Venni Vetti Vecci [PA] by Ja Rule (CD, Jun-1999, Murder Inc/Def Jam)

Description: AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Before even releasing his debut album Venni Vetti Vecci, Ja Rule had made a name for himself appearing on cuts by Mic Geronimo, DMX, and Jay-Z, which naturally increased expectations for his first effort. Perhaps the expectations were raised a little bit too much, since Venni isn't the stunner some may have expected, but it nevertheless is a strong opening salvo. Ja Rule doesn't bend the rules of East Coast hardcore hip-hop enough to truly distinguish himself, but he does deliver a solid record, filled with tough party jams and good straight-ahead gangsta. If the record runs a little long, it nevertheless has enough fine moments to make this a promising debut. Venni Vetti Vecci From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Venni Vetti Vecci is the debut studio album by American rapper Ja Rule, released on June 1, 1999, via Murder Inc. and Def Jam. It was the first album to be released on Murder Inc. Production was mostly handled by Irv Gotti, with additional work provided by Lil Rob, Ty Fyffe, Erick Sermon and Self service. The album features guest appearances from Jay-Z, DMX, Case, Memphis Bleek, Black Child, Ronald Isley and Erick Sermon, among others. The album title alludes to the Latin phrase "veni, vidi, vici", meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered". Venni Vetti Vecci was released on June 1, 1999, debuting at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and selling 184,000 copies in its first week.[1] The album was supported by one successful single, Holla Holla, which peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[2] Background In 1995, Ja Rule was one of the first artists to be featuring on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build". He then formed a group named "Cash Money Click" with his friends. The group then signed a deal to TVT Records. Under their association to TVT Records, the group has recorded two of their albums, releasing one single, before they're been dropped from the label. Ja Rule called it a "bullshit deal" as TVT, and withheld the publishing royalties of the recorded material. While working as an executive producer for Def Jam, record producer Irv Gotti was hired as A&R and convinced Ja Rule to sign a deal with the label.[3] Russell Simmons (who was the founder of Def Jam, CEO and a mentor of Gotti) then decided to give Gotti his own record label. In 1997, Murder Inc. Records was founded by promoting and marketing Ja Rule, which places him on these songs among the artists with Jay-Z, LL Cool J, DMX, Method Man and Redman. Due to Ja Rule's exceptional performances on these songs, according to Def Jam; the representatives from the label it gave this album a release date.[citation needed] Title The album title, Venni Vetti Vecci, refers to the Latin phrase "veni, vidi, vici", which means "I came, I saw, I conquered".[4] Music The track titled "Only Begotten Son" alludes to the biblical verses John 3:16 and John 3:18, in which signifying "the father so feared the world that he left his only begotten son, in order to show that pain is love".[5] Artwork The album cover of Venni Vetti Vecci features Ja Rule with his head turned upward, eyes closed and hands clasped together, standing in front of a white statue of Jesus. It has been interpreted as referring to the "only begotten son" metaphor.[5] Critical reception Upon its release, Venni Vetti Vecci received generally mixed reviews. Ja Rule received several comparisons to fellow rappers Tupac Shakur and DMX.[9] Writing for Vibe magazine, Shaheem Reid felt that the majority of the album was "hampered by colorless production", stating that Ja Rule "desperately needs tighter tracks to complement his MC skills".[10] Commercial performance Venni Vetti Vecci debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200, selling 185,000 copies in its first week.[1] The album became a certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[11] In November 2002, the album had sold 2 million copies worldwide.[12] Aftermath Ja Rule became one of the biggest hip hop stars, along with Jay-Z and DMX. With their albums, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life and It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, which all gained notoriety and multi-platinum sales. Because of these albums, Ja Rule was able to tour with these artists as they formed a group titled, Murder Inc., who fittingly signed to Murder Inc. and Def Jam. He was an opening act for Jay-Z and DMX on the 1998's "Hard Knock Life" tour, along with Memphis Bleek. The success of the album led to the credibility for Irv Gotti as a producer. The album, produced by Gotti was also overseen by Chris Lighty and Violator Management, one of the companies that Ja Rule developed issues with.[citation needed] Track listing No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "The March Prelude" Irv Gotti 1:19 2. "We Here Now" (featuring Black Child) Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 3:25 3. "World's Most Dangerous" (featuring Nemesis) Irv Gotti, Lil Rob, Tyrone Fyffe 5:07 4. "Let's Ride" Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 4:22 5. "Holla Holla" Irv Gotti, Tai 4:24 6. "Kill 'Em All" (featuring Jay-Z) Self Service 4:17 7. "I Hate Nigguz (Skit)" 1:06 8. "Nigguz Theme" Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 4:09 9. "Suicide Freestyle" (featuring Case) Irv Gotti 2:16 10. "Story to Tell" Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 4:05 11. "Chris Black (Skit)" 1:40 12. "Count On Yo Nigga" Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 4:35 13. "It's Murda" (featuring Jay-Z & DMX) Tyrone Fyffe 3:36 14. "E-Dub and Ja" (featuring Erick Sermon) Irv Gotti, Erick Sermon 4:14 15. "187 Murda Baptiss Church (Skit)" 2:48 16. "Murda 4 Life" (featuring Memphis Bleek, Black Child) Irv Gotti, Tai 4:48 17. "Daddy's Little Baby" (featuring Ronald Isley) Self Service 5:20 18. "Race Against Time" Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 4:43 19. "Only Begotten Son" Irv Gotti, Lil Rob, Tyrone Fyffe 4:55 20. "The Murderers" (featuring Black Child & Tah Murdah) Irv Gotti, DL 5:08 Sample credits · "Daddy's Little Baby" contains a sample of "Voyage to Atlantis" performed by The Isley Brothers. · "It's Murda" contains a sample of "Smiling Faces Sometimes" performed by David Ruffin. · "N****z Theme" contains a sample of "Niggaz 4 Life" performed by N.W.A. · "Suicide Freestyle" contains a sample of "Suicide" performed by R. Kelly. · "World's Most Dangerous" contains a sample of "I'll Live My Love for You" performed by Millie Jackson. Personnel Credits for Venni Vetti Vecci adapted from Allmusic.[13] · Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins – vocals · Bob Brown – mixing · Tom Coyne – mastering · DMX – performer · Glen E. Friedman – photography · Tyrone Fyffe – producer · Irv Gotti – executive producer, mixing · Ronald Isley – performer · Self Service – producer · Ja Rule – vocals, rap · Jay-Z – performer · Lil Rob – multi instruments, producer · Jonathan Mannion – photography · Memphis Bleek – performer · Erick Sermon – producer, performer · Tommy Uzzo – engineer · Patrick Viala – engineer

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