Published: Wednesday - August 11, 2004
Words by Jay Casteel
Irv Gotti & Ja Rule (Photo: Dave Goodson/ BallerStatus)
The Inc.'s CEO, Irv Gotti, is determined to re-establish the once powerful label back to its glory days when its flagship artist, Ja Rule, ruled the charts.
Although Ja Rule's last album, Blood In My Eye, was a commercial failure compared to previous releases, Gotti feels Ja is due for a comeback. That comeback being his next LP, titled R.U.L.E..
"This is Ja's best album," Gotti told MTV News. "With the combination of big records like the R. Kelly record, street records, feeling records... even the skits are bananas. I really want n----s to put the album in and really soak it up. Everything about it is crazy."
Months ago, Gotti leaked a Ja Rule/R. Kelly collabo called "I Wonder" to radio and was hoping to shoot a video for the song, but getting Jive to clear Kelly's lyrics was a task in itself. According to Gotti, Kelly himself had to step in to square things away.
As far as the label "falling off" as some critics have said, Gotti says he shakes the comments off and continues to re-build his label.
"I don't like to talk about it," explained Gotti, "but when I hear what's out there and I hear our music, I know we make right music. We gotta get through this little hatred, but I think people are seeing the light a little more."
Ja Rule's sixth solo LP, R.U.L.E., is slated for release November 9, a week prior to Ashanti's third LP.
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