Venni Vetti Vecci
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| Venni Vetti Vecci | |||||
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| Studio album by Ja Rule | |||||
| Released | June 1, 1999 | ||||
| Recorded | 1998/1999 | ||||
| Genre | Hardcore hip hop, Neo soul | ||||
| Length | 76:17 | ||||
| Label | Murder Inc./Def Jam | ||||
| Producer | Irv Gotti | ||||
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| Ja Rule chronology | |||||
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Venni Vetti Vecci is the debut album from Ja Rule released through Murder Inc. Records. This album was also the first release on Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records imprint. Before the end of 1999, the album had been certified platinum by the RIAA. This album, much like DMX's, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, was a shift from Puff Daddy, Mase, and Bad Boy Records' "shiny suit era." Ja Rule's hardcore lyrics and street sounding beats by Irv Gotti propelled the album to a platinum certification.
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[edit] History
[edit] Release
While working as an executive for Def Jam Recordings, Irv Gotti was trying to convince the label to grant him his own label, he had DJ'd for Jay-Z and produced two tracks on Reasonable Doubt. He was also working with rapper DMX on various songs. Gotti was soon introduced to the Cash Money Click's frontman, Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins. He immediately placed him on many tracks with Jay-Z and DMX. DMX would soon sign a deal with Dee and Waah Dean's Ruff Ryders Entertainment. Irv brokered a deal that got DMX and the Ruff Ryders on Def Jam and Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records on Def Jam. He decided to keep Ja Rule to himself.
Russell Simmons, the Def Jam founder, CEO, and mentor to Gotti then decided to give Gotti the label he had wanted for so long. In 1998, Murder Inc. Records was founded. To promote and market Ja Rule, he placed him on songs with Jay-Z, LL Cool J, DMX, Cash Money Records, and Fat Joe. Due to Ja Rule's execeptional performances on these songs, Def Jam gave his album a release date. On June 1, 1999, Venni Vetti Vecci was released.
[edit] Aftermath
Venni Vetti Vecci was a somewhat critical success and a much-publicized commercial release. He was praised for his deep tales of the streets and growing up poor. His album gained him comparisons to DMX and Tupac Shakur. While some considered this a good thing, many called it blasphemy because DMX was barely tolerated for his style and Ja Rule was another Tupac-like rapper. Because of this, Ja Rule would face a big backlash later in his career.
Still, Ja Rule became one of the biggest hip hop stars, along with Jay-Z and DMX. Their albums, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, 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 entitled, Murder Inc., who fittingly signed to Murder Inc./Def Jam. He would be an opening act for Jay-Z and DMX on the 1998 Hard Knock Life Tour along with Memphis Bleek. This album also introduced a new style that blended hip hop and R&B as Ja Rule would actually sing on some records with the guest singer. This led to the decline of the basic rapper/singer collaboration.
The success of the album led to the credibility of Irv Gotti as a producer. The album, produced by Gotti was also overseen by Chris Lighty and Violator Management, ironically one of the companies that Ja Rule now has issues with.
[edit] Track listing
- "The March Prelude" (1:19)
- "We Here Now" (featuring Black Child) (3:25)
- "World's Most Dangerous" (featuring Nemesis) (5:07)
- "Let's Ride" (4:22)
- "Holla Holla" (4:24)
- "Kill 'Em All" (featuring Jay-Z) (4:17)
- "I Hate Niggaz" (Skit) (1:06)
- "Niggaz Theme" (featuring Black Child & Case) (4:09)
- "Suicide Freestyle" (featuring Case) (2:16)
- "Story To Tell" (4:05)
- "Chris Black" (Skit) (1:40)
- "Count On Your Nigga" (4:35)
- "It's Murda" (featuring DMX & Jay-Z) (3:36)
- "E-Dub & Ja" (featuring Erick Sermon) (4:14)
- "187 Murda Baptiss Church" (Skit) (2:48)
- "Murda 4 Life" (featuring Memphis Bleek) (4:48)
- "Daddy's Little Baby" (featuring Ronald Isley) (5:20)
- "Race Against Time" (4:43)
- "Only Begotten Son" (4:55)
- "The Murderers" (featuring Black Child & Tah Murdah) (5:08)
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