Exodus [Explicit Lyrics]

Bearing a remarkable resemblance in both title and cover art to the Bob Marley album of the same name, EXODUS is a greatest-hits package that sums up the best moments of gravely-voiced rapper Ja Rule's first six albums. An MC working firmly in the thug tradition, Ja Rule was the best-selling artist on Def Jam's Murder Inc. label in the early-2000s. The artist racked up an impressive number of singles that merged his thug-sensibilities with radio-friendly productions and help from R&B crooners like R. Kelly, Jennifer Lopez, and Ashanti.

Most of Ja Rule's biggest chart hits are here, including "Holla Holla," "Wonderful," and "Always on Time" (with Ashanti). EXODUS features an intro, outro, and new single recorded specifically for the album, as well as a remix of the J.Lo track "Ain't It Funny." Die-hard fans will want to own the studio albums, but the added features and the well-selected set-list make this a concise and highly serviceable introduction to Ja Rule's music.