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Ja Rule 'Believe' Video: Rapper Takes Backlash in Stride -- Exclusive

Posted Feb 21st 2012 11:55AM by Kenneth Partridge
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Mpire, Fontana

Before he "went upstate," as they say, in June, to begin serving a two-year prison sentence for gun possession and tax evasion, Ja Rule finished recording vocals for 'Pain Is Love 2' -- or 'PIL2' -- the long-awaited comeback record he'll drop Feb. 28. He also shot a video for the single 'Believe,' and The BoomBox has the exclusive premiere.

"You can lock my body, contract my mind/ My thoughts keep escaping," the Queens MC raps, seemingly anticipating his incarceration.

In the clip -- a fast-paced montage interspersed with vintage performance footage and religious imagery -- Ja is a free man, but he appears hemmed in by chain-link fences and his oppressive urban environment.

Produced by lauded beatmaker 7 Aurelius, Rule's collaborator on some of his biggest early-'00s hits, 'PIL2' is a sequel of sorts to 'Pain Is Love,' the rapper's multi-platinum 2001 third album. This time out, Ja and Seven have created a concept record -- the story of an artist who takes one pill and becomes massively successful but then swallows another and experiences the downside to fame.

Ja is no stranger to such rap-game pitfalls, having fought a public battle with 50 Cent, and on 'Believe,' he takes it all in stride.

"What's progression if you've never been through backlash?" he raps.

Watch Ja Rule's 'Believe' Video

Watch 'Ja Rule Speaks from Prison'

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Filed under: Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop News, Hip-Hop Videos, Exclusive
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Around The Web:

Ja Rule – PIL2 (Album Snippets / Preview) | HipHop-N-More

Ja Rule - PIL2 (Album Snippets) | New Hip Hop Music & All The New ...

Ja Rule: PIL2 (Album Sampler)

Ja Rule Delivers More Pain, "PIL2" Tracklisting Unveiled | SOHH.COM

Rap Radar :: Ja Rule PIL2 Pushed Back Again

Ja Rule – PIL2 (Album Packaging) | HipHop-N-More

Rap Release Dates: Killer Mike, Oh No, Kid Cudi, Ja Rule

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6 Comments

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MostWantedDale

This song is dope... video is good too! Every song he has dropped for this PIL2 album has been decent... be good if he does claim his spot back... I support it! PIL2 28th Feb.

February 23 2012 at 7:43 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rachel

JARULE!!!!!! iz like the best of da best....can't wait til 2-28.......waitn 2 hear dat rugget n thugish voice again!!!!!luv him just as much as I did when he 1st came out!!!! WAITN...LUVN ME SUM JA!!!

February 21 2012 at 10:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply