Artist: Ja Rule
Sounds Like: 2Pac
By Accident or On Purpose: On Purpose
Song: So Much Pain
Ja Rule made a career of chart topping, Rap&B ballads, where he balanced his street-hardened image with harmonies about ride or die chicks and exotic trips. When Ja wasn’t dominating the crossover charts, he moonlighted as slain West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur. No really. His persona, vocal tone, “Thug Life” mantra and even his tattoos invoked images of the controversial Cali emcee. The style jacking was never more evident than on songs like “So Much Pain” and “The Pledge” which directly sampled (and even featured) two of Pac’s most memorable records “Pain” and “So Many Tears”, respectively. This approach caused rappers like 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes to take aim at Ja. The backlash from the hip-hop community, who began to consider him a mainstream sellout, his affinity for Pac’s persona, and negative energy from a rising 50 Cent, ultimately spelled disaster for Ja Rule’s career.
