As Nas narrates his way through this series, Origins of Hip Hop gives new perspectives on artists that have been hailed as icons. The A&E docuseries tackles the lives and careers of many of our Rap favorites, including Ja Rule who has dished out a hit or two throughout his lengthy stay in the industry. Often, fans grow so familiar with these artists that there is a belief there isn't much new to learn, and Origins of Hip Hop is dispelling that myth one episode at a time.
Ahead of its premiere over the weekend, teasers were shared including one about Ja Rule. The "Between Me & You" hitmaker spoke about doing whatever he could to make money prior to becoming famous, especially considering that his mother was struggling financially.
“She couldn’t really lean on any family for financial help,” Ja said. “At that moment, I knew that I was willing to do whatever I had to do to help. What I seen at first as a success was drug dealers. They had cars, they had money, they had women, and I was like, ‘Alright, I’m in.'” At that time, Ja was about 16 years old.
"The music was always there," he added, noting that he would use his traveling time to work on his craft. "I dropped out in the 11th grade, I said, 'I could make a G a week, I'm cool." Elsewhere, Ja reportedly revealed that when he finally signed his deal, he received a $50K advance and spent nearly $40K on a registered nurse to care for his mother.
“I went to tell my mother that I had the deal and she told me she was diagnosed with cancer, the same day,” said Ja. “We don’t give up on our family, we fight the fight." Check out a clip of Ja Rule on Origins of Hip Hop below.
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