It’s Murder! Ashanti and Ja Rule reunite on their latest collaboration for Hamilton: The Mixtape.
“Helpless,” a reinterpretation from the Broadway musical, allows Rule to play the role of Alexander Hamilton, while Ashanti plays his wife Eliza.
“Baby, I’m helpless,” sings Ashanti. “Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit / I’m helpless, baby, down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ’em.”
For his verse, Rule York comes through with Hamilton’s perspective. “All I have’s my honor,” he raps. “A tolerance for pain / A couple of college credits and my top-notch brain / Insane, your family brings out a different side of me.”
Earlier this year, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda told “Conan” that the Murder Inc. duo was actually the muse for this song.
“When I was writing that song, I was picturing it as Ashanti and Ja Rule,” he said. “I was like, ‘Eliza’s Ashanti. Hamilton’s Ja Rule. Two verses, two choruses. A little Ja Rule. And then they’re married.'”
The star-studded Hamilton Mixtape is due Dec. 2 with appearances by Nas, Chance the Rapper, Usher, Miguel, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, and Alicia Keys, among many others.