"Always on Time" is a song by American rapper Ja Rule from his third studio album, Pain Is Love (2001). Produced by Irv Gotti, the song was written by Ja Rule, 7 Aurelius, and Gotti. Originally set to feature Brandy, it features guest vocals from singer-songwriter and labelmate Ashanti. The song was released as the album's second single on November 27, 2001, through Def Jam Recordings and Gotti's Murder Inc. Records.
"Always on Time" spent two weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February and March 2002, becoming Ja Rule's highest-charting single as a lead artist. It was Ashanti's first Hot 100 number one and Ja Rule's second, after he was featured on Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real (Murder Remix)". In 2009, "Always on Time" was named the 33rd-most successful song of the 2000s on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the 82nd-most successful song of the 2000s on the Hot 100.
The beat for "Always on Time" was created by producer 7 Aurelius. As Ja Rule explained to Billboard: "7 had this CD and he threw it in the garbage, Gotti. I was like, 'Yo, what the fuck are you doing?' He was like, 'I ain't fuck[ing] with them shits.' I took [that] shit out the garbage and I took it home and wrote three or four records to songs on there. Two of them came to be hits, with one being 'Always On Time' and the other being Mary J. Blige's 'Rainy Dayz.' I had a studio in my crib. We thought about putting other people on it at first, but I was like, 'Baby sis [<nowiki/>Ashanti] is here and we could do it with her.' She had [done] one record at that point, which I think was the Big Pun ['How We Roll'] joint, but she didn't have any visibility on the record. That was a good moment."
UK CD1
UK CD2 and European CD single
UK cassette single
UK 12-inch single
Australasian CD single
Credits are taken from the Pain Is Love album booklet.
Studios
Personnel