Artists like Ja Rule

John David Jackson, known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed to Clue's record label Desert Storm Records, in a joint venture with Elektra Records. He rose to further prominence with his debut studio album Ghetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n ." Adopting a further commercially-oriented approach, his second album, Street Dreams (2003), was supported by the singles "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You" —both of which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

Earl Simmons, known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. His accolades included an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, and six Grammy Award nominations. Regarded as an influential figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s and one of the greats of hip-hop, his music is characterized by his "aggressive" rapping style, with lyrical content varying from hardcore themes to personal themes such as trauma or childhood abuse.

Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive, and businessman. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, he recorded his debut album, Power of the Dollar, for Columbia Records. During a shooting in May 2000, he was struck by nine bullets, causing its release to be canceled and Jackson to be dropped from the label. His 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Detroit rapper Eminem, who signed Jackson to his label Shady Records that year.

Mason Durell Betha, known professionally as Mase, is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 and quickly found mainstream recognition as Combs' hype man. He guest appeared on Combs' 1997 single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while his first two singles as a lead artist, "Feel So Good" and "What You Want", both peaked within the chart's top ten. Released in October of that year, his debut studio album, Harlem World (1997), peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart, received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist, "Lookin' at Me". Furthermore, his guest performances on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Mo Money Mo Problems" and Combs' "Been Around the World" peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, that same year.

Christopher Brian Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed the record label Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). After its single, "What's Your Fantasy", became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality".

Sean John Combs, also known professionally as Diddy, is an American former rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher, among others.

Jason Terrance Phillips, better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album, We Are the Streets (2000) was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums, Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2016) and Living Off Xperience (2020) were both released by Jay-Z's Roc Nation and met with continued praise.

Wesley Eric Weston Jr., better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. Raised in Houston, Texas, he began his musical career as a freestyle and battle rapper before signing with the local record label Sucka Free Records in 1999. Three years later, he secured a joint venture with Columbia Records, achieving mainstream recognition for his 2004 singles "Game Over" and "Sunshine", which peaked at numbers 15 and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American broadcaster and former rapper. He first gained recognition with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). A critical and commercial success, the album peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, although it was his only major label release for Def Jam Recordings. He released seven more independent albums to continued critical praise. While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, who signed with Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums. In 2014, he was made fun of in episode nine, "Tombstone," of Loiter Squad's third season, with his beard divorcing him, played by rapper Earl Sweatshirt.

Maurice Samuel Young, better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is an American rapper from Miami, Florida. He is best known for his 2004 single "Let's Go", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The album of which it preceded, Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets (2004) peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart; both of which remain his most successful releases to date.

Barry Adrian Reese, better known by his stage name Cassidy, is an American rapper. He first garnered attention for his freestyles and competitions as a battle rapper in the late 1990s, and formed the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective Larsiny by the end of the decade. American record producer Swizz Beatz discovered the group in 2000 and signed Cassidy to his newly-established Full Surface Records, in a joint venture with J Records. He adopted a commercially-oriented approach for his 2003 debut single "Hotel" and its follow-up, "Get No Better" ; the former peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 while both preceded the release of his debut studio album, Split Personality (2004).

Sean John Combs, also known professionally as Diddy, is an American former rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher, among others.

Ronald Ray Bryant, better known by his stage name Baby Bash, is an American rapper. His first two albums, Savage Dreams (2001) and On Tha Cool (2002), were released by the independent Houston-based label Dope House Records under his former stage name "Baby Beesh". It was changed to "Baby Bash" before he signed with Universal Records in 2003 and released his pop rap single, "Suga Suga", in July of that year. The song became his first hit, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and serving as lead single for his third album and major label debut, Tha Smokin' Nephew (2003).

Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip-hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darrin "Dee" and Chivon Dean in 1988. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Interscope Records, with Def Jam Recordings serving as the distributor for DMX albums. The label went on to launch the careers of several successful artists such as their flagship artist DMX, Eve, The LOX, Drag-On, MC Jin, producers Dame Grease and the Deans' nephew, Swizz Beatz among others. The Ruff Ryders namesake also referred to a loose-knit hip-hop collective composed of the core signees of the label. Ruff Ryders and its main studio Powerhouse Studios are headquartered at 33 South Broadway in Yonkers, New York.

Clifford Smith Jr., known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip-hop duo Method Man & Redman. His debut solo album, Tical (1994), peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", which won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. The song also peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100; he and Blige later starred in Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of Power.

David Darnell Brown, better known by his stage name Young Buck, is an American rapper. He was affiliated with Birdman's Cash Money Records in 1997, formed the hip hop collective UTP with Juvenile and Soulja Slim in 2000, and joined 50 Cent's group, G-Unit by 2003. In 2003, he signed with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album Straight Outta Cashville (2004) and its follow-up Buck the World (2007), both of which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and were met with critical praise.