Ja Rule took to Twitter last year to address his absence from VIBE and Billboard’s lists of the greatest rappers. Despite congratulating the selected artists, he argued that his accomplishments justified inclusion. During a recent appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, he delved deeper into his stance, asserting that, while musical preferences are subjective, it’s “statistically impossible” for him to be omitted.
Ja Rule began by expressing his lack of animosity, applauding those on the list. He acknowledged the subjectivity of music, emphasizing personal preferences. However, he questioned the validity of the lists, particularly when compiled by Billboard, an entity known for numbers and statistics.
“Music is subjective. You like who you want to like, everybody has their favorite artist,” Ja Rule noted. “But my thing was: this is a list comprised by Billboard. They do numbers and statistics, if I’m not mistaken. Okay so, that list is impossible to make without Ja Rule being on it — statistically impossible.”
He highlighted that some artists lack number-one records or albums, yet they make these lists. Ja Rule refrained from disparaging anyone on the list, acknowledging the subjective nature of musical tastes. Regarding older artists, he recognized the need for different metrics due to their historical context.
“I’m not knocking anybody on the list because, like I said, music is subjective… And when it comes to some of the older artists, you kind of got to go by different metrics because they didn’t have the sales. So I get that, but I said what I said.”
In conclusion, Ja Rule’s perspective challenges the criteria used in creating such lists, emphasizing the importance of considering diverse metrics beyond sales. His assertion of being “statistically impossible” to exclude prompts a critical examination of how these rankings are compiled.