Ja Rule Falls Flat with The Mirror

Ja Rule is back on the music scene with his first album since 2005's Exodus. Earlier in the decade, Ja was one of the biggest stars in music. However, after a rap beef with fellow Queens native 50 Cent, Ja has fallen under the radar. Will his new album, The Mirror, be able to solidify his spot as one of the most talented artists in hip hop?

The first single off The Mirror is Uhh Ohh featuring rapper Lil Wayne. The song was produced by Disco D. The track is fairly repetitive and probably was not the best way to release Ja back to the marketplace. The song just does not have the quality you would expect from Ja Rule especially being gone from the public eye for so long. The track did not really take off with the general public. Not even a strong verse from Lil Wayne could save the song.

The second single off the album is Body featuring R&B newcomer Ashley Joi. The song is much more commercially friendly than the first single. The song finds Ja in his comfort zone making a song for the females. The track is alright but just does not have the appeal of previous Ja singles.

On the Rick Steel produced Sunset, Ja is joined by West Coast rapper The Game and R&B newcomer Stefani. The song is a fairly hard track which is catchier than other singles off the album. The song features solid production and solid verses from both Ja and The Game.

It's All Hood Now is one of the strongest tracks on the album. The song is able to recapture much of the essence which made Ja a star to begin with. The song features a very radio friendly chorus which adds to the track.

Sing A Prayer 4 Me is another one of the better tracks on the album. The song features Ja returning to his sing-song formula to create a hit. The song is very reminiscent of previous Ja hits like I Cry.

Father Forgive Me features an interpolation of The Beatles hit song Eleanor Rigby. The song features Ja's typical sing song formula over the darker beat. The song is much darker than most of the content on the album.

300 is a definite street anthem featuring Newz, Tre and Merc Montana. The song should be able to give Ja a much need presence in the urban market.

Damn is one of the better songs on the album. It is able to capture the magic of previous Ja singles. The song definitely could help to get Ja back to the top.

The Mirror just is not a great hip-hop album. The production and singles are just lacking. The album material fails to see Ja connect with the current urban market. The wait for this album has been incredibly long and you feel as though it was not worth it. The Mirror gets 7 out of 10. If you're a fan of Ja Rule make sure you pick up his new album The Mirror when it is available in stores early next year.