The 50-year-old rapper, who was in the country last week for his highly anticipated headline performance at Hangar 11 on Thursday, cuts a completely different figure today than the fiery icon of the early 2000s. He is now a settled family man and a doting grandfather navigating the relentless ticking of the clock, eyeing what comes next for his career and his family.<\/p>\n
In an intimate conversation last week, Ja Rule opened up about the emotional weight of aging, finding renewed artistic fire at a titan\u2019s funeral, and his firsthand memory of the moment the East Coast-West Coast rap war<\/a> became deeply personal.<\/p>\n For Ja Rule, hitting the stage these days is about taking his audience on a profound journey.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ve never seen me perform live, you\u2019re in for a treat,\u201d he noted when discussing his approach to touring. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of energy. I like to take my audience on what I call an emotional rollercoaster \u2013 ups and downs. So, we\u2019re going to dance, and we might even shed a few tears.\u201d<\/p>\n Traveling to the region during a tense climate might deter some, but for Ja Rule, the decision came down to community and celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cI came to celebrate and enjoy myself,\u201d he explained. \u201cI have many friends with ties to Israel \u2013 lots of good friends. So, I asked them, \u2018Is it okay to come here? Is everything alright?\u2019 And they said, \u2018Yeah, absolutely.\u2019 And here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n As Ja Rule looks toward the future, the realities of time and legacy are heavy on his mind, catalyzed by his young granddaughter, Bella. Mentioning her instantly transforms his expression. Early reports suggested he wanted Bella to call him \u201cBig Poppa\u201d in a nod to the Notorious B.I.G., but the veteran rapper has since softened his stance.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you know, I think I\u2019ve kind of walked back that idea a bit,\u201d he chuckled. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m 50 now, so it really doesn\u2019t matter to me what Bella decides to call me. It\u2019s all good by me. Whether it\u2019s \u2018Grandpa,\u2019 \u2018Gramps,\u2019 \u2018Big Papa,\u2019 or any other funny names she might come up with, it\u2019s all fine. She actually just turned six months old today.\u201d<\/p>\n Becoming a grandfather has naturally forced a career re-evaluation and a new perspective on how he will spend his coming years. Reflecting on his past, Ja Rule admits his hustle came at a cost.<\/p>\n \u201cBack when my own kids were small, I was constantly on the move \u2013 I was working so much,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, as they grew up, I still wanted them to see their dad doing what he does. I\u2019m not sure if Bella will get to see that. I\u2019m 50, so by the time she\u2019s old enough, I\u2019ll likely be in my 60s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStill very young, for sure,\u201d he added. \u201cBut yeah, I\u2019m not certain if I\u2019ll keep working as hard as I do now, even at 50. Then again, you never know. You just never know.\u201d<\/p>\n A trip to the funeral of music industry titan Clive Davis completely disrupted Ja Rule\u2019s thoughts on retirement and shaped how he views his next chapter. Sitting in the pews, he initially found himself craving a slower pace.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned a lot there. I left feeling truly inspired,\u201d he reflected. \u201cThe people who got up to speak talked about how stubborn and determined [Clive] was, and how he was still talking about releasing music … a few weeks before he passed away.<\/p>\n \u201cIn other words, he remained the same person until the day he died. And I\u2019m sitting there in the audience, I\u2019m 50 years old, thinking to myself that perhaps it\u2019s time to slow down a bit and spend more time with my children and grandchildren.\u201d<\/p>\n But the narrative shifted entirely when Alicia Keys stepped up to pay tribute.<\/p>\n \u201cShe shared how, at the age of 67 \u2013 after being let go from his job \u2013 he simply got up and started all over again. He discovered her, as well as [R&B singer] Mario, and all those other great artists,\u201d Ja Rule said, his voice tightening with reverence. \u201cAnd at that moment, I realized I wasn\u2019t done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Seismic era<\/p>\n Ja Rule\u2019s entry into hip-hop coincided with the genre\u2019s most seismic and tragic era, placing him on the East Coast circuit just as the feud between Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls reached its boiling point. While the bad blood simmered with Biggie\u2019s \u201cWho Shot Ya,\u201d it shattered all boundaries when Tupac unleashed the famously vicious diss track, \u201cHit \u2018Em Up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ja Rule happened to be in the room the exact moment Biggie first experienced the track, a memory that continues to shape his perspective on the vulnerability of the genre\u2019s biggest icons.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were at a music video shoot, so all of us were there,\u201d Ja Rule recalled. \u201cLil\u2019 Cease walked in with the disc or the tape \u2013 I don\u2019t remember exactly which. The tension was high, because it was personal. I think that moment was deeply personal for him; he dealt with it the way he did because he was a very sensitive person.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Ja](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/744544.jpeg\"\/)
Ja Rule performs in Tel Aviv last week. (credit: Nadav Aflalo)Ja Rule performs live in Tel Aviv<\/p>\n