Ja Rule wants us to know that Pain Is Love, and whether you believe that or not, he makes a good case.
“Dial M For Murder” cuts heads while “The Inc.” doesn’t play games or mince words. “So Much Pain” screams Tupac, and surprisingly features the deceased Tupac. The pain in the words and soul that Ja Rule puts out across the air feel as real as any song done before it.
“Never Again” is the middle ground between the hard and the soft. It’s not a rock in a hard place; it’s more like a speed bump that you don’t mind driving over. “X” is hot, like Missy Elliott feels in those big jump suits she’s always sporting.
The slow down comes as “Livin’ It Up” brings some pop to the ruling hard edge. Ja Rule certainly brings the hooks and leaves nothing on the table. The ballad, yes, a ballad, is “Always On Time”, but “I’m Real” featuring Jennifer Lopez is another ballad; the difference is it has hit single written all over it.
It’s Ja Rule’s low-level growl that continues to strike you hot, no matter how many times you’ve heard him. Whether sounding hard or setting it softly, Ja Rule still hits all the spots. Pain Is Love will vault Ja Rule into the category of the big boys, right where he belongs.
+ cc morris
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