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My Album Reviews Here are my views on Ja Rule's Albums. 'Venni Vetti Vecci'
Ja Rule is a talented MC, and with a hot beat behind him his style proves to be somewhat addictive. Repeated listens to ""Holla Holla"" has this listener converted. With its brilliant hook, ""Holla Holla"" is emblematic of everything that is exciting about hip-hop; defying its own simplicity, it sticks to the program thematically (women, money, props, and the ubiquitous ""murda,"" a theme that runs throughout the record). But beneath what at first listen appears to be a simple-minded hook, subtle lyrical complexity emerges. ""Holla Holla"" took a minute to catch on, but now looks like a prime candidate for hottest joint out this summer, at least in New York, after Nas' project has failed to deliver a really hot single. ""Let's Ride"" combines the call and response sing-along hook (""How many n****s that'll roll with me?/C'mon let's ride"") with a futuristic beat and fast-rhyme style akin to Jay-Z's ""Jigga What? Jigga Who?"" There's even a handful of album cuts like ""Story to Tell"" and ""It's Murda"" (featuring guest shots from Jay-Z and DMX) that show that Ja Rule can also get over on slower, more cinematic beats. Ja Rule's sound melds well with his Murder Inc. mates, Jay and DMX, and Ja Rule's full-length debut has some of the same qualities as these other artists' recent full-length efforts. Built around strong production, Vinni Vetti Vecci uses the full-length album format as more than just a vehicle for a couple hot singles. However, towards the latter half of the record, Vinni Vetti Vecci falters a bit. As with so many hip-hop releases, the album's hot beats are pushed towards the beginning of the record, and an artist like Ja Rule, whose rhyme style is pretty similar from track to track, needs hot beats to keep the listeners' attention. It seems unlikely that Vinni Vetti Vecci will have the same gigantic impact in the marketplace as Jay-Z and DMX's recent releases have, but for now, Ja Rule's helping to make spring turn into summer, making things a little ""Hotter! Hotter!""
'3:36'
RULE 3:36 is as solid as Ja Rule's first release. Produced by Murder Inc., the tracks vary from pop-influenced R&B to hardcore rap, so there's a little something for everybody. "Between Me and You" and "Put it on Me" are lighter, summery-sounding jams that will put bodies on the dance floor, but Ja Rule proves he's also got the rhymes to hang with the big dogs, on songs such as "Love Me Hate Me" and "6 Feet Underground."
'Pain Is Love':
'The Last Temptation':
The crew-cut "The Pledge" features Nas, Ashanti and 2Pac (who shows up for five seconds, but then he is dead) to whom Ja Rule is developing a distinct physical and vocal similarity. Though it's a remix (now with added rappers!) it's little different to the version on Irv Gotti Presents the Inc. "Mesmerize" with Ashanti (whose career Ja kick-started) is decent without matching the catchiness of their previous collaborations. "Thug Lovin'", with Bobby Brown, is a soulful West Coast cut with Bobby Brown sounding something like the old Jodeci. Perhaps the most commercial track is the R&B cut "Murder Me". As Ja's film career takes off, his musical career seems to have stalled. The Last Temptation, despite its dramatic title and striking cover artwork is low on thrills. To conserve energy Ja Rule is simply recycling himself. Maybe four albums in four years is too much
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Ja
Rule's negotiated a place for himself atop the rap music food chain,
guest spot by guest spot. It was an appearance on Jay-Z's
""Can I Get A..."" that put Ja Rule's gravelly flow
on the map. And depending on what magazine you read, Ja's already even a
member of a hip-hop supergroup, Murder Inc., with rap's top guns, Jay-Z
and DMX, through his connection to rap music mafioso Irv Gotti. So by
now, we've all heard plenty from Ja Rule, leaving heads wondering if Ja
Rule would have anything original left in him for his full-length. Now
with the release of his debut on Def Jam, Vinni Vetti Vecci, Ja
Rule is ready to show that he can shine on his own. And while there's
nothing particularly exciting about Ja Rule in his delivery or his
lyrics, he can really flow, and the rock-solid production on Vinni
Vetti Vecci will help Ja Rule conquer new listeners.
Ja
Rule is destined for stardom. After selling over a million copies of his
debut album VENNI VETTI VECCI on the strength of one hit single ("Holla
Holla"), and landing a major role in a Coca Cola campaign, it's no
surprise that his sophomore album RULE 3:36 followed so quickly on the
former's heels.
Ja
Rule has answered his calling. It's the club-friendly beat, the R&B
hook and sing-songy, rough-edged vocals that seem to work for Ja. So
he's sticking with it. With the backing of Murder Inc. label head (and
this album's producer) Irv Gotti, Ja Rule picks up right where he left
off with PAIN IS LOVE. Teaming up with the rhythmic crooner Case, Ja
Rule reinterprets the Stevie Wonder classic "Do I Do" into the
rap jam of 2001, "Livin' It Up." The album also features J.
Lo's remix of "I'm Real," which Ja Rule helped turn into a
hit. Missy Elliott drops in a verse on "Ex," and with the help
of modern technology, Tupac lives on "So Much Pain." For Ja
Rule, his pain means a lot more than love, it means success too.
The
Last Temptation is Ja Rule's fourth album in as many years. Neither
the best looking man around, nor the most vocally talented, he's made a
mint. The rise of artists such as Ja Rule, Jay Z and 