Venni Vetti Vecci debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, selling 184,000 copies in its first week. The album was supported by one successful single, "Holla Holla," which peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[3]
Background
In 1995, Ja Rule was one of the first artists to be featured on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build". He then formed a group named "Cash Money Click" with his friends, which then signed a deal with TVT Records, under which they recorded two albums and released one single before being dropped from the label. Ja Rule later called it a "bullshit deal" as TVT withheld the publishing royalties of the recorded material. Irv Gotti was hired as an A&R while working as an executive producer for Def Jam, and convinced Ja Rule to sign a deal with the label.[4]
Russell Simmons later allowed Gotti to have his own record label. Irv co-founded Murder Inc. Records and promoted Ja Rule, placing him on songs amongst rappers Jay-Z, LL Cool J, DMX, Method Man and Redman. Due to Ja Rule's exceptional performances on these songs, representatives from Def Jam gave his debut album a release date.[citation needed]
Music
The track titled "Only Begotten Son" alludes to the biblical versesJohn 3:16 and John 3:18, 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 the statue of Christ the Redeemer. It has been interpreted as referring to the "only begotten son" metaphor.[5]
Upon its release, Venni Vetti Vecci received generally mixed reviews. Ja Rule received several comparisons to fellow rappers Tupac Shakur and DMX.[9]Los Angeles Times critic Soren Baker noted that "on his debut , Ja Rule sticks largely to current rap lyric staples –confrontational rhymes about the inferiority of other rappers and his own sexual prowess [...] Producers Irv Gotti, Self, Tyrone Fyffe and others keep their beats spare, with pounding drums, undulating bass lines and wicked synthesizer tweaks serving as the foundation for soundscapes that contain as much bounce as bite."[6]
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that Venni Vetti Vecci "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."[1] Writing for Vibe, 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".[11]
Ja Rule became one of the biggest hip hop stars of the late 1990s, along with Jay-Z and DMX, whose respective albums Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life and It's Dark and Hell Is Hot 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 them on their 1998 "Hard Knock Life" tour, along with Memphis Bleek.
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