16 years ago, Ja Rule released his third album, ‘Pain Is Love’ on Murder Inc. Records, Def Jam Recordings and PolyGram.
Upon its release the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was commercially successful with two number one singles: “I’m Real” and “Always on Time.”
‘Pain Is Love’ was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over 3,000,000 copies.
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As an artist, Ja Rule’s hit records and success helped catapult the reputation of Murder Inc. Records and kickstart the careers of other artists like Ashanti. To this day, the album provides a feeling of nostalgia of what hip-hop was like in the early 2000s.