The Mirror (2007) Who'd have pegged Jeffrey Atkins as a Beatlemaniac? The rapper sounds shockingly comfortable flowing over the mournful strings from "Eleanor Rigby" on "Father Forgive Me,"… Ja Rule Hip-Hop/Rap
Music Review

The Mirror (2007)

Ja Rule
Reviewed by Simon Vozick-Levinson | Nov 09, 2007
EW's GRADE
B-

Details Release Date: Nov 13, 2007; Lead Performance: Ja Rule; Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Who'd have pegged Jeffrey Atkins as a Beatlemaniac? The rapper sounds shockingly comfortable flowing over the mournful strings from ''Eleanor Rigby'' on ''Father Forgive Me,'' an unexpected highlight on his seventh studio CD. Elsewhere, Ja's gaze into The Mirror yields familiar sights: a barking gangsta here (''Rules of Engagement''), a purring ladies' man there (''Body''). A handful of tracks — notably first single ''Uh Ohhh!'' — showcase renewed lyrical vigor, but too many are dim reflections of Ja's bygone days atop the pop charts. B-
DOWNLOAD THIS: ''Uh Ohhh!''

Originally posted Nov 09, 2007 Published in issue #964 Nov 16, 2007 Order article reprints