Ja Rule’s ‘Pain Is Love’ Debuts at No. 1

Boosted by the media exposure for his teaming with Jennifer Lopez on the “I’m Real” hit single and video, New York rapper Ja Rule is proving that he’s also for real in the nation’s record stores.

His “Pain Is Love” album entered the national pop chart at No. 1 on Wednesday after selling 361,000 copies during its first week in stores, according to SoundScan.

That figure far outpaces the first-week sales of 275,000 registered last year by Ja Rule’s “Rule 3:36” album, which has gone on to sell approximately 3 million copies.

In reviewing “Pain Is Love” for The Times, Soren Baker suggested that “Thug in Love” might be a better title for the Def Jam Records collection. Baker said the gravel-voiced rapper “gets mixed results from a set of thuggish tunes geared toward the throngs of ladies supposedly vying for his attention.”

He added that the track “Livin’ It Up” best “exemplifies Ja Rule’s gangster-influenced ballads, which court radio play as intently as they do those ladies.”

The rest of the Top 10 consists of albums by, in order, Enya, Alicia Keys, Nickelback, the compilation “Totally Hits 2001,” Linkin Park, Usher, P.O.D. and Staind.

Other than Ja Rule, the only other new releases to enter the national Top 20 were Garbage’s “Beautifulgarbage,” which finished No. 13, and Elton John’s “Songs From the West Coast,” which was No. 15.

Lee Greenwood’s “American Patriot” continues its climb. The 1992 collection, back on the charts in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks because it contains the high-profile track “God Bless the USA,” jumped from No. 25 to No. 19, thanks to sales of 60,000 copies. The album is No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s catalog chart, which focuses on sales of older product.

The nation’s best-selling single is Whitney Houston’s “The Star Spangled Banner.”