The Last Temptation (Ja Rule album)

The Last Temptation
Studio album by
Ja Rule
ReleasedNovember 19, 2002 (2002-11-19)
Recorded2002
GenreHardcore hip hop[1]
Length54:46
Label
Producer
Ja Rule chronology
Pain Is Love
(2001) 		The Last Temptation
(2002) 		Blood in My Eye
(2003)
Singles from The Last Temptation
  1. "Thug Lovin'"
    Released: November 4, 2002[2]
  2. "Mesmerize"
    Released: December 16, 2002[3]
  3. "Reign"
    Released: June 30, 2003[4]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[5]
RapReviews6/10[6]
NME[7]
MVRemix Urban3.5/10[8]

The Last Temptation is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ja Rule.[9] It was released by Murder Inc., Def Jam and Island Def Jam Music Group on November 19, 2002.

The album was successful, moving 237,000 units in its first week,[10] but less than his previous Pain Is Love. On December 13, 2002 the album was certified Platinum. "Mesmerize" is ranked at #45 on Blender's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever",[11] but was the most successful single from the album, reaching number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The album also received criticism from fans, saying that the album sounded too commercial, and that Ja Rule was selling out. [citation needed] Though neither its debut nor lifetime sales ever matched those of Pain Is Love, The Last Temptation is Ja Rule's third highest-selling album to date.

  1. ^ a b Allmusic review
  2. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1477. November 1, 2002. p. 24.
  3. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1483. December 13, 2002. p. 26.
  4. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 30th June 2003" (PDF). ARIA. June 30, 2003. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Blender review Archived November 22, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ RapReviews review
  7. ^ NME review
  8. ^ MVRemix Urban review
  9. ^ "The Last Temptation: Ja Rule: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  10. ^ Reid, Shaheem (2003-12-06). "Ja Rule Done Lashing Out At 50, Will Be Himself Again On New LP - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Archived from the original on February 24, 2004. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  11. ^ "The 50 Worst Songs Ever! Watch, Listen and Cringe!". Blender. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-13.