Studio Album · No. 1
Venni Vetti Vecci Songwriting Credits by Ja Rule
Produced by Irv Gotti, Lil' Rob, Tyrone Fyffe, Erick Sermon, Self, Tai, DL, Richard Marshall · Engineered by Pat Viala, Tommy Uzzo, Ken "Duro" Ifill
Holds writing credit on 16 of 16 tracks · 4 not yet documented
Authorship Breakdown 16 / 16 documented
Scored across the 16 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ja Rule carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 20 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Ja Rule writes his own verses on every non-skit track here, credited alongside Irv Gotti as a virtual co-writer on nearly every song since Gotti shaped the hooks and arrangements as much as the beats. Featured artists carry their own lines: Jay-Z writes his verses on "Kill 'Em All" and "It's Murda," DMX writes his on "It's Murda," and Erick Sermon, Case, and Memphis Bleek all write their own guest spots. "Daddy's Little Baby" folds in the Isley Brothers' original "Voyage to Atlantis" songwriting team because Ronald Isley sings over an interpolation of that 1977 ballad. The composer column swaps in Ja Rule's birth name, Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, and Irv Gotti's, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., wherever the stage name differs from the legal name on file. A handful of contributors, including Nemesis and producer DL, could not be matched to a confirmed legal name in the sources checked, so those credits still run under their stage names.
Venni Vetti Vecci is the debut studio album by Ja Rule, released June 1, 1999 through Murder Inc. Records and Def Jam Recordings as the new label's first release. The title is a phonetic spin on the Latin phrase "veni, vidi, vici," and the cover places Ja Rule before Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue. Irv Gotti executive produced the record and shaped most of the beats around Ja Rule's raspy delivery, with additional production from Lil' Rob, Tyrone Fyffe, Erick Sermon, Self, Tai, and DL. Guest verses come from Jay-Z, DMX, Case, Memphis Bleek, Erick Sermon, and Ronald Isley, plus Murder Inc. labelmates Black Child, Nemesis, and Tah Murdah. The lead single "Holla Holla" reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped push the album to number 3 on the Billboard 200. The RIAA certified the album platinum on July 12, 1999, and it had sold roughly 2.5 million copies worldwide by November 2002. Skits threaded through the tracklist, including "I Hate Nigguz," "Chris Black," and "187 Murda Baptiss Church," build out the album's street narrative between songs.
Track Listing & Credits 20 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The March Prelude
|
Not documented | - | Irv Gotti | Ja Rule (Vocals) |
| 2 |
We Here Now
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiLil' RobBlack Child | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert MaysRamel Leroy Gill | Irv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Black Child (Featured Vocals) |
| 3 |
World's Most Dangerous
|
Ja RuleTy FyffeIrv GottiNemesis | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsTyrone FyffeIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Nemesis | Tyrone FyffeIrv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Nemesis (Featured Vocals) |
| 4 |
Let's Ride
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiLil' Rob | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert Mays | Irv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Holla Holla
#35
|
Ja RuleTaiIrv Gotti | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsTaiwan GreenIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. | TaiIrv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Kill 'Em All
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiSelfJay-Z | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Edward HinsonShawn Corey Carter | SelfIrv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Jay-Z (Featured Vocals) |
| 7 |
I Hate Nigguz (Skit)
|
Not documented | - | - | Ja Rule (Vocals) |
| 8 |
Nigguz Theme
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiLil' Rob | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert Mays | Irv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Suicide Freestyle
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiR. Kelly | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert Sylvester Kelly | Irv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Case (Featured Vocals) |
| 10 |
Story to Tell
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiLil' Rob | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert Mays | Irv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Chris Black (Skit)
|
Not documented | - | - | Ja Rule (Vocals) |
| 12 |
Count on Yo Nigga
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiLil' Rob | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert Mays | Irv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
It's Murda
|
Ja RuleTy FyffeDMXJay-Z | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsTyrone FyffeEarl SimmonsShawn Corey Carter | Tyrone FyffeIrv GottiRichard Marshall | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)DMX (Featured Vocals)Jay-Z (Featured Vocals) |
| 14 |
E-Dub and Ja
|
Ja RuleErick SermonIrv Gotti | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsErick SermonIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. | Erick SermonIrv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Erick Sermon (Featured Vocals) |
| 15 |
187 Murda Baptiss Church (Skit)
|
Not documented | - | - | Ja Rule (Vocals) |
| 16 |
Murda 4 Life
|
Ja RuleTaiIrv GottiMemphis Bleek | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsTaiwan GreenIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Malik Deshawn Cox | TaiIrv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Memphis Bleek (Featured Vocals) |
| 17 |
Daddy's Little Baby
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiSelfRonald IsleyErnie IsleyMarvin IsleyO'Kelly IsleyRudolph IsleyChris Jasper | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Edward HinsonRonald IsleyErnie IsleyMarvin IsleyO'Kelly IsleyRudolph IsleyChris Jasper | SelfIrv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Ronald Isley (Featured Vocals) |
| 18 |
Race Against Time
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiLil' Rob | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Robert Mays | Irv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 19 |
Only Begotten Son
|
Ja RuleTy FyffeIrv Gotti | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsTyrone FyffeIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. | Tyrone FyffeIrv GottiLil' Rob | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals) |
| 20 |
The Murderers
|
Ja RuleIrv GottiBlack ChildTah Murdah | Jeffrey Bruce AtkinsIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.Ramel Leroy GillTaheem Crocker | DLIrv Gotti | Ja Rule (Lead Vocals)Black Child (Featured Vocals)Tah Murdah (Featured Vocals) |