Iconic 2000s Rapper Confesses He Once Dined and Dashed

Iconic 2000s Rapper Confesses He Once Dined and Dashed originally appeared on Parade.

Ja Rule may be known for his hit songs like “Furious” and Mesmerize,” but there was a time when he wasn't quite as polished — especially when it came to picking up the tab.

The rapper (real name Jeffrey Atkins) recently revealed a moment from the early days of his relationship with wife Aisha Atkins, admitting he once dined and dashed at Red Lobster. “It’s interesting because I’ve known my wife since I was broke. Some of our best dates were then. I used to take her to, like, Red Lobster and s**t,” the 49-year-old rapper told Us Weekly in an interview shared on Saturday, July 12.

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“I actually ran out on the meal and she didn’t know it,” he went on to reveal. “So I set it up, we ate and I told her, ‘Hey, let me finish up paying for this, take care of this. The cab’s outside, you go get in the cab.’” According to Ja Rule, Red Lobster's setup made it easy for him to slip away unnoticed. “Right by the door was the bathroom and pay phone. So people used to go fake like they were on a pay phone, slide out, hit the bathroom, slide out,” he explained.🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬Years later, when Ja Rule admitted to his wife what had happened, Atkins was shocked. “She said, ‘You didn’t do that,’” he recalled with a laugh. “I said, ‘Yeah, I did it a couple of times.’” Despite the early antics, the couple, who celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary in April, still laugh about their humble beginnings. “And we [are] able to still laugh about and share when we’re eating good and actually paying for the meals. You remember those times,” the “Always on Time” rapper said.

Ja Rule is definitely doing better for himself now, as he just wrapped up the European leg of Nelly’s Where The Party At Tour. After a few weeks of rest, the recording artist is currently preparing for the U.S. legalongside Nelly, Eve, Chingy, and Jermaine Dupri which kicks off on July 23.

Iconic 2000s Rapper Confesses He Once Dined and Dashed first appeared on Parade on Jul 13, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.