The heyday of Ja Rule's popularity is well past him.  He knows it.  Def Jam knows it.  A greatest hits album can oftentimes be the last gasp of air from a label trying to snuff out an artist past their prime.  Since his "battle" with the currently omnipresent 50 Cent, the public has turned their back on the man who could once be heard on several top 10 records at the same time, popping up everytime you'd see an R&B songstress in need of some hip-hop credibility on her new remix.  Yet, as 50 harmonizes about us window shoppers, it doesn't seem too long ago that Ja was ostracized for the same ations.  Regardless, Ja has decided to forgo the usual formalities of greatest hits records by going with a "best of..." format featuring plenty of new tracks and fan favorites along with past Hot 100 burners and Top 40 hits.  While this isn't a journey through the best era of hip-hop, it's certainly a snapshot of the first few years of the post-bling era by one of it's most equally beloved and hated figures.

It seems as if we forgot that "It must be the ASS" was endlessly heard on America' stereo systems and video request shows less than 3 years ago, as if hip-hop's ashamed of the gravelly-voiced icon of "thug lovin'".  This album shows exactly why we both loved the singing gangsta and grew to hate him.  Before it chroniclogically goes through the songs that will keep Ja Rule ear ning tour money for the next 10 years, Exodus reminds us that Ja still does rap.  And, if the "Exodus" introduction is any indication, he can still rap well.  The album oon reminds us Ja was once recognized as the next great MC after getting cosigned by hip-hop's finest in Jay-Z and DMX, who costar on the gritty 1999 anthem "It's Murda".  It's refreshing to hear this trio again, sounding perfectly natural as their younger selves threatinging anyone who dare come between them and glory.  Yet, by 2000's breakaway hit Rule 3:36, Ja had made his particular brand of hip-hop for the ladies into a huge success with cart toppers like "Put it on Me" and "I Cry".  This eventually led to the crown jewel of this genre, the mind-numbingly catchy "Always on Time", which helped break Ashanti to the world with her hook that had teenage girls singing along all over the US.  However, in keeping all of the huge hits, more than a few terrible missteps are featured, like sound-a-likes "Mesmerize" and "Wonderful" and the Bobby Brown-featured, disturbing ode to "Thug Lovin'". 

The album even captures some of Ja's later attempts to recapture his old magic, with darker singles like the forced-on-the-public anthem "New York" and the surprisingly catchy response to Ja's fledging popularity,"Clap Back".  Still, nothing is truly reminiscent of the murderous catchiness that "Holla, Holla" brought with it.  While that gem is included, there are a few missing hits and album cuts that fans might be mad about.  The Murder Inc. compilation #1 hit "Down 4 U" is missing, as well as the reggae-inflected "The Crown" and affair ode "Between Me & You".  Still, this album accomplishes its job.  Casual fans of Ja Rule's music have never been able to get a collection of his hit tracks together before this, but it also rewards die-hard fans with plenty of new music.  Maybe this is truly the end for the man who once called himself th second coming of 2Pac, but it could have ended worse.  He could have made a video singing with Ma$e.

Go Hard: "It's Murda", "Always on Time", "Holla, Holla", "Exodus (Intro)", "Clap Back"

Hardly: "Thug Lovin'", "Mesmerize", "Wonderful", "Me"

Overall: 3.5 out of Six Shots