Jeffrey “Ja Rule” Atkins has lived the life of a famous entertainer, complete with all thetriumphs and setbacks. His public feud with another Queens-based rapper Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, remains one of the biggest beefs in hip hop. In past week, it seems as if the tension had not settled while Ja speaks out the feud along with many other highlights of his life. All are featured in his new book, Unruly, The Highs and Lows of Becoming a Man. The book sheds light on the road Ja has traveled and where he is in his life right now.
Some of Ja Rule’s closest friends and mentors expressed their reactions to the new book. Russell Simmons had this to say. “I am so impressed that Ja is willing to share [his]pain with the world in the hope of preventing others from making the same mistakes. This is a book of raw wisdom and hope…” Queen Latifah shared her feelings about the book too. “I’ve known Ja for years, and yet reading this book made me feel like I was meeting a new man. If 50 Cent reads it, he will probably not be flattered by what Ja has to say about him. Accusations of snitching and even a story of Ja attacking 50 Cent with a bat seems pretty intent on keeping the conflict between the two rappers alive.
Honestly though, while most readers might gravitate towards the “rap beef” within a few chapters, Ja Rule has a lot more to say in the book. He talks about his days of incarceration behinds the walls of Oneida Correctional Facility. The hip hop star shares his stories of racism and unfair treatment in the facility and that even with his megastar past, it didn’t matter inside those walls. One excerpt says “Ya know Atkins, your kids are job security for my kids.” A connotation Ja took as the never ending cycle of incarceration for African American males.
Another portion of the book Ja Rule details his early days of meeting his father when he was four years old and the abuse he put his mother and himself through. He relived the night his mother placed him in the bedroom and armed herself with a knife threatening Ja’s father to
leave. They had no money to make ends meet and they were alienated from family for support. Ja made the decision that many young men make without a proper role model made: He started hustling.
The book gets into the start of Ja’s rap career and how he met Irv Gotti. He then talks about signing with Def Jam, drug use and deceiving his wife Aisha. All in all, Ja Rule has made the best out of a bad situation and rose to a height most celebrities never reach. The road was
never smooth — and may never be — but Ja seems prepared to live his future in a positive way.
Did you get a chance to read the book? If so, comment below with your thoughts.
