Ja Rule :: "I Was Taken Out of Context"

Weeks before his new album The Mirror drops ... and just as his new single and music video hits the airwaves ... Ja Rule says that his words were "taken out of context" when he said in Complex magazine that homosexuality was "fucking up America" ...

During an interview with the UK website Spinner.com ... Ja Rule didn't necessarily deny the comments he made ... but felt that they were taken out of context because he is a rapper and a Black male ...

Here is the interview ...

Let's get to this straightaway: You caused quite a bit of controversy with your comments in Complex magazine, saying -- and I'm paraphrasing -- that homosexuality is what's wrong with America. Is it accurate to say that you suffer from some degree of homophobia?

I'm a very avid speaker for all people's rights and people having their own preference. I was taken out of context. My statement was more about where our mind state is as a people. We're focused on the wrong things -- like, our country is at war right now. These things are more of a problem to me. Like another case I just read about -- young ladies being raped by six white men. These are the stories that should be popping up on my TV screen. That's what I was talking about, and somehow it got spun into some other shit.

How would you react if one of your kids told you that he or she was gay?

That's their own preference. I'm going to love them regardless. I have relatives that are homosexuals and, you know, they come over for Christmas, hang out. It's something that starts with us. That's why my album is named 'The Mirror' -- because everybody has to look at themselves and take it upon themselves to educate. It's my responsibility to educate my children -- not the TV. I think a visual is more influential than audio, but that goes without being said. You know, that's the world we live in and people are tight in the collar about a lot of issues. It is what it is.

Where do you stand on gay marriage?

It's really not my business. I really could care less. It's not something that bothers me.

This seems to contradict some of the preconceived notions the public may have about you.

People have a lot of misconceptions about me and it has a lot to do with me being a rap artist -- me being a young black man. You know, I get it a lot when I do films. Sometimes, I come fit and they just automatically think that I'm going to be late or I'm not going to be focused because that's what other rappers do on the set. I'm a hard worker, I come here to do my job and that's what it is. There's a lot of stereotypes that we get as rappers and young black men that are not fair.

Does that frustrate you?

Sometimes, but you gotta take the good with the bad. That's life. I understand it. I know it'll be a struggle for me -- being a young black man in America. And it's always been tough for me to get my point across as a rap artist.

What Ja isn't really understanding is that the public is not coming at him with outrage because he is a Black male rap artist ... He got the outrage over his straight up homophobic statements ... It has nothing to do with race ...

I guess if I decide to do an update of my "Gibson Factor" post ... Ja Rule's name can be added to the list of celebrities and public figures with foot-in-mouth disease ...

Here is Ja Rule's brand-new music video for the song Body ...

Isn't it a little ... homoerotic?

~Papi Chulo~