Ja Rule's The Mirror: A Review

Ja Rule was once assailed by fans and critics for the sin of self-importance in an industry built on narcissism. The Hollis, Queens rapper's frequent references to martyrdom and attempts to associate himself with the legacy of Tupac Shakur seemed to bespeak an artist whose ego knew no bounds, and seemed to outstrip even the excesses of "Nas Escobar" and "the god emcee...Jay-hova". Tupac's melodrama was tempered by passionate sincerity and his own well publicized legal troubles; by contrast Ja Rule's always came across as haughty, spoiled and insubstantial. Martyrdom? Was the rapper who made millions off crossover hits with the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti (clumsily) playing a role designed to attract fans, was he too thin-skinned to handle sudden fame, or was he, as his rapper persona suggested, simply self-involved enough to develop a persecution complex?

Some of his signature melodramatic flourishes dominate The Mirror, but in the rapper's defense between the release of this album and his last, the rapper did go through quite a lot. Having halted his recording output in the wake of the trials of Irv Gotti and Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff did not help matters, he inadvertently gave credence to 50 Cent's boast that the G-Unit general had ended Ja's career with a long-running smear campaign. Persistent rumors of tension between the label's songstress Ashanti and label head Irv Gotti did not help matters.

So sure, Ja's drama might not match the level of attacks from a standing Vice President, a shooting, incarceration, and a bi-coastal rivalry with a former friend à la Mr. Shakur. But a six year beef with three of hip-hop's biggest stars - Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, as well as a steady erosion in his own commercial success demands listeners cut him some slack, even if he does name drop Tupac halfway through the second song.