Verified archive entry

The Life

By Ja Rule · Targeting 50 Cent, G-Unit

The Life is a diss track by Ja Rule targeting 50 Cent and G-Unit. The recording also credits James Gotti, Caddillac Tah and Hussein Fatal. The record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations.

Released2003

Annotated5

ExplicitYes

Addressable transcript

Lyrics & breakdown

Demo lines only. Select a line number to copy a stable deep link.

01
[Intro: Hussein Fatal]
02
(*woman - harmonizing in background*)
03
Yeah my nigga Rule, Hussein Fatal
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The outlaw don in this piece motherfucker
05
I wanna welcome y'all niggas back to the streets (it's alright!)
06
You's confused for a minute but here we are
07
My nigga Caddy in this motherfucker
08
I got my niggas, man, the bricks is in this bitch
09
Ride out nigga
10
Uh, yeah
11
[Break - Ja Rule] (Hussein Fatal talks over break)
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The life, the life (the life, the life)
13
The life, the life (the life, the life)
14
The life, the life (the life, the life)
15
[Verse 1: Ja Rule]
Multi-line diss block
16
Yo, what up world, it's Rule public enemy number one
17
It's cool, my new best friend is my pistol
18
And anybody that want it or got jewels run it
19
The end over your head don't make me gun, butt it
Block noteImagines the battle as physical destruction
Target50 Cent
MeaningWhat it means: In “The end over your head don't make me gun, butt it,” Ja Rule converts lyrical defeat into death, shooting, burial, or bodily harm directed at 50 Cent. Why it was said: The record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations. The violent image makes the response sound final: instead of proposing an endless exchange, the artist depicts 50 Cent as unable to return for another round.
ContextThe record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations.
20
Do you like Manolo, put two in your stomach
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And flash the burner on bitches like stacks of hundreds
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I'm livin my life, my life, what gets better than ice in hell
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When you cookin up coke to sell
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It be the little statistics, some pictures, some prints
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Some informants to get the operation pitched
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We enormous, some would say the "Inc. is Murderous"
27
You don't want us to strap up and bang the strip
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But if need be, we'll bang out like Bloods and Crips
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Styrofoam the noozles and extend the clips
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Murder meets gangsta shit
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And all my niggas that live it from hood to hood, bang to this, nigga
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[Chorus: Ja Rule]
33
The life, the life (The life, the life)
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Whether your Blood or Cuz we all gangsta
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The life, the life (The life, the life)
36
Whether it's dope or coke we all slang drugs
37
[Verse 2: Hussein Fatal]
38
I'm the street's poster child
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I'm supposed to wile
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With the toast I'm foul
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My Murder Inc. mob money, Oprah style
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From here back to the block, they get that green
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Known to put a hole through a nigga's shoulder soon as the beam glow
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Probably graze you in the face, give me a break
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I'mma rapper, out here to stay, don't make me do what I say
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Just let me say what I do
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Cause I'mma put it in a rhyme, every time, about to spray up your crew
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And I ain't lickin off shots to warn 'em
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Just a pop swift to the dome, on the real "G-Unit" nigga, Glock and all this
50
So believe I'm not the one when it get stupid in the booth
Multi-line diss block
51
I told y'all with Rule it was a gun in this bitch
52
Now I expose how scary you niggas is
53
And when you want the biz
Block noteImagines the battle as physical destruction
Target50 Cent
MeaningWhat it means: In “I told y'all with Rule it was a gun in this bitch,” Ja Rule converts lyrical defeat into death, shooting, burial, or bodily harm directed at 50 Cent. Why it was said: The record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations. The violent image makes the response sound final: instead of proposing an endless exchange, the artist depicts 50 Cent as unable to return for another round.
ContextThe record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations.
54
My brick city outlaws' a bury you niggas
55
I'm so cool, when I ain't doin my numbers
56
Let the [?] [?] [?] [?]
57
[Verse 3: Caddillac Tah]
58
Okay, motherfuckers when the bounce came to your waist
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And shells get to droppin
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You better duck, and get up poppin
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Don't get left with the cops
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Gangsta, yeah, put that work in
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Put a nigga dick in the dirt
64
Lace shots to the face
65
Open and shut case, John Doe
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Unidentified, I always hit 'em high when I dump and let it fly
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Now once with 45 nigga I had a picture on top of the coffin
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Murder Inc. bosses
69
[Chorus: Ja Rule]
70
The life, the life (The life, the life)
71
Whether your Blood or Cuz we all gangsta
72
The life, the life (The life, the life)
73
Whether it's dope or coke we all slang drugs
74
The life, the life (The life, the life)
75
Whether your hoein or stuck up, we're still gon' fuck
76
The life, the life (The life, the life)
77
Niggas don't want it with us, cause it's Murda
78
[Verse 4: James Gotti]
Multi-line diss block
79
Okay you hard as fuck
80
But when the slug hit, you dead if your name ain't armored truck
81
Murder Inc., Outlawz and the Floys is here
82
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up, cowboys is near
Block noteImagines the battle as physical destruction
Target50 Cent
MeaningWhat it means: In “But when the slug hit, you dead if your name ain't armored truck,” Ja Rule converts lyrical defeat into death, shooting, burial, or bodily harm directed at 50 Cent. Why it was said: The record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations. The violent image makes the response sound final: instead of proposing an endless exchange, the artist depicts 50 Cent as unable to return for another round.
ContextThe record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations.
83
Stampedin anythin in our way, we'll attract war
Multi-line diss block
84
If your smart you'll slide over like handicap doors
85
I ain't a killer, I just spark a lot
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So when I squeeze I'm turnin your whole block to a parking lot
Block noteQuestions the target's judgment
Target50 Cent
MeaningWhat it means: In “If your smart you'll slide over like handicap doors,” Ja Rule characterizes 50 Cent as unintelligent, careless, or unable to understand the situation being addressed. Why it was said: The record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations. The insult makes the target's decisions part of the evidence: a poor response can be framed not as strategy, but as proof that 50 Cent never understood the contest.
ContextThe record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations.
87
Understand I'm the grimy Floy
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Wanna trip to death then try me for it
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Crazy since '94, that's why cats don't hang around me like Chinese stores
90
One step ahead of you, get more guys
91
You strapped with four fours, we pack four fives
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Fuck talk get the chalk out
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You'll be lucky if your able to crawl or walk out
94
[Verse 5: Ja Rule]
95
I live the pop life
96
So when I pop up in your life, and I pop twice
97
Get down, I spits more than rounds
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And niggas bleed heavier than hoes on they period
99
This sound gotta movin "Faster Than Furious"
Multi-line diss block
100
But nah I ain't Ludacris
101
I'm here to let y'all niggas know I ain't new to this
102
Gun butt your bitch
Block noteImagines the battle as physical destruction
Target50 Cent
MeaningWhat it means: In “Gun butt your bitch,” Ja Rule converts lyrical defeat into death, shooting, burial, or bodily harm directed at 50 Cent. Why it was said: The record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations. The violent image makes the response sound final: instead of proposing an endless exchange, the artist depicts 50 Cent as unable to return for another round.
ContextThe record belongs to the long-running conflict between Ja Rule and Murder Inc. and 50 Cent's camp. The dispute widened to include G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, Busta Rhymes and others through affiliations, response records and personal accusations.
103
That's the way I get down, believe my style is Murder
104
Clap a nigga, dipped and hide the burner
105
The rule to learn ya bomb ya like embalmin fluid
106
Until your limbs feel a loss of movement
107
In the hospital in critical livin
108
Must minimal (who done it?) it's Murder
109
Yeah, that's subliminal
110
Who gets down and bangs with nothin but criminals (c'mon, c'mon)
111
Rule nigga you know it, these others cats is pitiful
112
Bein a rap God is spiritual
113
Your God is Ja Rule nigga let's not get it confused, haha
114
[Chorus: Ja Rule]
115
The life, the life (The life, the life)
116
Whether your Blood or Cuz we all gangsta
117
The life, the life (The life, the life)
118
Whether it's dope or coke we all slang drugs
119
The life, the life (The life, the life)
120
Whether your hoein or stuck up, we're still gon' fuck
121
The life, the life (The life, the life)
122
Niggas don't want it with us, cause it's Murda
123
The life, the life (The life, the life)