R.U.L.E.

---

title: "R.U.L.E." type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2004-albums", "ja-rule-albums", "albums-produced-by-irv-gotti", "albums-produced-by-chink-santana", "albums-produced-by-cool-&-dre", "def-jam-recordings-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.L.E." license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	R.U.L.E.
type	Album
artist	Ja Rule
cover	Rulealbumcover.jpg
alt	Closeup of Ja Rules' face looking serious
released	November 9, 2004
recorded	2003–04
genre	Hip hop
length	71:30
label
producer	*Irv Gotti (also exec.)
prev_title	Blood in My Eye
prev_year	2003
next_title	Exodus
next_year	2005
misc	{{Singles
name	R.U.L.E.
type	studio
single1	Wonderful
single1date	September 27, 2004
single2	New York
single2date	October 27, 2004
single3	Caught Up
single3date	May 24, 2005
::

| name = R.U.L.E. | type = Album | artist = Ja Rule | cover = Rulealbumcover.jpg | alt = Closeup of Ja Rules' face looking serious | released = November 9, 2004 | recorded = 2003–04 | studio = | genre = Hip hop | length = 71:30 | label = | producer = *Irv Gotti (also exec.)

• Ja Rule (also exec.)
• Cool & Dre
• Chink Santana
• Jimi Kendrix | prev_title = Blood in My Eye | prev_year = 2003 | next_title = Exodus | next_year = 2005 | misc = {{Singles | name = R.U.L.E. | type = studio | single1 = Wonderful | single1date = September 27, 2004 | single2 = New York | single2date = October 27, 2004 | single3 = Caught Up | single3date = May 24, 2005

R.U.L.E. is the sixth studio album by American rapper Ja Rule; it was released on November 9, 2004, by The Inc., Island Def Jam Music Group and Def Jam. The album debuted at number seven on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 165,000 units in its opening week. The album was certified Gold and sold over 658,000 copies in the United States. Singles from the album include "Wonderful" featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti; the top 20 song "New York" featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe, and the song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd.

The album was also made in a heavily edited version removing profanities, drugs and violent content: it removes the skits "Weed" and "Stripping Game". This version of the album became the most edited album other than his previous album Blood in My Eye (2003).

Critical reception

|rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = |rev2 = Entertainment Weekly |rev2Score = C+ |rev3 = HipHopDX |rev3score = |rev4 = RapReviews |rev4score = 7/10 |rev5 = USA Today |rev5score = R.U.L.E. garnered favorable reviews from music critics but some questioned if this was a return to form after the disappointing Blood in My Eye. K.B. Tindal of HipHopDX called the album Ja's best since Rule 3:36 and Pain Is Love, concluding that "The Inc. will always be Murder Inc. no matter what and Ja will always be at the head of the fam so get used to it, he's back." Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews gave a mixed review, stating "[T]his is not an overwhelming strong album lyrically, but it's a pleasant enough one to listen to musically - and from Ja Rule that's enough to get by." Timothy Gunatilaka of Entertainment Weekly found love ballads like "Passion" and "Wonderful" suitable for Ja Rule, concluding that they "suggest he might want to stick to raspy romanticism." AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier said that the album continued the depletion of Ja's relevance in hip-hop, stating, "And so the downfall goes—tragic, indeed, or not, depending on how affecting you find the pathos at work." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club found Ja's reliance on emulating "2Pac's tortured-thug persona" to craft mildly amusing "overwrought melodrama" overlong throughout the record and exacerbated further through "anonymous production, irritating skits, and [the kind of] raspy shower-stall warbling."

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. | extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = The Inc. Intro | note1 = | writer1 = Jeffrey Atkins | extra1 = Ja Rule | length1 = 2:20

| title2 = Last of The Mohicans | note2 = featuring Black Child | writer2 = | extra2 = | length2 = 4:24

| title3 = Wonderful | note3 = featuring R. Kelly & Ashanti | writer3 = | extra3 = | length3 = 4:31

| title4 = What's My Name | note4 = featuring Ashanti | writer4 = | extra4 = | length4 = 4:26

| title5 = New York | note5 = featuring Fat Joe & Jadakiss | writer5 = | extra5 = | length5 = 4:18

| title6 = Stripping Game | note6 = skit | writer6 = | extra6 = | length6 = 1:15

| title7 = The Manual | note7 = | writer7 = | extra7 = | length7 = 4:18

| title8 = Get It Started | note8 = featuring Claudette Ortiz | writer8 = | extra8 = | length8 = 4:00

| title9 = R.U.L.E. | note9 = | writer9 = | extra9 = | length9 = 3:37

| title10 = True Story | note10 = skit | writer10 = Richard Wilson | extra10 = Dat Nigga Reb | length10 = 0:30

| title11 = Caught Up | note11 = featuring Lloyd | writer11 = | extra11 = | length11 = 4:29

| title12 = Gun Talk | note12 = featuring Black Child | writer12 = | extra12 = | length12 = 4:30

| title13 = Never Thought | note13 = | writer13 = | extra13 = | length13 = 4:42

| title14 = Life Goes On | note14 = featuring Trick Daddy & Chink Santana | writer14 = | extra14 = | length14 = 4:52

| title15 = Weed | note15 = skit | writer15 = | extra15 = | length15 = 1:55

| title16 = Where I'm From | note16 = featuring Lloyd | writer16 = | extra16 = | length16 = 5:11

| title17 = Bout My Business | note17 = featuring Caddillac Tah, Black Child & Young Merc | writer17 = | extra17 = | length17 = 3:39

| title18 = Passion | note18 = | writer18 = | extra18 = | length18 = 8:37

| headline = Japan bonus track | extra_column = Producer(s) | title19 = Better Days | note19 = | writer19 = | extra19 = Jimi Kendrix | length19 = 4:37

Notes

• signifies a co-producer.
• "Stripping Game (skit)" and "Weed (skit)" were removed from the edited version of the album.

Sample credits

• "What's My Name" contains samples from the "Farandole", written and performed by Bob James.
• "New York" contains interpolations from "100 Guns", written by Lawrence Parker.
• "Stripping Game (skit)" contains dialogue from the motion picture The Players Club.
• "R.U.L.E" contains interpolations from "They Ain't JE", written by Phalon Alexander, Brandon Casey, and Brian Casey.
• "Bout My Business" contains a sample of "Hogan's Thing", written and performed by Simon Haseley.

Personnel

• Ja Rule – executive producer
• Won "Engineer to the Stars" Bee Allen – engineer (1, 4, 6, 8–10, 15, 17)
• Milwaukee "Protools King" Buck – engineer (2–5, 7–9, 11–14, 16, 18), mixing (1, 6, 10, 15)
• James "J Mellow" Clark – keyboard and bass guitar (17)
• Francion Corbett – additional programming (7)
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Supa Engineer DURO – mixing (2–4, 7, 12–14, 18)
• Irv Gotti – executive producer
• Terry "T-Mac" Herbert – assistant engineer (2–4, 7–9, 11–14, 16, 18), assistant mix engineer (1, 6, 10, 15), additional vocals (1)
• Gavin "YG" Johnston – assistant engineer (1, 4, 6, 8–10, 17)
• James Johnston – guitars (7)
• Demetrius "Demi-Doc" McGhee – bass guitar (3, 7, 16), keyboards (13, 16), organ (3), strings (3), additional keyboards (3, 7, 11, 18), additional bass guitar (18), additional strings (18)
• Giselle Moya – additional vocals (13)
• Alexi Panos – additional vocals (11)
• Mimi "Audia" Parker – assistant mix engineer (8)
• Shawn Smith – guitars (13)
• Brian Springer – mixing (5, 8, 9, 11, 16, 17)

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2004–05) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australian Urban Albums (ARIA) | 10 | | Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) | 34 | | Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) | 8 | | Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 46 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2005)	Position
US Billboard 200	150
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	46
::

Certifications

References

References

1. (September 17, 2004). "Ja Rule: 'Wonderful'".
2. "R.U.L.E.: Ja Rule: Music".
3. D'Angelo, Joe. (November 17, 2004). "News : Eminem Shreds The Competition, Even With A Premature Encore". [[Country Music Television]].
4. Mitchell, Gail. (October 7, 2007). "Rapper Ja Rule releasing first album in 3 years". [[Billboard (magazine).
5. Birchmeier, Jason. "R.U.L.E. - Ja Rule". [[AllMusic]].
6. Gunatilaka, Timothy. (November 26, 2004). "R.U.L.E.".
7. Tindal, K.B.. (November 24, 2004). "Ja Rule - R.U.L.E.". Cheri Media Group.
8. Juon, Steve 'Flash'. (November 9, 2004). "Ja Rule :: R.U.L.E. :: Def Jam".
9. Jones, Steve. (November 8, 2004). "Elton John's 'Peachtree Road': An unforgettable joy ride". [[Gannett]].
10. Rabin, Nathan. (January 17, 2005). "Purple Haze/R.U.L.E.". [[The A.V. Club]].
11. (2004). "R.U.L.E.". [[Murder Inc Records.
12. (March 7, 2005). "ARIA Urban Chart – Week Commencing 7th March 2005". [[Australian Recording Industry Association]].
13. (November 25, 2004). "Albums : Top 100".
14. (December 2, 2004). "R&B : Top 50".
15. "ルール". [[Oricon]].
16. "Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums - 2005".
17. "Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 2005".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::