| Reign | |
| Cover: | Ja Rule - Reign.png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Ja Rule |
| Album: | The Last Temptation |
| Studio: | Right Track, New York City, US |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Length: | 4:02 |
| Label: | |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | Mesmerize |
| Prev Year: | 2002 |
| Next Title: | Clap Back |
| Next Year: | 2003 |
"Reign" (originally known as "Murder Reigns" and also known as "The Reign"[1]) is a song by American rapper Ja Rule, released in June 2003[2] as the third and final single from his fourth studio album, The Last Temptation (2002). It was written by Ja Rule, 7 Aurelius and Irv Gotti and produced by the latter two. The song contains vocals from Celeste Scalone and samples "Africa" by Toto, thus crediting band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro as co-writers.[3] In the UK, the song was titled "Reigns" (dropping the "Murder" in line with Murder Inc. Records' then-rebrand to The Inc. Records[4] [5]) and released as a double A-side with "Clap Back", the first single from Ja Rule's 2003 album Blood in My Eye.
The song's music video dramatizes the January 2003 raid of Murder Inc. Records' offices in New York City by the FBI over the label's connections to drug lord Kenneth McGriff. It contains a cameo by Patrick Swayze as one of the FBI officers. The video also depicts a trial in which Irv Gotti and Murder Inc. are exonerated by a jury.[6]
Australian and European CD single[7]
UK double A-side single[8]
| Peak position | ||
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] | 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)[10] | 2 |
| Position | ||
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | 29 | |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] | 64 | |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[13] | 31 | |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 52 | |
| UK Singles (OCC)[15] | 189 |