Back before Ja Rule went the route of duets with J-Lo and Ashanti to get noticed he released his debut album that featured little to no R&B hooks and tried to speak to hardcore rap fans as a straight up Gangsta Rapper. Def Jam couldn't have done much more to give him some instant credibility than provide two of the hottest and most respected rappers in the game at that point for an album track that had the Internet buzzing. Songs - especially album tracks - weren't as readily gettable in '99 as they are nowadays and seeing this on the tracklist is bound to have driven up album sales.
Now that's all good on paper, but did the song actually live up to the hype? Hell yeah it did!
The beat opens up slow and menacing as DMX's trademark growls let you know that shit's about to get serious. X opens the track with a stellar verse that shows why he was one of the best at riding a beat in the late 90s. Jigga follows up with a bit of his Reasonable Doubt/Vol 1. type flow before Ja comes in last on his own track.
Ja doesn't carry the same kind of authority in his voice or lyrics that the other two do, but it's a decent verse anyway. By the end of the track all three artists have set out their stall and let the rap game know they aren't to be effed with. It's interesting to think what would have become of Ja Rule had the rest of his career followed in this kind of vein and if the rumoured supergroup of these three artists had ever come to fruition. But as it is we have this gem of a track that serves as a reminder of two legends in their prime.
If you haven't heard Venni Vetti Vecci it's well worth checking out though, because it's not what you have come to expect from Ja Rule and there are some killer tracks on it.
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