A misdemeanor (also spelled misdemeanour) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions (also known as minor, petty or summary offences) and regulatory offences. Many misdemeanors are punished with monetary fines.

Contraventions are similar to misdemeanors in many civil law countries (e.g. France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland etc.).^{[citation needed]}

Distinction between felonies and misdemeanors[link]

In the United States, the federal government generally considers a crime punishable with incarceration for one year or less to be a misdemeanor.^[1] All other crimes are considered felonies^{[citation needed]}. Many states also employ this distinction^{[citation needed]}.

A misdemeanor is considered a crime of low seriousness, and a felony one of high seriousness^{[citation needed]}. A principal of the rationale for the degree punishment meted out is that the punishment should fit the crime.^[2][3][4] One standard for measurement is the degree to which a crime affects others or society. Measurements of the degree of seriousness of a crime have been developed.^[5]

The distinction between felonies and misdemeanors has been abolished by several common law jurisdictions^{[citation needed]} (e.g. Australia^[6]). These jurisdictions have generally adopted some other classification: in the Commonwealth nations of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, the crimes are divided into summary offences and indictable offences^{[citation needed]}. The Republic of Ireland, a former member of the Commonwealth, also uses these divisions^{[citation needed]}.

Typical misdemeanors and sentences[link]

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Graffiti, In the US a common form of the misdemeanor vandalism.

In some jurisdictions, those who are convicted of a misdemeanor are known as misdemeanants (as contrasted with those convicted of a felony who are known as felons). Depending on the jurisdiction, examples of misdemeanors may include: petty theft, prostitution, public intoxication, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespass, vandalism, reckless driving, possession of marijuana and in some jurisdictions first-time possession of certain other drugs, and other similar crimes.

Punishments for misdemeanors[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

In the United States, misdemeanors are typically crimes with a maximum punishment of 12 months of incarceration, typically in a local jail as contrasted with felons, who are typically incarcerated in a prison. Jurisdictions such as Massachusetts are a notable exception where the maximum punishment of some misdemeanors is up to 2.5 years. People who are convicted of misdemeanors are often punished with probation, community service, short jail term, or part-time imprisonment; served on the weekends.

Misdemeanors usually do not result in the loss of civil rights, but may result in loss of privileges, such as professional licenses, public offices, or public employment. Such effects are known as the collateral consequences of criminal charges. This is more common when the misdemeanor is related to the privilege in question (such as the loss of a taxi driver's license after a conviction for reckless driving), or when the misdemeanor involves moral turpitude – and in general is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. One prominent example of this is found in the United States Constitution, which provides that the President may be impeached and subsequently and removed from office if found guilty by Congress for "high crimes and misdemeanors". The definition of a "high crime" is left to the judgment of Congress.

In Singapore, misdemeanors generally are sentenced to months^{[clarification needed]} of jail sentence but with individual crimes^{[clarification needed]} suspects are sentenced to a harsher sentence. The penalty of vandalism is a fine not exceeding S$2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years, and also corporal punishment of not less than three strokes and not more than eight strokes of the cane.

Misdemeanor classes[link]

Possession of cannabis is an unclassified misdemeanor in parts of the US.

Depending on the jurisdiction, several classes of misdemeanors may exist; the forms of punishment can vary widely between those classes^{[citation needed]}. For example, the federal and state governments in the United States divide misdemeanors into several classes, with certain classes punishable by jail time and others carrying only a fine.^[7]

Unclassified misdemeanors[link]

In the US when a statute does not specify the class, it is referred to as an unclassified misdemeanor^{[citation needed]}. Legislators usually enact such laws when they wish to impose penalties that fall outside the framework specified by each class^{[citation needed]}. For instance, Virginia has four classes of misdemeanors, with Class 1 and Class 2 misdemeanors being punishable by twelve-month and six-month jail sentences, respectively, and Class 3 and Class 4 misdemeanors being non-jail offenses payable by fines^{[citation needed]}. First-time cannabis possession is an unclassified misdemeanor in Virginia punishable by up to 30 days in jail rather than the normal fines and jail sentences of the four classes.^[8][9]

England and Wales[link]

All distictions between felony and misdemeanour were abolished by section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1967. Prior to this, a person prosecuted for misdemeanour was called a defendant.^[10]

Northern Ireland[link]

All distictions between felony and misdemeanour were abolished by section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1967.

See also[link]

• Convicted felon
• Federal crime
• Felony
• Indictable offence
• Infraction
• Misdemeanor murder
• Summary offence

References[link]

1. ^ 18 U.S.C. § 3559
2. ^ Doing Justice - The Choice of Punishments, A VONHIRSCH, 1976, p.220
3. ^ Criminology, Larry J. Siegel
4. ^ An Economic Analysis of the Criminal Law as Preference-Shaping Policy, Duke Law Journal, Feb 1990, Vol. 1, Kenneth Dau-Schmidt, [1]
5. ^ Offense Seriousness Scaling: An Alternative to Scenario Methods, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Volume 9, Number 3, 309-322, doi:10.1007/BF01064464 James P. Lynch and Mona J. E. Danner, [2]
6. ^ Crimes Act 1958 (Vic., Australia) s. 332B(1), Crimes Act 1900 (NSW., Australia) s. 580E(1)
7. ^ See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. § 3559
8. ^ § 18.2-250.1. Possession of marijuana unlawful, Code of Virginia.
9. ^ § 18.2-11. Punishment for conviction of misdemeanor, Code of Virginia.
10. ^ O. Hood Phillips. A First Book of English Law. Sweet and Maxwell. Fourth Edition. 1960. Page 151.

Look up misdemeanor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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Foster Emerson Sylvers (born February 25, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for being a member of the family act The Sylvers and the chart topping single "Misdemeanor".

Biography[link]

Foster Sylvers released his first album Foster Sylvers on June 10, 1973. His first single, "Misdemeanor," written by his brother Leon Sylvers III, became a hit that summer charting number seven R&B on Billboard's charts. "Misdemeanor"'s follow-up was a cover of Dee Clark's 1959 hit "Hey Little Girl" charting at number 63 R&B in fall 1973. The popularity of these records led to Foster to appear on such TV shows as American Bandstand and Soul Train. In 1974 he released his second album Foster Sylvers Featuring Pat & Angie Sylvers. By 1975 he joined the rest of his brothers and sisters in the The Sylvers just in time for the Showcase album. He co-sang lead with his brother Edmund on the #1 1976 Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles song Boogie Fever. While with Capitol, Foster released another self titled album called Foster Sylvers in early 1978. Primarily produced by his family The Sylvers and their managers Al Ross and Bob Cullen. Foster then branched out into studio work just like his big brother Leon collaborating on many projects such as Dynasty ("Your Piece of the Rock," "When You Feel Like Giving Love," "Satisfied") and Evelyn "Champagne" King ("Shake Down," number 12 R&B,spring 1984). By the late 1980s Foster recorded two albums as Foster Sylvers & Hy-Tech, 1987's Plain & Simple for EMI America and 1990's Prime Time for A&M. In recent years, Foster has been noted for being on the National Sex Offenders list for a crime he committed many years ago.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

External links[link]

• Foster Sylvers at Discogs
• Foster Sylvers at All Music

Ja Rule
Ja Rule with Jaid Barrymore in February 2005
Background information
Birth name	Jeffery Atkins
Born	(1976-02-29) February 29, 1976 (age 36) Queens, New York, U.S.
Origin	Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA
Genres	Hip hop, east coast hip hop, R&B
Occupations	Rapper, Actor, Songwriter
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Def Jam, The Inc., Mpire Music Group, Fontana Distribution
Associated acts	Irv Gotti, Ashanti, Jay-Z, DMX, Fat Joe, Mpire Music Group, Vita, Lloyd, Hussein Fatal, Caddillac Tah, Mary J Blige, Charli Baltimore, Black Child, Memphis Bleek, Jadakiss, R. Kelly, 7 Aurelius
Website	ruleyork.com

Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976),^[1] better known by his stage name Ja Rule or Mockaveli, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City.

Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla". From 2000 to 2004, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Between Me and You" with Christina Milian, "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" with Jennifer Lopez, "Always on Time" with Ashanti, "Mesmerize" also with Ashanti, and "Wonderful" with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. Ja Rule has sold over 30 million records worldwide and was the fastest selling rapper in 2001^{[citation needed]}. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in-particular 50 Cent and Eminem).

Early life[link]

Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City.^[1] He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins,^[2] and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He has said got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he has described as a "white school".^[3]

Music career[link]

Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name "Ja Rule" came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him "Ja".^[4] In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build" which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998, he was a featured guest on Jay-Z's hit single "Can I Get A..." along with Amil which Ja Rule wrote the hook, and was going to be a Ja Rule solo song, until Jay heard the track.

[edit] Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)

His debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was released in 1999. Singles included "Holla Holla", "It's Murda" with Jay-Z & DMX, and "Daddy's Little Baby" with Ronald Isley. "Holla Holla" reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.^[5] Venni Vetti Vecci was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 12, 1999.^[6]

[edit] Rule 3:36 (2000)

Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single "Between Me and You", which featured Christina Milian. "Between Me and You" reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Put It On Me" reached #8 on the Hot 100.^[5] Ja's second album, Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000. Rule 3:36 debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified triple platinum.^[6]

[edit] Pain Is Love (2001)

During the late summer of 2001, Ja Rule released his third studio album, Pain Is Love. "Living It Up", featuring Case, reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Always on Time", which featured Ashanti, reached #1 on the Hot 100.^[5] Like its predecessor, Pain Is Love topped the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum.^[6] By 2007, 3.6 million copies of Pain Is Love had been sold.^[7] Ja Rule could also be heard on Artists against AIDS Worldwide's single "What's Going On."

[edit] The Last Temptation (2002)

The Last Temptation, Ja Rule's fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured the two Billboard Top 10 singles "Thug Lovin'" (#8) and "Mesmerize" (#2), another duet with Ashanti.^[5] The Last Temptation debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200.^[8] The Last Temptation was certified platinum in December 2002.^[6]

[edit] Blood in My Eye (2003)

Blood in My Eye although intended to be a mixtape, was his fifth album and the last released under the "Murder Inc." label, which renamed itself "The Inc." several days after the album release. It spawned the one and only hit "Clap Back" which reached #5 on the Top 100 and won him the Source Awards'"Fat Tape" song of the year. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S.^[8] In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.^[9]

[edit] R.U.L.E. (2004)

Ja Rule's sixth studio album R.U.L.E. was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was "Wonderful" featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti which peaked on the Billboard Top 100 Singles at #5. The single was followed by the street anthem "New York" featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at #27. The third single was the love song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd and Ashanti which charted at #15. The track "The Manual" was also a single in the UK where it peaked at #9. The RIAA certified R.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,^[6] and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[7]

Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (2005–2009)[link]

Ja Rule performing in Fort Hood, Texas, May 13, 2005

On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released Exodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song "Me" and intro and outro tracks. Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule's contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.^[1]

In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.^[10] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.'s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (ironically part of the same company as Def Jam).

In 2009, Ja Rule recorded a new song with Brazilian singer Wanessa, "Fly", sung entirely in English despite the singer's nationality. The song also received a version named "Meu Momento", also featuring Ja Rule, in which Wanessa sings in Portuguese.^[11] "Fly" was released as a single in Brazil in April. The song was ranked number #1 on Crowley/Brazil,^[12] and it was nominated in the "Hit do Ano" ("Hit Song of the Year") category at the 2009 MTV Video Music Brasil awards show, where Ja Rule and Wanessa performed together for the first time.^[13]

Ja Rule also ended his long running feud with his former Def Jam labelmate DMX at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors in September.^[14] Ja Rule announced that he was no longer signed to The Inc. Records, the label he has been with since its beginnings in 1997.^[15]

[edit] The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)

After leaving The Inc. Records in 2009 Ja Rule set up Mpire Music Group and recruited new artists while still maintaining friendship with Irv Gotti. The Mirror was to be Ja Rule's seventh album and set for a 2007 release date, however, due to poor reception to singles partly believed to be due to his beef with 50 Cent it was pushed back. Eventually tracks from the album leaked online leading Ja Rule to re-record the album only afterwards deciding to release it as a free download in 2009.

[edit] Pain Is Love 2, Prison and Renaissance Project (2012-Present)

In February 2011, It was announced that Ja Rule is working on another album called Pain Is Love 2, naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (Pain Is Love). It will feature production from the producers on the original Pain Is Love album in order to "recreate magic". He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the "level and quality of the records" and to avoid "doing an injustice to his fans."^[16][17][18]
Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but had been pushed back yet again, this time to February 28, 2012.^[19] To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called "Falling to Pieces" which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script's "Breakeven".^[20][21] On October 2, 2011, another track released called "Spun a Web" which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay's "Trouble". The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.^[22] Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in jail for gun possession. Renaissance Project is the upcoming eighth studio album by Rule. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at Mpire Studios in NYC Studio during 2008 to 2011. Production was handled by Rule and several others, including Benzino, 7 Aurelius and Buck 3000. Most of the tracks that were meant for the Renaissance were transferred over to Pain Is Love 2. Rule is set to be released from prison in December 2012, he is then set to go out on his tour, "40 days, 40 nights tour

Acting career[link]

During his break from rapping, Ja Rule had an appearance as a street racer in The Fast and the Furious. In 2004, he appeared in several movies including Back in The Day with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and Half Past Dead as Steven Seagal's co-star. He also starred in the movie The Cookout with Queen Latifah.

See Filmography

Personal life[link]

Family[link]

In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray on a C.^{[23][24][25][26]}

Legal issues[link]

In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.^[27]

In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.^[28][29]

On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.^[30]

In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.^[31][32][33] New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule's argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.^[34][35] On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule's surrender date for his two year prison sentence was set for June 8.^[36] His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself in to authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.^[37]

In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 2004–2006.^[38]

Feuds[link]

50 Cent/G-Unit Records[link]

Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry.^{[citation needed]} However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule "getting so much love" from the neighborhood.^[39] A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches. .^[3]

In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.

Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in, "There's a Snitch in the Club", and "You the Wanksta". In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent^[3] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to squash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood in My Eye was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent's labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.^[3]

Ja Rule later released R.U.L.E. with the successful single, "New York", featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on "Piggy Bank" for details).

Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled "21 Gunz".^[40] In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track "Return of Ja Fool" on Lloyd Banks' mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.^[40] 50 Cent claimed in 2010 that Ja Rule's beef with him and Shady/Aftermath has ruined Ja's career saying "We just ripped the nigga apart and he hasn't & can't come back from it".

In an interview with MTV He stated that his new album, The Mirror, will not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:

There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn't want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I'm not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].^[41]

Eminem[link]

The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked.^[42] On November 19, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti were special guests on Star and Bucwild's morning show on Hot 97 NYC. Irv Gotti had some legal documents stating the order of protection 50 has on him.^[43]

Ja Rule threatened that, if 50 Cent released any songs with defamatory or insulting lyrics directed at him, he would take legal action towards both of them.^[42][43] However, Dr. Dre was the one who produced 50 Cent's track "Back Down" in 2003 from the album Get Rich Or Die Tryin', which made derogatory comments toward Murder Inc., and Ja Rule's immediate family members. "^{[44][dead link]}

Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track "Hail Mary 2003", with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur's song "Hail Mary", was done partially as a response to Ja Rule's remake of another Tupac song, "Pain" (retitled "So Much Pain"). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so made the track, mocking him for trying to "imitate" the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the "new" Tupac songs he produced, including those on Loyal to the Game.^[43]

The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released, "Loose Change" (actually released before "Hail Mary"), in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name "Feminem", falsely announced Dr. Dre as "bisexual", and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre "bringing transvestites home".^[44] The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem's mother, Debbie, his then ex-wife, Kim, and even referenced his then 8-year-old daughter, Hailie. "^[42]

These lyrics offended Eminem deeply, causing him to immediately get his rap group D12 involved, as well as the major part of his label, including Obie Trice, his close friend.^[44] Eminem then made the track "Bully", and together, he and Trice responded with a song titled "Doe Rae Me" (aka "Hailie's Revenge"). Eminem also made a reference to Ja Rule's insult toward Hailie in "Like Toy Soldiers", by saying:

"I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em, if some shit ever does pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em. That Ja shit I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it. There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it. I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it."

Since then the feud has cooled down.^[42]

DMX[link]

Ja Rule started off as friends with DMX, as well as Jay-Z. DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule were part of a group at the time named Murder Inc. (The name was later used by Ja's producer Irv Gotti for his record label.) They recorded songs under the name together. DMX and Jay-Z also guest starred on Ja Rule's first album on the track "It's Murda". He released a track on Cradle 2 The Grave Soundtrack called Go to Sleep with Eminem, Obie Trice were they all took shoots at Ja Rule. Eventually Ja Rule's feuds with Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem went away.

The two rappers waged a war of words for years after DMX accused Ja Rule of copying his hardcore style on records.^[45] DMX admitted that he initially wanted to end with his rap rival when he was released from jail in 2005 before making peace: "Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him", said DMX, "I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it. But I need five minutes in a room with your man. I got to put my hands on him.'"^[45]

DMX and Ja Rule finally ended their feud at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors.^[46]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 1999: Venni Vetti Vecci
• 2000: Rule 3:36
• 2001: Pain Is Love
• 2002: The Last Temptation
• 2003: Blood in My Eye
• 2004: R.U.L.E.
• 2012: Pain Is Love 2^[47]
• 2012: Renaissance Project^[47]

Other albums

• 2005: Exodus
• 2008: The Mirror
• 2012: Icon

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ja Rule

• Official website
• The Inc. artist website (archived)
• Ja Rule on Myspace
• Ja Rule at MTV
• Ja Rule at the Internet Movie Database

Mac Miller
Mac Miller performing at the Governor's Ball in 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Malcolm McCormick
Also known as	Easy Mac
Born	(1992-01-19) January 19, 1992 (age 20) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, producer, actor, songwriter
Years active	2007 – present
Labels	Rostrum Records, Most Dope Entertainment
Associated acts	Wiz Khalifa, Beedie, The Ill Spoken, I.D. Labs, Big Jerm
Website	www.macmillerofficial.com

Malcolm McCormick (born January 19, 1992),^[1] known by his stage name Mac Miller (previously Easy Mac), is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is signed to Rostrum Records and released his debut album Blue Slide Park on November 8, 2011.^[2]

Early life[link]

Malcolm McCormick was born on January 19, 1992, the son of an architect and a photographer, and raised in the Point Breeze part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[1][3] His father is Christian and his mother is Jewish; Miller was raised Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah.^[4][5][6] Before attending Taylor Allderdice High School, Miller attended Winchester Thurston School.^[7] In high school, Miller decided to focus on his hip-hop career, later noting, "Once I hit 15, I got real serious about it and it changed my life completely ... I used to be into sports, play all the sports, go to all the high school parties. But once I found out hip-hop is almost like a job, that's all I did."^[1] Miller, a self-taught musician, plays piano, guitar, drums, and bass.^[1][8]

Career[link]

Before embarking on a solo career, Miller was part of rap group The Ill Spoken together with fellow Pittsburgh rapper, Beedie. The Ill Spoken released the mixtape How High in 2008. Prior to changing his name to Mac Miller, he was known as EZ Mac and released the mixtape But My Mackin Ain't Easy in 2007 at 15 years old. In 2009 Mac Miller released two mixtapes The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown and The High Life before getting signed to Rostrum Records.

In early 2010, Miller signed with Rostrum Records.^[9] Rostrum president Benjy Grinberg met Miller while recording with Wiz Khalifa at ID Labs.^[10] Although Grinberg started giving Miller advice, he didn't show any interest in getting involved with his career until the artist began work on the K.I.D.S. mixtape, when, as he later told HitQuarters, Grinberg "noticed a maturation in his sound and approach to his music."^[10] By that point Miller had started attracting interest from different record companies but chose Rostrum due to its location in his hometown and association with Wiz Khalifia.^[10] K.I.D.S. was released by the label in August 2010.^[1] The mixtape was inspired by the movie Kids. A significant breakthrough came in late 2010 when Miller embarked on his first "Incredibly Dope Tour", selling out at every location on the tour.^[10]

Miller's 5th^[when?] release was a mixtape titled Best Day Ever. The mixtape features his single "Donald Trump" and the hit songs "Wear My Hat", "BDE Bonus" and "All Around The World." The mixtape featured mainstream producers such as Just Blaze, 9th Wonder, and Chuck Inglish. On November 22, 2010 his first single "Knock Knock" premiered its video on YouTube.^[11]

On March 29, 2011, he released an EP called On And On And Beyond. The six-track work was produced by Rostrum Records.

On July 5, 2011, Miller announced the title of his first album Blue Slide Park on his YouTube channel, set for a Fall release.^[12] In September 2011 it was revealed that Miller would release a mixtape titled 92 Til Infinity hosted by DJ Jazzy Jeff prior to the release of Blue Slide Park.^[13] However, the release did not happen, and it was since then left in planning.

Prior to his 2011 national Blue Slide Park tour, Miller traveled Europe on his "Incredibly Dope Tour" visiting cities such as London, Manchester, and Amsterdam.

On October 14, 2011, Mac Miller released a 13 song mixtape called I Love Life, Thank You for reaching 1,000,000 followers on Twitter. It had features from Sir Michael Rocks of The Cool Kids, Talib Kweli, and Bun B.

On November 2011, Blue Slide Park debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 144,000 copies.^[14]

On March 23, 2012, Mac Miller released his seventh mixtape called Macadelic. He released "Loud" as a single off the mixtape as well as filiming a music video. Miller also released a video for "Thoughts From A Balcony".

Awards and honors[link]

In 2009 at age 17, he made it to the final four in Rhyme Calisthenics, the MC competition at Shadow Lounge.^[15] In 2010, he won two awards at the Pittsburgh hip-hop awards.^[16] His video "Live Free" won video of the year and he also won Best Artist Under 21. In September 2011 Maroon 5 announced that Mac Miller will be featured on their remix of their top chart song "Moves Like Jagger".^[17] In 2011 Miller was one of eleven rappers featured in XXL magazine's Freshman Class of 2011.^[18] The video for the first single released from this mixtape, "Donald Trump", has reached over 53 million views on YouTube^[19] and Donald Trump himself, who is referenced on the song, acknowledged the video on the social networking site Twitter when it reached 20 million views stating "Who wouldn't be flattered?". He declared that Miller was the “new Eminem,” and stated “I am very proud of him.”^[20] Endorsements by Donald Trump helped Miller become increasingly more popular. The song also charted on iTunes debuting at #73 and peaking at #40,^[21] before Miller was signed to a major label. In 2011, his first TV appearance took place in the VH1 show Single Ladies; he played a fictionalized version of himself that succeeded in selling one of his mixtapes to one of the main characters. Also in 2011, he was a part of MTV Jams Fab Five artists.^[22]

Musical philosophy[link]

Mac Miller includes Big L, Lauryn Hill, The Beastie Boys, Outkast, and A Tribe Called Quest among his influences.^[8] He also has a close relationship with fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, saying "Wiz has been a big brother to me with this music thing so far. Our relationship is beyond music. He really is just my homie, whether I will be making music or not."^[23]

As an artist, Mac Miller has performed in a number of different styles. His classic musical style contains lyrics focused on marijuana, women, and "a dream". However, Miller has lately been experimenting with new styles in his music, such as in his 2012 mixtape Macadelic. Most songs have a heavy psychedelic influence, and include lyrics with deeper meaning. Also, older artists and music performers are praised on some of Mac's new works (the beginning of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by the Beatles is used as an interlude for the song "Loud").

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Blue Slide Park (2011)

Extended plays

• On and On and Beyond (2011)

Mixtapes

• But My Mackin' Ain't Easy (2007)
• The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown (2009)
• The High Life (2009)
• K.I.D.S. (2010)
• Best Day Ever (2011)
• I Love Life, Thank You (2011)
• Macadelic (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Mac Miller Website