JA RULE - JA RULE WATCHING ASHANTI GROW

Rapper JA RULE is stunned by how much his MURDER INC RECORDS protege ASHANTI has progressed over the last three years (begs01).

The hip-hop star launched Ashanti into the charts when she sang on his hit ALWAYS ON TIME, and the rapper admits he feels like a proud big brother watching the R+B beauty mature into a woman.

Ja Rule says, "I was just watching Always On Time the other day and she's so young and fresh, and now she's grown up so much.

"It's like, 'Wow! You have changed.'"