kind of goes into you know, what the verses is along with those hit records. You know, but you don't have to be

about the hit records. You know, there were moments in our verses where I feel it wasn't it wasn't so much about the records as it was about the moment, you know, and that and you know that that's that's what makes very versus real dope, those moments, you know, Yeah, so I know it's going down you know, it's it's Fat Joe versus j Rum, you know, icons of hip hop. And I'm at the hospital because Brad, you know, everybody know its scar faces getting your life saving kidney transplant.

So I'm in the waiting room, just waiting, you know, and so I missed that historic event. Starticipating another historic event. It's nothing more historic than than our brother, Yeah, getting well being man. You know, because I'm sitting there thinking, like, you know, with all Brad has contributed to hip hop, you know, and it's like this is huge, you know.

And then at the same time, you know, we talked this reality of you guys doing you know, doing your thing, you know, with the verses competition, we're talking We're talking grapes and watermelons, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, we're the grapes on a performance and we're talking about one about hip hop legends, you know, getting a kidney. So that he's here with us too, to keep blessing us with his presence and his his talents, and so

you know that that's crazy. Man. It's like, you know, like just just being in that moment, man, I'm like, because I'm hip hope for real man, for real. I mean I left me too, Willie. That's you know. I think that's the one thing I think people don't understand about me, or maybe just you know, misunderstood. You know that's a misunderstanding about me. Is I love hip hop? Yeah?

Like I live, he breathe hip I was talking to Nori overy day on the phone, all right, big shot with my brother Noriega, and um, you know, I was just talking about how I love him, yeah, And I'm like, you know, I don't think you understand like I really love music. I really love him like I wrapped every day. Hmm. Still even though I put out a record, I wrapped

every day. It's like lyrical exercise to me. So I could you know when I'm in the gym and I'm listening to music and it's you know, it's getting me hype while I'm working out. Yeah, I'm creating. But because you know, I don't write anything down, you know. So I learned that from from from home. Really yeah, I wrote, I wrote my first album, and then after that you just started going off dumb. It's really not off. Do I write it? But I write it in my head?

How do you how do you rever that stuff, man, like, dang, well, here's the thing, right, When you create it that way, it becomes it becomes repetition. You're saying it over and over and over again as you're you know, writing it

in your head. So it's you know, two bars, four bars, six bars, eight bars, and you're as you're adding to it, you're starting from the beginning each time, basically to keep adding to it, just so so by the time you know, you really learning this wrap in a different way then you would if you wrote it down. You know, the paper was my crutch. I know I have it on here. If I write it at this moment, I don't really have to remember it because I can read it and I get the flow on the vibe of it because

I know what I wrote it. I know what it's supposed to sound like. I know I'm supposed to feel like. But the words come back to me as I read it, you know, doing it like this, the words are it's like it's already embedded in you. It's already you know, it's becomes part of you, becomes one and and and it actually flows and just feels so much better. It just it feels like it's just another instrument over the track.

And and so I learned that from home because you know, um he one day I was supposed to be on a Can I Live? And so um I go to the studio and uh ho is in there? And I'm like, I was late, sister, and so I break up my get that, break up my pin in my pad. You're about to write my verse to Canny, probably write my verse can I Live? And he's like, you know, I got it, so we've done rule. It's like you late to this one, you know what I mean? And I'm like,

what's talking about? Like I don't, I don't see nothing, you know what I mean. And he went in the booth and he started to recite his verses, and at that moment, I'm like, okay, home, what was what is this magic trick? But what this happened there? He didn't I don't see because he was just vibing on it. He's like, I already got it and then winning and recited. So I'm like, okay, I didn't see where he had

it done, you know what I mean? There was no finished homework here, so you know, and so he said, no, you know, I write it. You know in my head it's alright that one get like like you know, who do does that? And so I started doing it because I didn't believe it could be done. If that makes yeah. I wanted to see if that was a real thing, that actually it was possible. And you know, like I said, as you started with two bars and four bars, and it intended to just it starts to flow that way

really really easy. And then you know, as time went on, I started recording in a lot of different ways to like sometimes I'll you know, get the vibe of a record, go in record sixty eight bars, let it, let it rest, and then you know, think of another sixth day bars and finish it off. You know, you know I've grown

to do things in a lot of different ways. It's because it's just you know, it becomes your process, your recording process, and a lot of different artists have a lot of different, you know, crazy recording processes that are really dope and unique, like like ol d B. He

you know, he used to do some dope shit. He record every bar fine for line, I'm the one then I mean, hey, song, all right, stop punch me and then say that this like it's just you know, everybody has their own genius to the way they record, to the way they do things. And you know that that was just I thought that was really really interesting and dope and genius that that t J could do that.

And I believe he learned that from Big, I want to say, but I don't know if he learned it from Big or if that's just something that they need, you know, But about I also a big recording like that as well. Yeah, do you what comes first? The music or the lyrics? Music? Music? Yeah? But sometimes you know, so I've become someone of a producer because I can I hear music, but I just can't play it. And so if I create a melody, I create a hook, I can hear what I wanted to sound like over

a track. I can hear you know, what the track or what I would like the track to be. And sometimes, you know, I'll go in and let producers know, you know that play or players know that alight. I hear you know, uh over this because this is what I'm saying, you know, verbally, So I wanted to kind of match what it is, and so I will give them I hear horns, I hear you know, and so you know, they'll play these things and create them and then go on their own away with it, which is what creativity

is about. So you know, sometimes I you know, record like that when I think of the hook first, but nine of the time I like to get the beat and then I'll create around that. Man, we'sh your relationship like now with jay Z you mentioned them earlier. Yeah, I mean me and Hope we have a relationship, but it's distant. You know, we don't we don't speak often, you know, but when we see each other's love, it's cool. You know on the five you know, I ever need

to hit them for anything. It's it's love as cool as no you know so and vice versa. You know. So it's just you know, it's it's that's that's the condlation. It's just kind of like, you know, we'd be he's doing what he's doing, what I'm doing, what I'm doing, but mutual respect and love from you know, where we come from. I you know, I look at you know, what Jay is and and what X was rest in peace and what I am as we all come from

the same school of them seeing the doghouse. You know that that that that mentality of battle rap and and everything. I know, I make the the you know, but I didn't come from that. You know, I can know you can hear it. And even when you even when you're doing the hippop slash R and B whatever they want to call it or whatever, you can hear the competitive spirit in it. It's a gristive, you know, it's like going in you know, so you can definitely hear it.

And speaking of X and we just mentioned jay Z, you guys had that murder inc group rap group at one point. It never materialized. Whatever happened to that. It wasn't really for me. It was never really a group. We would never really agree. So what was that about? Because y'all was on the God he wanted us to be a group. God God, he wanted us to make a group album. Yeah, And it's just, you know, your will is so crazy because EX and X and J

so competitive. We all were very competitive. I'm very competitive with those guys. But they had a a competitive thing that was like I just well, it was just you know, and then I guess it stemmed from their old battle that they had or whatever, and and there competitive spirit was just crazy. It was hard to get them in the same mood together, but they respected each other as mcs and and and I think that's important, you know, first and foremost not you well, now, yeah, I definitely listen.

I was the younger and and and I was, you know, realistically with it. I was just happy to be there. I was hable to be a part of that. You know, I was younger than them, but you know, I felt like I was on part with them, like I'm on you know, their level as far as making records and then seeing I just felt I was there, you know

what I mean. And and you know, I didn't have any issues with being a part of the situation when I ever wanted to put together other than I felt like this, if this happens, this will always be my legacy of you know, John started with that Mega group and that's how he blew up. So when it didn't happen that way and I started making my own records and started blowing up and becoming something, then I was like, Okay, now I feel like I really belonged a part of it, right.

I didn't feel like before then, I didn't feel like even though they accepted me as one of the three of the group, I felt like these two had proven to the world that they earned, that they are those mcs, those type of m c s, and then I just feel like I didn't at that moment, At that point, I hadn't proven myself, you know, to the world, and as I started making my mark, then I felt like, you know, wow, I wish this would have came to fruition.

But I always think about that scenario of you know, what that would have been for me as an artists, and and I'm kind of happy it went the way it did. Yeah, when I saw that that cover XXL, I was like, shit, Like, oh man, that rude d M X jay Z. Are you talking about a supergroup? Like say, I was like, if that happened, it's a rap. You know, I would have definitely liked at least Hee one one album, But you know, things happening, And I think every record we did was dope though. Yeah, that's

that's facts. Every record we did we do from you know, from from It's Murder the Murder Gram and X and Jay did Money Cash Hose and me and Jay the Gangster Ship, and like we just we had a we had a a like, you know, if we was to put that project together then back then, and it would have been you know, me and next doing the record here and me and Jane and then all of us, and you know, it would have been crazy. It would have been very crazy. Man, take me back two the eighties.

Jeffrey Atkins growing up in Queens Man, Man, what was that like? It was hip hop? A lot of it was a lot of hip hop culture, you know, in in my in my hood because run DMC l cool j Yeah, he's do you know run you know, big up, big up, big up to to my big brother godfather, run Um Run DMC was right from I was like

they want two or five? And how this was where they was right right there and I'm right up to block on what night one and would all but I used to be, you know, on Hollos all the time, and that's what we used to get money right there on that block over there, and so I used to see them all the time come through. And I remember this story vividly like it was yesterday. The d m C. They shot the dm C whatever d um he had a black A fifty the pop up lights A fifty.

I BMW me and it's some weird crazy way that car played a big role in my life because it inspired you exactly inspired me. I was like, man, I want that car. I want that car. Was so amazing to me. And so as as you know, as I got in you know, junior high school and going in high school and we saw selling drugs and the block

and you know, ship like that. That was the other success story that I was able to witness coming out of my neighborhood, not some point because you know, people not you know, hustling and drug dealing and and how um some some of our you you know, make money

in our neighborhoods. But everybody wants to be successful, and I think, you know, people don't understand that the first signs of success, the first successful people I've seen was you know, because I was getting money on the streets and so being from Hollis, seeing another success story somebody else that did something other than that and had that was important because for me it was like, okay, you know, this is one way to achieve that, but there's the

other way. I could be like run DMC, I could you know, when you never see anybody from your hood or from your regional area make it, it makes it feel like it's that much harder to achieve. I've never seen anybody come from here and make it. That's why y'all was so important. That's why with you and Face and be Bushwick and the ghetto boys at WHI y'all did for the South was so important. Y'all gave these young aspiring artists and wrapped, you know, talented young motherfucker's

a vision of date from right here in Houston. I see Willie, I see Space, I see them all the time, and they're doing it. And that was that. That was enough to inspire the next generation of mcs and for running you know, run DMC. That was that for me. It was that was enough to inspire me to Okay, let me let me explore something other than this, because this is the only outlet that I thought I had out and and and thank God for that, you know what I mean? Thank God and all I said all

the time, thank God for hip hop. Yeah yeah, m hmm. If my homework is correct, you was raised by a single mother, Yeah, yeah, so were what what was the financial situation where y'all like poor, you know, medium, you know, alright, what what was going on? Man? See he's crazy? So my my my grandparents, we're more stable at a house you know, grass car you know. And where did they live.

They lived in Hollis as well. They lived like kind of were running mc wherever at so two or seven and for instance, Lewis is like maybe a block offer Hollie. So so it's a nice you know, a house there, but houses here, you know, you know, you know how

that go. So they had a nice stable environment and my mom knew that, and so she made me stay with my grandparents and live with my grandparents for a while until I was about eleven twelve years old, which was cool, and they were they were Joe's witnesses, my my my grandparents and as well as my mother, my mother, my family. And so as I as I got older, I started to you know, seem more learn more about

the religion. And my mother she got this fellowship. And when when you get this fellowship, just like it's like they banish you, like to just on you from the from the congregation and nobody's allowed to speak to you. So a mother would come get me like just on weekends like that. That was like her time to spend with me was on weekends. And so once she got this fellowship. They kind of cut that time my grand

because you gets banished. My grandparents stopped the visits and it was like, you know, this is trying to explain it to me and whatever the best way they could possible. But at that point in time, when you're that age, you know, it's like a that's like a really it's like a really weird age because you like coming of age, you understand things, you're coming into you know, young adulthood, but you're still very much a child, you know, you know what I'm saying around that twelve year old age.

And so I made decisions as a young man, you know, at that at that moment, to choose my mother and her situation and you know, over the comfortability of being you know, with my grandparents. So you so, I so I left because my mother couldn't come see me like that. I said, you know, this is not what I want to do. This is this is not you know what this should be about this, you know, this religion thing. So I left, I'm stay with my mom. And from

that point on it was different. Everything was different from me, Like that comfortability of having my grandparents as a you know, crutch and every things there, you know, food and you know whatever. It wasn't the same anymore. It was you, yeah, we're moving from place to place, and you know, like I said, the family is really not fucking with us at all. It was like we were the black sheep to the family. No, my mother was looked upon as the outcast, you know, like she she was a bad

person to them. And my mother never went back to the religion, which was fine with me. So what was like like one of the like more serious type of situations when you were growing up that made you say, like, I can't live like this when you know, one day I came home from school and there was a viction

notice on the door. It wasn't the first time I've seen the viction ortice on the door, you know, you know, we take it down and it was over I seeing it, bringing bringing the crib, you know, tell my mom you have no on the door, you know, whatever, whatever. But this time was different because not you know, I took the viction nor was reported into my mom, and she

broke down. She broke down, and at that time, you know, in my neighborhood and just in hoods across America, crack cocaine was very very uh you know, vibring in the neighborhood. It was moving. The motherfucker's was selling it. Everybody was doing It was like, it wasn't like you had to be you didn't have to be no drug kingpin or nothing. You go get a pack and and and just get

on the block and start moving, you know. And so at that moment, my mom she broke down, and she she was just basically telling me how sorry she was and you know whatever, you know, and and and she didn't really have an answer at that moment for what was gonna be our next situation. And so at that moment, I think I became a man because I knew that I couldn't break down and cry with her. I knew that I had to be strong for her, even though I didn't know what the fun was about to have it.

I just like, this is, you know, we were gonna get thrown out of here, and I don't know where we're gonna go. I'm probably about twelve thirteen years old, you know what I mean. But I knew right then and there like this is a changing point, that that was the changing point for me. I knew I had to be strong for my mom and whatever whatever, I had to do that from this point, I'll do to help my mom because I felt like it's just me

and her now, it's just me huggin's world. Like I'm like, we're not getting no assistance from you know, my grandparents anymore. It's just you know, fan, her brothers, everybody stopped speaking to him. So it was like, you know, it was but that's the thing. It's a religious thing. It's not. So I'm not just saying that it was an evil thing, even though it sounds that way. I know, to the you know, to the normal listen or whatever, that's that's

that's how the religion goes. Did you feel any pressure to become a Jehova Witness? No, not at all. I you know, they make you do it, absolutely, But you know what, what kid is not made to go to church through these and he's young, you know, so yeah, so I was made to go and I didn't want to go, but you know, you had to go, and you did it, and I did it. But once I was with my mom, I never looked back on it.

I actually looked at the religion as bad evil because I'm like, this is what broke up my family, this is doing this religion, Like my family would be together, my mom, my grandparents would be This wouldn't be my life if it wasn't for this religion. So the religion. I hated the religion because of it. I blame the religion for all of that, Like this is the religious fault. What I'm going through and my mom is going through,

what we're all dealing with, is this religion. And I felt that way because as I got older and my mom got a chance to explain to me what she really did to get banished, and I'm like, that's it. I'm like, that's all you think is so, So that's all I'll fill you in because it's not even a big deal. So when your Joe's when you're not allowed to associate with corner worldly people, worldly people, or people who are not in the religion. So you work at a job or you go to school, who the funding

you just dealing with. You're dealing with worldly people. You work with these people, these are and and and it doesn't make them bad people because they're not Jehovah's witnesses. You understand what I'm saying. But you're not allowed or not supposed to associate with these people because they're not of this religion. Now. I know they may have loosened up the way it works and ship like that now, but that's the way it worked there. Say this is

why my motherfuck cousin, don't be asking the phone. I knew it was that deep know what, he's Jehovah's witness man and you you're a worldly person, you do worldly things they're not gonna do. But that was that, that was what it was about. And so you know, she got dispellership because after to work she'd go with her co workers and ship, go have drinks and stuff like that. Regular people ship go out to clubs and you know whatever,

and party would help, you know. So in my mother's eyes, she was living a double life because you're not supposed to do these things. And she, my mother would go to the go to the Keenom Hall church and then right out of the churches, getting a move on, and go down to the party with the co workers and ship. And so when she got this fellowship, she felt like, you know what, fucking I'm cool, I'm free, you know what I'm saying. I don't have to fake who I am and I'm not doing no pig, I'm not doing

nothing that's crazy. I'm yeah, I like to fucking go out and have some fun or whatever and and show once I learned about what it when I was saying, you know whatever, so now here it's the crazy ship. Right as I get into the music business started coming a star ship like that. It's all good now, it was all good families all back but one moment, yo, And I know for a fact it was because of who I was becoming that was bringing the family back together,

you know, my celebrity, my stuff. And I could have looked at it as you know what or now everybody wants to come around, you know, you know the but I've seen the the joy and the happiness in my mother's eyes to have her brother, you know, back, and and and you know they spoke, of course, but it wasn't just the relationship wasn't the same. And I think the relationships always had a little something there after. But for me to see, you know, my family be back together,

I don't, I don't. I don't care. What's the circumstances of what it is and what did it. I can have my own thoughts about it or whatever. But I just know that my mother is happy. They're happy to be together again. And and and if it took you know, my celebrity, my hip hop to do that too, that's cool too. Yeah, you know what I mean? How did you decide to go the route of primarily talking about love situations, relationships and things like that, because that's where

people know you for that. I mean, I saw your show and you know, hey, man, the women came out. It's like the women come out for ja Rue, Like, how did you decide that? Okay, I'm gonna go this route of talking about relationships, you know, the ups and downs, the end and as the highs and lows or whatever, as opposed to talking about hardships, you know, because you knew a lot about hardships, and most rappers who know about hardships, that's how they get on. They talk about

that's what we did. Yeah yeah, but what But what I'm saying is that, yeah, you do talk about hardships, but primarily you're known for the relationship side. And that's not a knock because I'll explain, when you do it the way you do it, you're in pocket with it. Like when you hear somebody here j rou talk about relationships. They're listening to a person who's given sage advice. That's a person that knows, okay, like it sounds like the ship that I'm going through. What he's talking about, It's

like what I'm going through right now. You know. So, but but but how how do how do you? How do you? How do you feel about that? Like being known more for you know, the relationships side of uh rapping as opposed to speaking of the hardships. You know where oftentimes when people uh, when they compare it to the people who talk about the hardships, oftentimes more often you know, they get more shine, you know, or they

get a lot more respect. I'm talking about not just in record sales, but as far as how people revere them. I do, I do understand exactly what you're saying. Um, Like take a two part fans you know, spoke about his pain all the time, and he's revered differently. UM for me, you know, making records for for for for

for the females. It was it was a conscious decision too, you know, um, when you when you know, like like we were talking about it earlier, when I was in between two monsters to juggalizes my two brothers, J and X. And Jay was you know, money personified, and now was his you know, his possana, and X was the streets. And I'm you know, I'm a little bit of both, you know, I'm I'm a little bit grimy and you know, I'm a little flashy, like I like a little bit

of both of them, you know. And nobody was feeling that Lane and I of of catering and talking to the ladies in that way. And and so yeah, when I made my second album, I wanted to be different.

I wanted to be as different as possible. I grew my hair, you know, I was, you know, basically bored before that, you know, and you know, the low season like seasons, and I grew my hair, had braids and started making music that reflected what I was going through now, okay, now what I've been through, what I'm seeing, and what I'm going through now. Okay, So my second album, I

went got this big mansion out in Beverly Hills. Um actually wasn't the Whos and uh uh, it was Hollywood Hills, Lord King, and we were just living like ghetto fabulous. It was like the most flies sucked up the house you ever wanted to see with beautiful house. But we had like renaissent the furniship in the motherfucker. Yeah, we was we was doing what were doing? You know, we

didn't know, Yeah, we didn't know no better. We had a room that we called the Dome and it was just like eight beds in the motherfucker for all homies, you know. So, but we were we were starting to see, you know, through all the homies out he's you know, we were starting to live. We're starting to see you were going out. Also, I was night every night, every night, you know, and and we in l A you know,

you know that first, you know. So, and so the music started to reflect and I wanted the music to reflect. I wanted my sound and everything to be different. It was different. It was what I was becoming versus what I was and when I went through. And you know, that's the beauty of your first album, and first album is it's it's a body of work, that's your whole life up until that point. You know what I'm saying.

That's why people's first albums are special to so many fans, and you know, because it is that body of work. That's you know, from when I was you know, you get those records on my first album and we gotten signed. I'm talking about my father and daddy's a little baby who I'm talking about my daughter, and you know, you know, you know what I'm saying. Those are those are records that you know, once I got to the second album,

Rule through three six, I wasn't holding from five. I was on a we out here living it up, you know, say we you know, to vibe the music change because that's what I was experienced, That's what I was going through. But I also, like I said, I made a conscious decision to cater more to my female audience because they

were catering the meat. I was seeing that, you know that I was getting a heavy swell of female audience and so as they gave me the love, I gave it right back to them, and it reflected in the music. And I'm telling you, def Jam didn't like that album.

They didn't like my second album at all. They didn't want me to Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, then it was then it was then it was different thinking about those songs that you made, Like when you know you mentioned you know how you know pot the comparison there, that's a good comparison. The difference is that pot Pot struggle songs were played on the radio. Your struggle songs were not. No, And that's the difference. And I think, but you know,

here's the here's the craziesh about it. See William Yo, There's so many records that I wanted to make, singles that I felt would have put me in a different m h heartened space of the people along with those the records. But at the time, you know, when when I was doing what I was doing, it was you know, first single, second single, hopefully third single on to the

next album, you know what I mean. You didn't get to do like how artists get to do so many records off the album today and give you so many different visuals. I wish I could have did that. I

wish I could have did that. I wish there was so many records that I wish I could I wish I wanted to do a video for fucking only begotten Son, like they let me do that these little baby because it was about my daughter, you know, but it didn't slap like you know, uh some of my bigger records, you know, Holla, Holla was my first really hit record, and and you know, so, so what happens sometimes with all the like myself, that that the labels figure out

this guy is capable of making really big records. They want you to make those records, and if you make those records, those are the records that they're gonna put out. And that's what I was kind of up against. I love to make those records too, and so they were on every album because if you listen to my albums, it's a contrast of everything. It has those records as my street records, that has my feeling records that they're

all on there. It's just the labeled new the ones to say, these are the money makers and we're gonna let those be you know, the album. So so my real hard fans that's why that show die hard with me because they know the records like Passion. They know, you know, they they hear six Ft under the Ground. They listen to those records and they're like, rule these records, you know, never again. These records are very very like

those type of records. That's over the Passion records. They you know, but those are some of my favorite records. That's why I created, uh, a concert series coll Vibes, and I haven't done one yet. I'm doing the first one and it's gonna come up in a couple of months maybe maybe soon. So you take and it will be dope for y'all to do one too. So I was inspired by Versus and I have my own live

streaming platform. It's called icon Live. It's an app store which you can go get that absolutely, but um uh, it's a it's a it's a concert series that I'm gonna do on on icon But also, you know, we have the ability to do a lot now the world's back open, so but I wanted to be a warm,

intimate setting kind of like um MTV m plugs meets Rhuma. Reason. So, the concept of it is you're take an iconic artists and they do their classic album from front to back, live band, telling the stories behind the music, what they were going through, and they made this album because people those classic albums. You think of these, you know those

really really dope albums. You you get the Deal Boys album or you know, Fucking Miseducation Lauren Hill, or you know some of these just really cool, dope dope albums that people really really would love to hear what the fund artist was going through when you mean that, you know what I mean? It's that and it's a concert series and it's warm and it's intimate, and you tell the stories behind the music with the live band, and then you released the album as a live album after

that and as a whole new life. So so so this is what the Vibes Concert Series is gonna be about. I'm gonna start and do the first you know, concert series. I'm going to do any very VICI live and you know, pullout my face. Yeah yeah, yeah, man, his story? Man, whose idea was it to pair you and ashante Um? You know, of course she was a part of the label. She was artist on the label. A hell of a run. I mean, y'all could not miss. Yeah, we have a

great chemistry, man, but yeah, we absolutely doe. Whose idea was that? I mean, you know, I don't know who's idea. You know, it's it's just something that kind of really really just happened. You know. Home used to be in the studio. He was, you know, studio rat and it

was all the time. Every day she'd beat there a little hoodie on and sweats and ship just soaking it up right, and you know, and you know, I was making all these big records, female records and ship and at the time we were constructing, I just did like, ain't it funny Always on Time? I mean, I'm sorry, not anything, I'm real, Ain't it funny for j Lo?

And and you know, those records were skyrocketing, and I think it was working on Always on Time, and we were looking for a different artists to put on Always on the Town. You know, god he was. He put Alicia, you know, Beyonce. Let's get somebody, you know, big, big name on this record. And I was like, yeah, we got you know, home girls, you see it all the time.

Let's give her us. Let it there. She dreaded reference these other records, and she has a pretty well yeah, so she you know, she she came and did it. Knock it out. It sounded amazing, and it's like, Okay, this is it. Let's front, you know what I mean. And then we and then it was after that it was put on, put a body on this, put a body on that. Last, let's you know this, this chemistry is dope that we have. And and so we made a lot of records together all the dope records together

and we crush it. You know what I'm saying. We we we became something of our generation that wasn't there. Man. I just thought about some ship. I just thought, what thought about? What's the man? You and a shanty? Oh? The motherfucking asked for the Simpson of him, the ash for the Simpson of hip hop. You know, because asked for the Simpson. Could not miss when they got in the studio as far as like female male that that that that chemistry that they had there was unmatched. I

mean they could not miss. And you and Ashante could not miss. You know, that was beautiful man. And when chemistry yeah, and you know, and to see that, to see that at you know, at the you know, during the versus battle, to see her come back out and do her thing, like man, y'all the energy that y'all had, man, I mean, the nostalia that that it that it brought back,

It was like absolutely, man. Just it was appreciative. I mean I was appreciative of it, you know, like I was like, this is like it felt like it was in a time capsule, you know, like nobody was missing, you know, a beat that was beautiful man, like, how did that verses come about in the first place? Who made the call that? You know that it came together

so quick, it was like two weeks. It was yeah, because man, it seemed like you prepared for that though, it's like you must have been already ready or something. He was seeing like he was cocking loaded for that thing, you know, Like I said, man, I people don't really know where I come from in the m C or why you know, we were dogs, man, we come we come from that that that school and what I'm seeing just because I made you know, pretty female record. That's

my talent. That's what I'm able to do outside of just rapping in them seeing But I go, you know that's that's not you know nothing, that's neither you know there, but the verses that it came about so quick. You know. I was actually I was getting about to get in the shower and I see the call from Swiss. I'm like, oh, ship, so it's you know, it's called me that Austen. That's it's about some business and ship. So I'm like, all right,

what's this must be? Versus? You know what I'm saying is said to me about And I'm like okay, well, well let's see what's happening. At first, I'm, you know, thinking this is gonna be versus with me and the other guy or whatever. But then I see fat Joe's also on my line, and I'm like, okay, let me see what Joe was talking about. So I called Joe.

Joe's like, yeah, versus rule. I'm like, okay, so that my opponent is you, Joe, And I like, I would you know, I'm with it, you know whatever, whatever, And I called Swiss and he laid it down for you know what it was. I have seen so many verses songs. You know, all right, let's do it. Cracks are a good friend, and it'll be friendly and it'll be fun, and you know, I ain't got to kill nobody. And you know what I liked. What I liked about it was that, you know, for the most part, it was

very respectful. But they did come that time when he made the comment about you know a little more in vita. You know what I'm saying, And you know, and you jumped on that real quick. Yeah, not on my watch, baby, You're gonna disrespect the ladies on my wife's crack. But I do know, I know, it's on the heat a battle. Yeah, yeah, and I felt that and I felt this apology too. I thought, yeah, I thought his apology was was very sincere.

He apologized that night before anything even really hit. The fans and the ladies didn't even really know what he was apologizing for. So you know, he he handled it. And then we spoke, you know, behind the scenes. You know, were brothers, so you know, we hold each other accountable as we should as men. And I'm like, crack, there's no you know, you you already apologize, but you know it was a public display of you know, disrespect, so you gotta give that same public apologize and so yeah,

and to his credit, he did absolutely, you know. And the thing about it is that there's some people that's on his level that would hold their nuts on that apology. You're like, yeah, you know, he ain't I gotta apologize, you know what I'm saying? Why why you know, like that type of thing. You know, he knew he was wrong, right, he knew he knew you know that that that was you know, wrong and over the line. And you can't you you know, you're not you can't talk to these

these women like that. You can't talk to these black queens like that crack, you know, and so he knew. But you know, like sometimes when you you're in that zone and you're doing the thing. I'm not making no excuse us for what he said, what he did. You know, he said what he said and he apologized for it. But I do know how you can say some crazy shit sometimes when you when you when you in that in that in that doghouse, but you're in that doghouse. Yeah, yeah,

I feel that. What do you think about the current state of hip hop? And do you think that it's in good hands? And if so, whose hands are we talking about? Like, you know, how do you feel about the current state of hip hop? Um? I love the current state of hip hop. And I'm gonna tell you why we as hip hop legends, historians, you know, Elder Statesman, we like to see see things sometimes through our own lenses because we know hip hop to being a certain way,

we grew up on it a certain way. But for me, as I looked at the evolution of hippop, it's it's changed. Every two to four years, something new has come out of hip hop m and so it's the same to me. It's it's just elevating out of a more global pace. It's seeing artists from home genres and spectrums and and and cultures. You know, you got you know, African artists and they're doing afrobeats music, and you know you got reggaetone artists, and you got you know, we have gay

uh rappers. Now we have free type of country, rappy, type of rapper that you can think of exists. Were the only genre music that confused with any music rock, pop, country, It doesn't matter. That's the power of hip hop. And when I look at it like that, I'm like, we have to let it be that. It's odd artists, what you can get away with. That's what war Hole said. That's not my quote, that's what the fucking great Warhole said. He said, artist, what you can get away with? And

you gotta look inside that and understand the meaning of that. M. You understand if I can put a value on something that's worth something to you, that's odd. M hmm. Do you think that an artist perhaps is going to far to make a statement like Lena's X made where he said, fuck your kids? Did you know that? Did he? Do you know? He said that he said yeah. He said,

he actually said fun your kids. On on the Breakfast Club, DJ Envy asked him about his responsibility, asked him about his responsibility to children, and he said, fuck your kids, and and then he said, well, you know, not really funk your kids, but funk your kids, you know, like uh,

And I know, like none of us are perfect. You know, we've all staying and fallen shot of Glory Guard and we all if you don't have some questionable lyrics, some lyrics that have pushed the boundaries, you're really a great artist, what I'm saying. So we we've all you know, had our moments or whatever. But you know, one thing that I have never subscribed to is saying fun the kids, you know, like you know, like yeah, you know, everybody's entitled to be who they are and you know, express

themselves as an artist and expressed their hearts. I don't, you know, I don't care. I want everybody to be there, don't want everybody be happy being them. But like I said, we all have to hold it, tell accountable for things when they're wrong. That's it, just things when they're right and wrong, you know. And if little Nasa said your kids, that's on the wrong side of things. You know, you can feel who you want, little Nozi, you can do all the stuff that you want to do. Nobody, at

least not me. I'm not knocking that man for what he does. I don't you know. I happen to think he makes good music when you trash. Yeah, but we can, we can. You know that. That's that that that's the thing about music is subjective. That's true. It's subjects true, you know. And so and so when I when I think about you know, the responsibility that we have is artists. We have big responsibilities artists. I didn't learn that responsibility

to I. You know, learn that responsibility you understand. And I think a lot of artists can attest to that. You know, we all came out while and and and and and wanted our freedom of speech and wanted to say funk this and funk that, and and that's just the way hip hop always bred us to be. And that's the way we always were. But wrong is wrong, and we almost hold each other accountable when things are wrong, and and and that goes across the border around spectrum.

So if we if we want to sit down and have a real conversation, about hip hop and the destruction and the things that it does to our kids and our communities. We could have that conversation, but I don't think my fucker's is really ready for that conversation because then we got to talk about drill music and this and that and all kinds of ship. And then it's tapping in the ship that people feel comfortable with, you understand, because it's not making them uncomfortable. And I think that's

what art does. It pushes the boundaries in a lot of ways and sometimes just not always gonna be comfortable when you are making a statement and pushing the boundary, whether it's you know, Little nos X being you know, the first gay rapper, or whether it's you know, n w A saying fun the police. It's the boundaries that are being pushed that, you know, makes hip hop what it is and it makes hip hop special. So I just think that when we have these conversations, it has

to be a broad conversation. It can't we can't single out certain things. We got to bring it all to the table, you know what I mean. And I've been to I'm guilty of a gang of ship, you know, I was saying about ecstasy and ship like that. I'm sure there's kids to say because said it was. So I'm not sitting here acting like I haven't played my part. And you know, I always say that all the time. I dropped out of high school because care Rest once said, you know, I make about a gay a week fu school.

That was a real line to me. And I felt like, if I could achieve a GI a week, I don't need school. And as I started to make money selling drugs, it was getting making the gym. We just didn't don't need school. I tried out high school. You know, so hip hop is very influential. You got kids that are very impressionable, that listen to us, look up to us. We're the heroes I know. You know Run DMC, you know Mother Fucking Coogi Rap and Big Daddy Kane and these.

It was my het roes Man, heroes Man, Willie Dee's car face. You know what I'm saying, was my heroes man. And so I know how impressionable hip hop can be on young minds. And and and you know, I can never blame the artist for expressing their art. I never never. You have the right to say and do what the funk you want. Will there be consequences for something that you say and do? Absolute fucking lukely, you know what I'm saying. But you have the right to do it

and say it. You may have to pay for it some way down the line, but but you have the right. And that and that, and that is where I draw my line when it comes to artistry and and and morality and things of that nature. I think that we can separate art from the man, and we should, under said, and that way, the art gets to be the art and the people get to be the people. But it's very hard to do that now with social media. So you know, yeah, to your point, I think that, yeah,

it is very important that you push those boundaries. I think some of the best art that we've gotten was because people pushed the boundaries. I mean, I don't want to live in some plan dass world where all the artists are just walking on eggshells and afraid to just bust out and just get outside of the box. I

don't want to live in that type of world. But I will say that's that's why you know, when I hear certain artists say certain things, I give them grace because I know that I was that artists at one point.

And I know that, and I also know that there's a certain amount of latitude that has to be granted when it comes to youth, you know, like I thought that I knew some ship when I was younger, you know, like I was saying some things on records and stuff, and I thought, and people to this day to think that I was like a profit or whatever. But as I got older, you know, I started like realizing, like, man, I I you know, it was so much more for me to learn and that I just did not know.

And uh, I learned that that I do have a responsibility as an artist. You know, I do have uh you know, I do need to because my thing was always like I, hey, man, I'm responsible for what I say, not how you interpret it. You know, that was my thing, Like and no, you know, I'm responsible for how it's interpreted also, you know, because like you say, there are we do have young impressionable minds out there. And no,

it's not our job to raise kids. It starts at home, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I agree that it starts with the parents first and foremost. It starts at home, but it does take a village to raise a child, and we have to look out for each other, you know, we have to, you know, we have to hold each other accountable, you know, like you say, like, yeah, you could say whatever you want to say, but you know, you the people that you know wants to, you know, decide that we don't like

what you said. You can be brought to the table. Gets to bring you to heare you know? So yeah, I think we're on the same page. The man, you know. I I know that some of the artists that are being criticized right now for that message, they're gonna get wiser with age. And it's like Maya Angelo said, when you know better, you do better, right, And we know better because this is some things that we said fifteen years ago we're not gonna say today. You know, I

listened to the records now made them well. We just said things that you just can't say now. And it was like shouting it loud, and this is like wow, work things change, people to change. The world changes, you know, and and growth is important m hm, you know, for for everybody and every walk of life, but especially in music and entertainment. You know, we do become the old

jis and it's important that we do. You know, when we can, you know, pull pull, pull a young one to the side and let them know, Yo, this is what it is. This is You know, I ain't trying to school you, but I'm trying to school you. You know what I'm saying, like because it's it's it's that old saying that old you know, each one teach one. We've lost that way in our community and we need

to bring that back. Like like, anytime I get a chance, man, I try to drop some knowledge on the young boys, just let them know, like you're doing the right things, but you know there's some things you could be doing a little better. You know, Man, how do you feel like being such a huge contributor to the hip hop landscape that some youngsters don't know who John Rule is?

Like when you it's like, we know, it's like if you know, you know right, But there are some youngsters that like who like and Batman's and then versus happened. It's like, oh not now you on everybody's radar. You know, how do you feel about the youngsters who may be

just not getting tuned into who Jah Rule is? But at the same time, some of these guys who I know for a fact what I think, even saying that they were fans of jih Rule had to be influenced by you, because you know what kind of music that they're making. How do you feel about, you know, the youngsters who don't really know who you are, but there, I guess they're warming up now to you. I mean,

it's cool. I love that, you know, I love that you know, you know we can transcend to the next generation that, you know, That's what I was, you know, talking, you know, joking with Crack. You know, he's he's saying like, yesterday's his not today's hits. I'm like, yesterday's it's It's not that's for sure, But you know, those those hits that are able to stand at at the time was classic that never to never go away. And for me, that's dope. You know, that's that's that's why we make that,

That's why we make music. Like I'm so happy when I hear a twenty year old say they know my music. It's like some real it's crazy. I was just standing next to one, you know, and your music was playing and she was like jamming all of the words, and I was like, oh yeah, you was raised right, because that's good music. That's good music, man. And it's a beautiful thing. Man. It's a beautiful thing to be able to to to span over a decade or two. Yeah, and music can still resonate to, you know, a youth

full audience. And ship. That ship is, That ship is, that's what that's that's why we do it, man. Like I still listen to all the old dope you know, readA Franklin and saying I listen to all that. My wife that's ship, all that she listen. She and KidSing, cooking, all that's playing. You know. So my kids grew up on that too, you know, Like that's what I'm supposed to do with my kids. You know, they in the twenties,

they know all of that. You know, they know all of that old school music, all that good old stool music. They should you know you before versus he was kind of off the radar. Yeah, where you been? Man? You know, I see a little stuff happening here or there or whatever. But like the music, like, are you gonna do music again? Like put out some new stuff. You know, it's crazy. I love making music, I said, rum every day, create music all the time. The problem with me and putting

out music. You want. I want people to receive my music because it's good music, or because it's bad music or whatever that is, you know what I'm saying, and not have outside I thought about why they don't want the music mm hmm. And I and I felt like for for a time, it just felt like if if I could have made fucking thriller and people would have would acting my deposit and and and for me, I'm like, I don't. I love music, It's my passion. It's very

therapeutic for me. I get out a lot of ship out of it, a lot of rage, a lot of anger, a lot of you know, a lot of feelings. I make it to put it in my music. So I still make music. I'll do it for myself if I have to. Like I said, it's like therapy for me. So at my studio, I make my music. But I just I just felt like everything is about timing, and the right timing wasn't right for me to put out music right now after versus, I feel like the people

are receiving me, And what's those calls like? Now, what's those business calls like? Now? After the versus Versus has a real effect. Man, That's what I'm gonna say. I want to say versus as a very real effect and for somebody like me and what I was going through personally, just with my with the fans. You know, you know, Drake says in one of his new record you know, you know people turning back on me for no good reason.

I feel like ship. Every time I listen to that record, I feel like and I felt like, that's what I was going through. And that's why I really love doing that versus because I wasn't versed in Fatcho. I was versing the world. I it was John rul versus the world. I wanted everybody to remember understand who I am as an artist. I do this ship because I love it. And you can tell when I'm on that stage, you could tell I love it. I'm having a good time.

I'm rocking the George's music. It's no smoke for me. I love it. I love this ship. But I'm also of, you know, one of the those guys. I'm MCMC like I rap rap, and I also know how to write songs and you know, produces this. You know, I'm an artist and I and and I shouldn't be allowed to be that. I should be allowed to be all of those things without being critiqued for this. And out of

the third you know, you us just hip hop. We do this to our own Like we look at the artists that, you know, once they cross over out of you know, the hip hop charts and going to the rhythmic and and the pop charts, they crossed over, they're not hip hop anymore. We should embrace that these artists have figured out a way to crack the code and now they're it's bringing hip hop to a fucking plucthora

people that we probably would have never reached. These artists should be celebrated, but instead we throw them, kick him to the side. They cross over, they're selling out. It's always been like that, going way back to you know, back in Motown days, it's been that. It's always, you know, been Once the music is out of the hood and then too the hearts of many, you ain't hood enough no more. That's that's just ridiculous. That's just oxy moon. I love my hood just as much as anybody. But

I do love to make records for the world. I love that. I love doing that. I love doing that for me to make a record for the homies or whatever those records are. You know, we can do those. Those are easy records to make a record that the whole world can gravitate towards and and and and see the same vision that you saw when you created it. That's that's what we're do it for. That, That's that's what I thought I was doing it for. That's what you know, that's what I thought. You know, making music

and being an entertainer was about touching the world. Music is the only at form you can't touch it touch as you and so you wanted to touch as many people as possible, you know. So that's how I see music. I see it through a very wide lens, and and sometimes I get critique for that, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Man. Yeah, have you ever thought about being a guy, damn professor out of college or something? Because I feel it. You know what I'm saying. You

really do love it. I do hear the passion in your voice. You can fucking do this ship man, Like for me, really do love music. I studied music music theory. Yeah, you know the cadences, you know, the oasis is, you know, the vibrations and you know your voice patented that you can can have people feel a certain way. All of these things matter, you know, like you know, making slower records in the wintertime and faster records in the summertime,

because that's what people just naturally want to feel. They don't even know they wanted that way. These are these are these are things that you know, see, man, you teaching me stuff. Man, I ain't never thought I thought about the summer days. They ain't ever think like slow it down in the winter and speed it up into something. This is what people were. Yeah, you know, they don't

know they wanted. It's subconscious. You're a rap bilogist. Yeah, it's beautiful, man, this this has been a beautiful, amazing conversation. I I absolutely appreciate you. Man. I remember first when I first heard you, I was like, am I want to do something like that? Had it in pocket? Man? You I mean you killed it, man, like you really you really killed it. And and that versus bringing it back shout out to Swiss until that versus reminded everybody

of how relevant and how necessary JI rule is. Not was appreciate that man, you know, for everything that you've done for hip hop for carving, your laying out and inspiring so many others. Man. Hey, and also you know, being responsible for some babies. You know. Hey, We thank you, man, We thank you, we salute you, we appreciate you, we love you. Thanks for having me, Ladies and gentlemen. J

RU much love, baby, and won't Talk. This episode was produced by A King and brought to you by The Black Effect Podcast Network and I Heart Radio Old