Who

Ja Rule is the platinum-selling hip-hop artist responsible for hits like "I'm Real" and "Always On Time," as well as some truly legendary hip-hop grudges.

Backstory

Born Jeffrey Atkins in Hollis, Queens and raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Ja Rule preached door-to-door as a kid, but his faith couldn't save him from the streets. He was arrested of minor weapons and drug charges during his teenage years, but managed to land a record deal when he signed with Steve Gottlieb's TVT Records in the mid-1990s. When TVT's talent scout Irv Gotti jumped ship to Russell Simmons' Def Jam a few years later, Ja Rule went with him; Gotti later founded the Def Jam imprint Murder Inc. with Rule as the label's flagship artist. He experienced his first dose of fame when he was featured on Jay-Z's 1998 hit "Can I Get A…"; a year later, he released his debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci. The record went platinum, the single "Holla, Holla" was played incessantly, and his presence on the Hard Knock Life hip-hop tour alongside Jay-Z, DMX, and Method Man introduced a new wave of fans to the relative newcomer. Through 2005 Rule recorded a series of albums with Def Jam, including Rule 3:36, 2001's Pain is Love, R.U.L.E., and a best-of collection called Exodus. The records featured a slew of high-profile collaborations with acts like Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Milian, and Bobby Brown.

Currently

Like every star rapper, Rule has sidelines galore: He filmed an indie movie, Don't Fade Away, with Mischa Barton, shilled for a clothing label called ErvinGeoffrey, and put his name on a liquor line, MoMo Mohito. And that's the beginning of his aspiring mogul-dom—his Rule Global Media runs a film production studio called Focus Vision, an internet radio station named 187fm.com, and the online casino StarsOnPoker.com. But fans of his music shouldn't fret about losing him to the online gaming world: Although Rule was label-less for a stretch when Irv Gotti landed in legal trouble and Murder Inc. was dropped from the Def Jam roster, Gotti's label (now renamed The Inc.) re-signed with Def Jam parent Universal in 2006 and Rule released his eighth album in March 2008. The Mirror features guest appearances by Nas, Jay-Z, and Diddy.

For the record

Fans pondered whether the name "Ja" was a reference to Jehovah or "Jah Rastafarian," until Rule himself settled the debate—they're his initials. (Duh.)

The look

The diminutive (he's 5' 6") Rule has been inked more than a few times—he's got "Pain is Love" written on his chest, and wings and halo tattooed on his back. The latter's a tribute to his only sibling, a younger sister who died in infancy of respiratory failure.

Grudge

Rule and 50 Cent have been feuding since before 50 even had a record deal. The two rappers have traded lyrical insults—and worse—for years. In 2000, friends of Ja Rule allegedly stabbed 50 Cent outside the Hit Factory on 54th Street, causing 50's lung to partially collapse. Rule has also had bitter beefs with Eminem, Busta Rhymes, and The Game, as well as Mariah Carey and Dr. Dre. As of late 2006, they all seemed to be getting along, thanks in part to a "beef mediation" conducted by the peace-loving Louis Farrakhan, who famously once called Hitler "a very great man."

Personal

Ja Rule married his longtime boo Aisha Murray in 2001. The couple has three children—Brittany, Jeff Junior, and Jordan—and live in Saddle River, New Jersey.