Did you know that Ja Rule once had the chance to be a part of one of the most iconic movie franchises in history? It all began in 2001 when the rapper made his debut in the groundbreaking film “The Fast and the Furious,” the very first installment of the blockbuster series. Ja Rule took on the role of Edwin and earned $15,000 for his performance, as revealed by the late John Singleton.
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Singleton, who directed the film, had high hopes for Ja Rule’s return in the highly anticipated sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious.” However, to everyone’s surprise, Ja Rule declined the lucrative offer of $500,000. In an interview with Grantland, Singleton expressed his disappointment, highlighting how Ja Rule had let success get to his head, acting as if he were too important for the sequel.
According to Singleton, Ja Rule’s refusal came as a shock. “Ja got too big for himself. He turned it down. He turned down a half a million dollars,” Singleton revealed. “He was really big at that time. I guess Murder Inc. was throwing out hits and making money hand over foot. He was acting like he was too big to be in the sequel. I went to the studio to go see him, and he was kinda playing me to the side. I was like, ‘What? What is this shit?'”
In a subsequent interview with MTV in 2002, Ja Rule explained his decision to step away from the film. He candidly shared that the role did not align with his Hollywood ambitions and that he was focused on pursuing his acting career more seriously. “I just felt it wasn’t the best move for me as far as what I want to do in Hollywood right now,” he said at the time. “I’m really trying to do this acting thing very seriously. And, you know, sometimes every move is not the right move.”
The same year, 2 Fast and Furious came out, Ja Rule would go on to star in Scary Movie 3.
Ja’s decision made Singleton pivot to Ludacris, who was all enthusiasm and humility when approached for the opportunity. “I called Ludacris and said, ‘Hey, Luda, I haven’t met you before, but I like what you’re doing right now.’ Luda was all humble, excited to meet me,” Singleton recalled. “That’s how Ludacris got in ‘2 Fast 2 Furious,’ and the rest is history.”
Ja Rule’s choice became a turning point for Ludacris, propelling him into a successful acting career. Singleton firmly believed that Ja Rule’s absence opened the door for Ludacris and changed his life.
“Ja Rule not doing 2 Fast 2 Furious changed Ludacris’s life,” Singleton said. “Years later I saw Ja Rule at the Source Awards and we joked about it. I took him under my arm and said, ‘Man, when I call you, you listen. I ain’t calling you for no bullshit.’ He said, ‘Yeah, man, I’m sorry about that.’ He apologized. I love Ja. I still think Ja has a lot of personality and can come back in a different way.”
As we all know, the “Fast and Furious” franchise has become a global phenomenon, with its first eight films collectively grossing over $6.2 billion worldwide. The recent release, “Fast X,” continues to contribute to this staggering success, pushing the franchise’s total earnings beyond the $7 billion mark.