S. Samuel
R&B singer Ashanti recently updated fans on her status with former Murder Inc. Records labelmate Ja Rule and admitted they had an extensive conversation to patch things up.
Talking to radio veteran Rickey Smiley, Ashanti also sent her best wishes to Rule as he serves out a jail
“You know what? We had like a three and a half hour conversation right before he went in [to jail] and we just hashed out years and years and years of stuff,” Ashanti revealed. “You know? That’s my brother. I love him and I hope he’s doing well. … I think he’s in good spirits. We’ve all been through a lot. We’ve all grown. We’ve all learend. We were all young starting out in the industry. We’re all good. We hashed out a lot of stuff and we needed that.” (“Rickey Smiley Morning Show”)
In 2009, the singer talked about reuniting with Rule for a VH1 Hip Hop Honors performance.
“It’s been great,” she said in an interview. “I haven’t performed with Ja since — I can’t even remember it’s been so long. We talked to each other on the phone and we said, ‘Yo, we gonna make it hot! It’s gonna be like old times.’ It feels good. When we did the rehearsal, the chemistry was there.” (MTV)
During her feud with former boss Irv Gotti, SOHH hit up Rule to get his take on the dispute.
“I’ma say it like this, Irv is my brother and I respect his decisions,” Rule told SOHH. “I don’t have any problems with Ashanti. That’s my sister. We’re a family so it’s funny, it’s like my brother and my sister are fighting. You see what I’m saying? It’s a funny thing to me but Gotti is my brother before she was my sister so you take it how you take it. But me and Bon Bon are cool and I got love for her, that’s my sister man..I think me and Bon Bon can coincide and do some records together again. I think we might even be able to hit the road and do some shows…Me and Bonnie don’t have issues, her and Irv have issues and it’s a tough thing you know what I’m saying? He brought her into the family but…me and her never had no real friction at all.” (SOHH)
Already serving two years for his 2007 gun conviction, Rule was issued two additional charges for tax evasion last July.
Rapper Jeffrey Atkins, also known as Ja Rule, was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison for failing to file tax returns with the IRS after admitting that he did not file his taxes for five years, the Justice Department said in a news release Monday. The 35-year-old performer from Saddle River, New Jersey, had pleaded guilty to three of five counts before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz, who imposed the sentence in Newark federal court. (CNN)
Check out some Ashanti’s interview down below:
