The Last Temptation

1	Intro 0:20
2	Thug Lovin' 4:50
3	Mesmerize / Ashanti 4:38
4	Pop N****s 4:29
5	The Pledge / Ashanti Remix 3:54
6	Murder Reigns 4:02
7	Last Temptation / Charli Baltimore 4:58
8	Murder Me / Caddillac Tah 5:15
9	The Warning 5:05
10	Connected 4:54
11	Emerica / Chink Santana 5:16
12	Rock Star 4:58
13	Destiny (Outro) 2:07

Barnes & Noble

Both journalists and his fellow rappers have accused Ja Rule of biting the rhyming styles of 2Pac and DMX -- and of making music more suited for MTV than the streets -- but his fans keep America's premier R&B thug swimming in platinum and ice. Following the success of 2001's Pain Is Love, the gravel-voiced rapper sticks to his winning formula: club bangers and raunchy ballads custom-made for heavy radio rotation. In the past, Ja's crossover success has been boosted by winning collaborations with the ladies of soul -- Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, and his protégée Ashanti -- but The Last Temptation announces itself with a shot of testosterone in the form of the melodic lead single "Thug Lovin' " with Bobby "King of R&B" Brown. Like Uncle L, however, it's the ladies who love Ja Rule the most, and Murder Inc. molls Ashanti and Charli Baltimore appear on several tracks, including "Mesmerize" and the title cut, respectively. Other highlights include the Neptunes-blessed "Pop Niggas" and a remix of "The Pledge" (originally found on Irv Gotti Presents: The Remixes), featuring newly signed Murder Inc. artist Nas and a poetic snippet from 2Pac. Although The Last Temptation won't convert any of Ja Rule's detractors, commercial rap fans will find its R&B grooves and hook-happy formula hard to resist. Ron Hart

All Music Guide

Ja Rule's self-proclaimed return to the streets isn't that rough compared to most hardcore rap; after all, Irv Gotti, Chink Santana, and the rest of Murder Inc. have a formula that's worked well in the past, and they're not about to desert it with artists like Ja and Ashanti hitting the charts every time they release a single. The first up, "Thug Lovin'," sets it off in style, with Ja Rule turning in one of his best raps yet and guest Bobby Brown adding flair to a pop-heavy production. Ashanti shines on the first of her two tracks, "Mesmerize," a smooth and sexed-up duet with a polished, honey-smooth production framing Ja Rule's gravelly hip-hop soul. Her other feature, a remix of "The Pledge" (the latter originally on Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.), boasts great mic features from Nas and Ja Rule, plus a few odd, disembodied lines heard from 2Pac before the fade-out. Stepping in for Ashanti elsewhere with solid vamps are Charli Baltimore ("Last Temptation") and Alexi ("Murder Me"), though Ja does fit in a few real hardcore tracks too: "Pop N****s" and "The Warning." The Last Temptation isn't going to surprise anyone familiar with what Murder Inc. is all about, but their trademarked balance of the rough (Ja Rule) and smooth (Irv Gotti) has rarely sounded better than it does here. John Bush