If you could only judge a man by hs music, you would have a pretty good argument that Ja Rule is moody.  From his beginning as the ride-or-die gangsta of Venni Vetti Vecci to his much beleagured career as the leading force in the term Hip-Hop/R&B to his most recent barrage of anger directed at his enemy 50 Cent on Blood in My Eye, this man has never stopped changing, whether it be for better or worse.  His split personality was even more evident on the two singles he simultaneously released from his fifth solo album, R.U.L.E.; there was the syrupy ballad "Wonderful" with labelmate Ashanti and King of R&B R. Kelly, but there was also the gritty, made-to-be-a-street-anthem "New York".  Regardless of the path he took on this album, Ja wants to rule.

As hard as he may be trying not to, Ja follows the tired formula each of his albums since Rule 3:36 has, with the exception of the fiery, yet misguided Blood in..., and it seriously makes this sound like an album that comp,etely plays by the rules.  Club-ready banger ("Get It Started", which features City High member Claudette Ortiz, is one of the most boring tracks Ja has ever made) next to the endless flood of R&B duets, with a dash of gangsta thrown in.  It is still, sadly, the same story all Ja Rule fans and detractors have heard countless times before.  What is sad is the lack of attractive beats, something he's never really had to worry about, making the synthy "New York" one of this album's few production gems.  This street single is also simply one of the album's best songs, as Cool & Dre's keyboard-drops help make Ja and his compatriots, the chubby thug Fat Joe and the, well, chubby thug Jadakiss, sound as gritty as he has since "Holla, Holla" or "It's Murda".  "Life Goes On" is another diamond in the rough, as Trick Daddy cements his role as one of the best guest rappers alive with a verse documenting his real-life losses extremely vividly.  Yet he peaks on the melodious title track, proving that his affinity for radio-friendly hooks is the sword he lives and, often, dies by.  Outside of this half-a-handful of good tracks, R.U.L.E. is mostly awful.  All of his collaborations with his labelmates, such as the horribly untalented Blackchild and the teenage-heartthrob Lloyd, fall flat; even the opening single "Wonderful" can't extract a decent melody out of R. Kelly or Ashanti.  The album's finale, "Passion", is a great metaphor for the album: bloated, melodramatic, and almost good.

Ja Rule's career may, in hindsight, be declared dead with 50 Cent's emergence, but he is still trying to recusitate it with all of his strength.  Yet it seems like Irv Gotti and Ja's past winning formula has failed them, making the Inc in need of good music.  Hopefully, that will be Ja's next phase.

iPod Worthy:  "New York", "Life Goes On", "R.U.L.E."

Skip 'Em:  "Get It Started", "What's My Name", "Never Thought", "Gun Talk"

Overall:  2.5 out of Six Shots

Watch the Video or download the full "R.U.L.E." album here!