Rapper Ja Rule portrayed a minor character in the first installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, but he has yet to reprise his role for any sequels in the long-running film series. The prominent figure played Edwin in 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, which starred Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Conner, respectively. The franchise now stars an ensemble cast and the majority of the group is set to appear in F9 and the untitled tenth film.
Edwin was a Los Angeles native involved in the local street racing scene. When Brian wanted to partake in a race, the newcomer was met by Edwin’s criticism. He joined Dom and Brian for a quarter-mile race in his 1994 Acura Integra. Not only was he easily defeated, but he was also humiliated in front of the crowd of spectators and fellow racers. Dom wound up winning the race and Edwin wasn’t seen in the series again.
The franchise’s first sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, shifted focus to Walker after Brian assisted Dom and fled to Miami. Director John Singleton originally wanted Ja Rule to return as a way for Edwin to redeem himself in the first movie. His character would have presumably wound up in Florida to aid Brian in some way, but that plan never came to fruition. Instead, Ja Rule turned down the offer to return, and Ludacris was cast in a life-changing gig.
Ja Rule Thought He Was “Too Big” For Fast & Furious
Ja Rule was in the midst of a successful music career when he was paid $15,000 for his appearance in The Fast and the Furious. When Singleton had hopes of bringing back the rapper, the pay was increased to $500,000. The director reached out to Ja Rule’s team to no avail, forcing him to travel to the music studio as a last-ditch effort. In an interview (via Grantland), Singleton revealed that Ja Rule “got too big for himself” so he turned his sights to Ludacris, creating a new character for the fellow rapper. Ja Rule, on the other hand, claimed that he considered taking the role, but ultimately wanted something different. He explained the reasoning in an interview with MTV:
“I just felt it wasn’t the best move for me as far as what I want to do in Hollywood right now. I’m really trying to do this acting thing very seriously. And you know, sometimes every move is not the right move.”
Ja Rule also credited a scheduling conflict for the reason he didn’t return to the Fast & Furious franchise. Not only was he touring at the time, but the rapper also had a role in 2002’s Half Past Dead. Though his schedule would have been a concern, Singleton’s push to bring him back suggested that there was wiggle room when it came to filming schedules. Though Ja Rule went on to appear in films like The Cookout, Assault on Precinct 13, and Wrong Side of Town, his acting career never came close to the success that Ludacris had through Fast & Furious. He subsequently put an end to any future opportunities after brushing off the gig.
Playing Tej Parker was a career-defining move for Ludacris. After joining the franchise in 2003, rapper/actor returned in 2011’s Fast Five, which was a transformative installment thanks to the addition of Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs. Ludacris went on to appear in every sequel since, and he will reprise his role in F9, set to debut in April 2021. Meanwhile, Ja Rule has been missing from the public eye when it comes to music and acting. Had he returned to the Fast & Furious franchise in the early ’00s, that might not be the case. That said, there’s still plenty of time for Edwin to make a cameo before The Fast Saga comes to an end.
