Ja Rule is pushing back on Melle Mel’s claims that the Queens rapper copied 50 Cent’s formula for success.
Earlier this week, in a preview of his new interview with The Art of Dialogue, Melle Mel shared his thoughts on Ja, saying the Murder Inc. rapper would’ve had a more illustrious career had he not tried to sound hood like Fif.
To make his point, Melle Mel referenced Ja’s 2004 hit “New York,” which he believes featured Ja trying to “sound hard” like 50.
“A lot of rappers could be better rappers if they stopped rapping like everybody else,” Mel said. “What is it that you need to say? You could be the n***a that made a song about a pool party, but you fucked around and listened to Meek Mill and went and you fucked around and did some dumb shit. It’s just like when 50 Cent was doing this shit and then when Ja Rule and that was probably one of his last big records.”
He continued: “If he woulda just made that record a pure New York record, it would have been a way bigger record. But he went the route of trying to sound hard because 50 Cent sound hard. And it was still a good record but I’m just saying, if he woulda just made it a pure New York record like how Jay-Z did with his New York record. See what I’m saying? If he woulda went along the same lines as that.”
TMZ caught up with Ja on Friday, and asked the Queens native about Mel’s comments. Ja Rule shrugged off the hip-hop legend’s remarks, saying he in fact provided the “blueprint” for 50 Cent.
“Mel has earned the right to say whatever he wants,” Ja said. “Me copying 50 is the funniest shitt ever because 50 copied me. I was his blueprint.”
As for his 2004 record “New York, Ja shared: “My ‘New York’ record was huge, humongous. One of the biggest New York records today. ‘Empire State of Mind’ is a huge record as well, but they’re different.”
Watch Ja Rule’s response to Melle Mel up top.