Venni Vetti Vecci - Ja Rule

"Venni Vetti Vecci" was the 1999 debut from the New York rapper Ja Rule, who dropped this soon after working with big names of the time such as Dru Hill, LL Cool J and Jay-Z, and so with this he hoped to bring something new to the game with his Mafioso Gangsta Rap style which many likened to a cross of another new artist of the time, DMX. 1. "The March Prelude" 2. "We Here Now" Off an intimidating introduction, you have a track from him which has him getting into to the sort of material which really defined what the late nineties was about for East coast rap with a joint which has him ripping through the ...  Read the complete review

The first time I ever saw or even heard of Ja Rule was in the Jay-Z video, "Can I Get A". I was in a frenzy. This little rapper is trying to look and act like 2Pac, and rap like DMX. I began to contemplate this a little further, and I wondered what DMX thought about this insult. To my astonishment I found that not only did DMX not have a problem with Ja Rules raps, but also he was actually down with him. This was a disappointment to say the least. Ja Rule has talent. Don't get me wrong; he has a lot of talent. He does hardcore with the best of them. It's just that what Ja Rule is doing looks and sounds exactly what DMX, and 2Pac did. I believe ...  Read the complete review

Every summer of hip-hop has a hot commodity or two on the New York Rap Exchange, and this year's fastest rising investment has been Ja Rule; soon to trade under the listing of "Murda, Inc." Like most hot stocks, there is usually a kernel of truth built around a lot of inflated expectations of unrealistic returns. Factors fueling Ja Rule's meteoric rise have included: an underground reputation as a one-time member of the (rightfully deceased) Cash Money Click, guest appearances on two Mic Geronimo albums, a vocal tone with much in common to DMX, a deal with current commercial rap titan Def Jam, and appearances on everything from a BlackSTREET ...  Read the complete review

It's trying enough that we have DMX, the shirtless tough guy who uses murder imagery and doomsday scenarios as if they were currency. Buying fame and fortune from people looking for "real" street stories -- true or not -- was such a success for DMX that you knew there would indeed be others. Enter Ja Rule. Ja Rule shares the same stuttered, razor-shredded voice as DMX, but he's more than just Scrappy to DMX's Scooby Doo. He's also got a bit of Jay-Z in him (you may remember Ja from Jay-Z's hit single "Can I Get A …"), which makes him a scruffy but slick headbanger with a knack for good street anthems. ...  Read the complete review

As hip-hop's newest pretty boy thug, Ja Rule initially seems like a composite of other, more established rappers. His growling tones scrape the baritone bottom end as DMX's do; his deft vocal flow is reminiscent of Busta Rhymes and his Murder Inc. partner Jay-Z. His physical countenance and packaged fury bear more than passing resemblance to the late Tupac Shakur. Yet Ja Rule, with his ambitious debut LP Venni Vetti Vecci, not only defines his own world -- he threatens to eclipse his mentors. As hip-hop's newest pretty boy thug, Ja Rule initially seems like a composite of other, more established rappers. In contrast to both ...  Read the complete review