EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The 27th annual Angel Ball, which benefits cancer research, takes place Monday night in New York City, and among the performers lending their time and talents is Ja Rule.

The iconic rapper's voice was the soundtrack to the early 2000s.

There was a time when every song on the radio seemed to be a Ja Rule hit, but before the platinum records and the fame, there was Jeffrey Atkins -- a kid from Hollis, Queens, secretly listening to rap music of something new.

Entertainment reporter Joelle Garguilo caught up with him at Amali Restaurant on the East Side, and it turns out, Ja Rule has a lot to celebrate these days.

Joelle Garguilo: I smile thinking about your music because I could put myself in a certain spot, in a certain car.

Ja Rule: That's what music

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