Update 03/17/2023 3:03pm:

Recently, Melle Mel commented on Ja Rule, saying he copied 50 Cent’s formula by trying to sound hard just because the ‘Raising Kanan’ showrunner did it. TMZ approached Ja Rule and asked him about the comments, which prompted Ja to share his thoughts. 

“Mel has earned the right to say whatever he wants,” before saying, “Me copying 50 is the funniest s**t ever because 50 copied me. I was his blueprint.” From there, Ja Rule noted that his “New York” record was huge and different from the rest, with his being a street anthem. Watch above. 

source: TMZ


Original 03/17/2023 2:06pm:

Parts of Melle Mel’s interview with ‘Art of Dialogue’ have gone viral, with one of the clips speaking on Eminem and his status in the hip-hop world. Another portion of the interview has surfaced with Mel speaking on Ja Rule and 50 Cent. 

Mel said Ja Rule’s career could have gone differently if he didn’t try to sound like 50. “A lot of rappers could be better rappers if they stopped rapping like everybody else. What is it that you need to say? You could be the n***a that made a song about a pool party, but you f**ked around and listened to Meek Mill and went and you f**ked around and did some dumb s**t. It’s just like when 50 Cent was doing this s**t and then when Ja Rule and that was probably one of his last big records.”

After rapping Ja Rule’s “New York,” Mel said, " If he had 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.” He concluded by saying, “…consciousness does have its place in Hip Hop, but everybody is too scared about not being hard. And that’s the destruction of the whole game.” Take a look above.