Ja Rule: TVT Records Turned Down Jay Z, DMX, Dr. Dre and More

www.vladtv.com - Ja Rule opened up to VladTV about his first record deal with TVT when he was rolling with the Cash Money Click, and the Queens rapper believed the label could have been the biggest in the industry. He revealed that Dr. Dre shopped his "Chronic" album to the label, but CEO Steve Gottlieb turned the legendary rapper/producer down, along with Snoop Dogg, DMX, Jay Z, and more.
During the sit-down Ja Rule also spoke about how Irv Gotti's quick thinking got him signed with Def Jam, but he admitted that it was a tough decision since CEO Lyor Cohen didn't want to sign his Cash Money Click partners.
Ja explained that he was also put in a bind with Def Jam after he had trouble getting out of his TVT contract, which you can hear more about in the above clip.

[@MrLesWhite]

Irv Gotti was pretty much HR for east coast hip hop in 90's and early 2000's .. dude was handing out superstars like candy

[@michaelbull4344]

True irv don t get the credit he deserves he the reason why ja dmx and jay z got put on def jam

[@vahidmusic1648]

Ja rule is a great artist. Shame on the people that turned they backs to him. 1999-2005 ja rule drooped hits

[@byronherrera1568]

1999-2004 2005 was 50 and lil wayne

[@brianterry7144]

Smh

[@moneymarc1378]

@@byronherrera1568 fuck 50 cent n Wayne

[@johanneswelteverstaan520]

ja da bow down or bring the war

[@Mr.Wayne.1]

ON GOD!!!!!!

[@edupbeat]

I called the Box & ordered thuggish ruggish bone 11times one month. My mama beat the shit outta me when she got her phone bill..

[@apexone5502]

edupbeat Lol.

[@unique74muzik]

lmfao!!!

[@slangmet352]

edupbeat ran outside laughing

[@vaxx9922]

Lol

[@MrRafie82]

edupbeat Hahahaha That's real fam! I think most of us can relate!

[@LilShawtyWood]

no matter what yall think or say about ja rule he still one of my favorite, he may not have been the first to mix rap with r&b but he damn sholl one of the best who did it plus he sold millions of records before streaming became part of record sells

[@osamabeenmobbin4251]

Nobody's trying to take your opinion.

[@MrEOM41]

Right in the early 2000s Ja Rule and Nelly definitely were selling records big time

[@ghhhp]

people really don’t remember the hits this dude had lol most people nowadays are prolly actually too young to even know 😔

[@elliot2177]

Ja rule made hits regardless of what broke ass haters think.Can I get a was Ja song before Jay took it.He was and still is one of Def Jam and hip hop`s biggest selling artist.You are supposed to get in the game to be the best , highest record selling artist so of course you want those radio hits especially back then.Artists were going double ,triple platinum. That's the whole idea.Why the fuck else you in it for?

[@thebest12700]

E Haynes yea 50 really got people on the hate ja wagon. ja was a great artist, far from my fav, but we all rocked to his songs. even during the 50 beef he had a few good songs here and there

[@elliot2177]

thebest12700 i rocked to ja and still do..Lyor cohen saw it.Murder inc held it down for a minute until the feds caught up to them over that supreme team bullshit.If it weren't for that, who knows how far he would have gone.As far as 50 , I believe they did banged him out in the studio but I like both 50 and ja .50 just had a powerhouse team behind him but they are both talented.I like ja music better personally.

[@ReCkLeSsErr0r]

E Haynes word. Ja was pretty raw back in his younger days. Even his loose change diss against em 50 and dre was pretty nasty.

[@ReCkLeSsErr0r]

***** As Jay Z once said "Do you listen to music, or do you just skim through it?"

[@elliot2177]

***** well, you couls have love for it all you want but if you don't sell any records, you are gone.You could love it all but definitely money is one of the reason why you are in it.If not, why sign a record deal/contract? Do it as a hobby then.

[@DRMFC1722]

Everyone bumped to ja back in the day. 90’s and early 00’s was 🔥

[@GeronFletcher]

Damn that label could have been THE label

[@apexone5502]

Geron Fletcher I wonder if they are kicking themselves to this day?

[@ratedrva757]

Apexone they should be off dre and snoop alone.nevertheless Jay-Z and dmx

[@knightmaremystery1553]

Nope LOUD REC

[@DuceVasquez215]

111thomas1111 see Def Jam

[@DuceVasquez215]

111thomas1111 Lmfao true and true

[@1millioneyes610]

Tvt's best artist was like Lil Jon and the Eastsideboys, and Snoop Dogg's the Eastsidaz. Whoever made the final decisions on that label dug their own grave.

[@stlbjh]

If you don't know what The Box is, you are too young to be looking at this video.

[@im_satisfy]

I love hearing about these old school stories!

[@gregglass4796]

Satisfy we

[@romano8168]

Thumbs up for a collab interview with 50 Cent and Ja Rule on the same Vlad couch at the same time.

[@thekillerklebb]

Romano 50 got a album coming out, he cant be go to jail for murder any time soon

[@onmyRNS38]

why would he do that,when he motivated 50 getting shot,That's beef that'll never die

[@DCMFR]

50 will just buy Ja Rules side of the couch and have it sawn off, so that Ja has to stand up the whole interview

[@wiiiz3]

It would be to see them get along but after seeing how 50 treated Tony yayo on pwr 105, I realized that he hasn't matured that much like Ja. Plus, he still beefing with everyone. Being a bully is in him, u can't change him.

[@romano8168]

murakulus LOOOL. That sounds like 50 to me xD

[@polo90968]

I fuks wit Ja Rule

[@iamyourbiggestfan6420]

I iz fuks wit Ja 2 fo sho bruh 😂

[@Trill_I_Am]

Who gives a fuck about what Ja Rule have to say in a time like this.

[@margeeter]

Hahaha Dave Chappelle

[@professrsmokem4299]

WHERE IS JA?!?!?!?!!

[@Trill_I_Am]

It's always that 1 square who always ruins the fun of the joke.

[@eatsleeptrainrepeat7906]

COSMO JOE my bad, it's gone over my head haa sorry bro

[@mauricewilson7116]

"WHERE IS JA!!!?" "Help me Ja Rule" - Dave Chappelle, 2004

[@andregrant9997]

Man, i always feel so bad about what happened to Ja Rule. Seems like a genuine nice, funny guy

[@SlapBoxCity]

damn vlad sitting on interviews from almost a year ago lol

[@thatguyfrom313]

Back when.you.had a VCR and record videos all damn day.. Those were your season movies inlike DVD flicks.I love the 90s.

[@coreybendolph4103]

Ja has a dope discography between tha VVV ,3:36 , Pain is Love and the Rule was slept on

[@LegCreator]

If Ja rule and ashanti made one last top hit together ...

[@eatsleeptrainrepeat7906]

LegCreator he's already said he's doing an EP with Ashanti in his latest interview! Roll on cos that'll be fire..i hope!!

[@therealjokergunraiders]

they just dropped a new single yesterday !!

[@JamesPromise]

Ja rule is not a ruthless villain .He is just a man that wants to grow and win later get his wings so he could fly far deep in the sky's .

[@brodank]

Whoa! A NINE INCH NAILS mention on vladtv ?!? Now i have heard it all!!

[@thebest12700]

lol no wonder tvt sucked so bad. they slept on all the talent at that time

[@jreel]

Lmao VladTV is a sneaky dude. This interview is decades old my guy.

[@LovemeMILLS]

Really ???

[@youngali505]

Tish nah like a year

[@002brooklyn]

A whole yr? Too long

[@masonerrb]

***** ur an idiot

[@jreel]

masonerrb You're* Fucking idiot

[@awheaten]

I remember The Box 94, 95, 96, 97, 98?. Then I bought cable.

[@bradfordobama]

Ja should come back as the next Fast & Furious villain.

[@dpolanco96]

Bob Dole lol and 50 cent should be the real villain who betrays him

[@hellaflush787]

@@dpolanco96 lmfaoooooo! I like that one 🤣🤣

[@MiaRosenbloom]

Ja Rule is one of my favorite rappers. I like 50 Cent and all, but Ja Rule's diss album "Blood In My Eye" was one of Ja's best work. The Crown and Clap Back alone was enough reason to buy it. Blood In My Eye is definitely in my CD collection. Yeah motherfuckers, CDs! Ya know, those things that spin around, and keeps the music sounding exactly how it was recorded in the studio, instead of butchering it down into an MP3 file.

[@gregglass4796]

MzMiaRoseTV we

[@gregglass4796]

we

[@thunderbeast9831]

brother, CD also stores songs as mp3😭😂😂😂

[@shush97]

@@thunderbeast9831 incorrect. The lossless file on the cd is not MP3

[@thunderbeast9831]

@@shush97 really?,🤔 what is the format then?

[@okniceguy]

Lol.. They mentioned "The Box"... Who remembers that? I think if you called in and hit "3-3-6" on your phone you got to listen to Wu Tang's "Triumph." lol This is where I heard and saw Daft Punk's "One More Time," "Aerodynamic" and I think "Digital Love"...

[@BigTeamTV]

RULLLLLLLEEEEEEEE BAAAABBBBBYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Ja Rule Voice)

[@mylesjoseph-givhan7487]

Damn every time read a the comments in a Ja Rule video i realize he'll never escape that Dave Chapelle skit.. -Where is Ja???

[@BlackJohnnyCage]

I remember watching The box & seeing the numbers with the phone... I use to wish someone would Call(I was too Young to Call) & request Three 6 Mafia's Late Nite Tip/Tear Da Club Up, Cash Money or No Limit.

[@maximillioninc.5122]

I remember The Box heavy. Watching it all night and seeing all the nusic bangers of that time. Good times. I thought I was the only man that watched The Box. I used to see Rule video I cry and put it on me all the damn time lol just saying.

[@DuceVasquez215]

THE BOX! I remember my sister ran up the bill on that jawn lol but I loved The Box

[@Daveosbeatz]

I remember the box lol.i feel old ja lol..I was on 50s side when I was younger but I through on the V.V.V cd from ja the other day and was hype lol his music was great and crazy how shit happened

[@queens2nd2none]

Wow... This story brought back some memories cause I remember "The Box, Music Television YOU Control" and remember seeing Get The Fortune and All I Need on there all the time, never connected the 2 videos but i do remember them airing al the time, i loved that Get The Fortune track back then, so crazy Ja brought it up cause it still to this day is one of my favorite tracks by him and its one of hia earliest. TVT totally messed up, 9 inch nails? Turned down Ja, X and Jay? That Mic Geronimo album was flames, they should a kept going... I know they kicked themselves once they seen all those guys go on to have amazing solo careers. This is hands down one of my favoritr hip hop stories and favorite Vlad interviews. Props for not being a douche for once and keeping bias out of a conversation.

[@DarkSideOfTheBrightSide]

Speaking about himself in 3rd person, though.

[@thatguyfrom313]

I remember Cash Money Click. Their video.used to come on the Jukebox.. I remember Ja had a real.ill aggressive style... The song was tight as Hell.

[@jaredp1516]

oh my lord that last part would of lead on to a another 20 minute video haha

[@LoneStarVII]

Man STILL has ja rule interviews in his duffle

[@valentinomiller2227]

It's easy to say what could, would, should have been, but there really is no way of knowing what would be today had different choices been made yesterday. Everything happens exactly the way that it's supposed to happen.

[@archieepps3011]

The Box is now MTV2 in case you're wondering.

[@poloregal]

Damn... I got another guy: enter Dmx, two multi-plat albums in one year. Damn. Irv you had it man. Damn Feds.

[@BlackstreetBoys2Men]

crazy Ja got hated for being soft/pop or crossing over whatever Ja could always spit bars smh haters gonna hate tho

[@doneden1]

Great story! To see things play out years later!

[@tamaku2903]

TvT would have been bigger than Bad Boys and Death Row hands down.

[@LarinzoAllan]

Dope story. This explains why Lil Jon said he would never record for TVT again. Unfortunately TVT went bankrupt years later & was bought out. Big time fail.

[@jeffcordova9633]

TVT fucked over Sevendust big time too, much Respect to Ja Rule

[@thekerneljames]

TVT had Jurassic 5 for a brief period, too

[@itsrelativ3967]

TVT RECORDS are now defunct.

[@mondoclapper723]

The BOX was the shit!

[@VyruzBeatz]

You Gotta Love Stories Like These.

[@GzLIVE4EVA]

Nice interview Rule. Bout time!

[@ingui007]

Bruh.....TVT fucked up big time if what Ja Rule is saying is true.

[@antwanefort]

Ingui Jung Man....TVT would have been a monster. Jay-Z , Dr Dre , Snoop Dogg ,DMX , NIN , and Ja Rule . You know Warren G would have came with Dr Dre. Memphis Bleek would have follow Jay-Z . Swiss had been friends with DMX since the beginning so he would have came. It would have been a monster label.

[@ingui007]

You right bruh. But hey, Michael Jordan got cut from his high school team. Steve Jobs was homeless at one point. Albert Einstein was dyslexic. Beethoven was deaf. From adversity, comes triumph fam. *****

[@mauricewilson7116]

Damn TVT Could've been a powerhouse in the music industry smh

[@demetriusturner3571]

+antwane fort they had yo gotti too... he paid himself out of that contract with his own money too!

[@antwanefort]

demetrius turner​ true. Forgot about that.

[@sthe1496]

Great Interview.Real Stories.Why are you not telling these stories in your music Ja?

[@Alphasports576]

The Box brings back great memories of my childhood

[@Tirrell25]

It kind of makes you wonder about this record label.were they some college kods with degrees who were just followers of what they believed in school with be successful,or did they just only have a ear of only one side of music of the era they were coming up in with a bias opinion for what originality would be?

[@TJASYLUM]

This interview is from like 2012 haha

[@travelinman]

Good interview

[@greenplanefilms3722]

Great fucking story telling. I stay on this channel.

[@mzeesensenta5281]

Damn passed on Dr Dre and Snoop, Jay, X and Jah. That's over a 100 million record sells right there.

[@pauloskidane2819]

Ja was signed there

[@Fat3E]

The Box used to be the shit back in the day!!! #Memories

[@lewjones3]

Have you guys noticed how the older rappers are more articulate than these new rappers? Watch a Migos or a Lil Baby interview to see what I'm talking about

[@ryanjames6480]

Thats cause they older lmao watch a ja interview from 99

[@puyearprod.929]

Ja is probably as annoyed about all the 50 questions as Nick Cannon is with the Eminem questions. Or MGK with the Eminem questions. Or Jadakiss with the Eminem questions. Or Eminem with the Eminem questions

[@ImabelleRegine]

Good Story Love you Jarule

[@macktasticification]

tvt is the reason lil jon and the eastside boyz fell off hard!!!! they coda really done some shit

[@situationofchaos]

Can Ja make a comeback???

[@situationofchaos]

haha. he did have some hits back in the day tho

[@purposeandgoals1189]

Can't happen. It's a different day and age. His rap style wouldn't fit. Like he's more of a rapper. When I say that, its to say that this era of hip-hop is more about a particular beat than actually rapping. He's an actual rapper unlike alot of rappers out now. And the mirror was a testament to that. Hip-hop no longer excepted ja's music because of the change that hip-hop. If u can't adapt to the music like he wouldn't b able 2 than u can't keep up and u definitely isn't going 2 make a comeback. And if he tried 2 adapt meaning changing his entire style he would probably b wack asf.

[@AkronKid330]

situationofchaos some? A lot. He was the best at ehat he did

[@wiiiz3]

situationofchaos Did he have some hits back then? Really? You must've been living under a rock

[@kecola]

Nah, I think he would get the same nonexistent welcome back that Mase got when he tried it with a comeback flop.

[@matthewmann8969]

Lil Jon And Pitbull were that records biggest acts in Hip Hop Slash Rap that is

[@followerOfJesus723]

Hey, he forgot Caddilac Tah!

[@KMas89]

that was a dope story

[@inmyopinion651]

Imagine having to live with knowing you turned down Dre and the Chronic album. WOW

[@jozaddy4635]

Lowkey, Ja Rule a good story teller

[@anthonymoffatt4383]

i remember the box son 😂😂🤣😂😂🤣 never order a video

[@walterclark3198]

Tvt records also passed on Busta rhymes wtf was that record label thinking.

[@djdamage514]

I do remember that Tha Eastsidaz with Snoop was on TVT

[@matthoneyman406]

Best interview iv seen , what a great guy n very inspiring, n I was one who didn’t like him back in the day !! Good interview vlad

[@TBF_SMOKEZ]

yea i remember the box. real oldschool shit. thats when no social media on elaborate cellphones but real rap videos and real shows back then.

[@ramp622]

Ja rule fucked up by not releasing records, period. If I were to ask 100 people back then if they knew of the beef between ja rule and 50 cent, half of them would say no, and the other half wouldn't give a shit, as long as ja rule continues to make songs they can vibe to it none of that beef shit matters.

[@unclebuck39]

50 cent 3-0 body bag.

[@dandrijackson1031]

Hoodie Harrelson never

[@sadiki1980]

This is real cause TVT fuced up the Snoop Dogg and Eastsidaz chit too!

[@JesusLaramcyeezuz21]

1:33 The Ja Rule Laugh 🤣😂

[@DJObiSmalls]

"THE BOX... Smash Hits You Control"

[@BankaiTousen]

lol I ordered Busta Rhymes gimme some more like 40 times on The Box my mom got the bill and my ass was tore up from the roota to the toota

[@RuthIessVillain]

Vlad stays putting out clips from old ass interviews smh...

[@user-bs6os7dn5v]

I wouldn't be surprised if he uploads interviews from 1995. LoL

[@ElMundoDeSam95]

If he makes money he will continue to do so

[@RappersDigest]

Livin It Up 👑

[@62grows]

Ahh THE BOX. what I do remember is that damn Sir Mix-A-Lot Put em on Da Glass video...sheesh!!!

[@everettcallaghan7087]

I fuck with Nine Inch Nails and DMX. Huge mistake letting them go.

[@dameonjones3102]

That was a deep story!

[@andrewkidd1747]

Mic Geronimo was a nice MC.

[@wakisiffredi9193]

Ja seems down to earth now that hes out of the limelight

[@musahaque2000]

I don't get it, what was Dre tryin' to do at the time? Shoppin' his first album to a label, what does that mean? Also with the other rappers like Ja, Snoop and Jay goin' to some label?

[@zlistcelebrityYT]

By the time he says "Long story short" the story's already long

[@isayballsalot98]

Lyor Been Hunting Niggaa his Whole Life...

[@GrimeeRappuh]

loved cash money click !!

[@skineyemin4276]

How could anyone NOT get "The Chronic" album? Even you didn't like that album, the production alone should have gotten it signed. Well, at least he was an equal opportunity buffoon, he wasn't feeling Nine Inch Nails either.

[@KingMikeGoRatchetEnt]

TVT Records The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made - Yo Gotti ( Send Me A Angel )

[@cee982]

Ja one of my favorite mcs if not the best

[@Darealcris]

What video was that in black and w h ite in the intro in 1996..data you're Alli need to get by

[@nmorgan24]

The Box was ahead of its time.

[@LilBlAcK76]

And then there was X

[@omegawicked1]

I remember the box very well. their slogan was the music u control. my sister use to order mariah carey honey video. This was back in 1997. wen puff daddy was the shit. then 2001 came n the back was gone. then u have mtv2.

[@TollFree999]

People still bring up old beefs like w/50....how long before they let that stale shit go

[@adr1418bx]

Great interview. I wish Biggie, Charli b More and Jay would of had that group THE COMMISSION

[@elliot2177]

Hell yeah, if the commission would have taken off,whewwww!!!