"I actually don’t drink or smoke," the twenty-six year old Sarasota native says. "My song ‘Smoke’ was actually a writing challenge. One of my friends asked if I could write a song about pot and make it a party song, so I decided to try it. I wound up getting some good feedback on that one."

The focus on imagination and humor is what sets Venture apart from most rappers and makes his songs a lot more than they appear on first listen. "Set That P**** Free," with its explicit lyrics, can sound like misogynistic bragging to a distracted listener. But it’s actually a self-effacing rant Venture wrote after being turned down by a girl he really liked. (In one verse, Venture actually finds himself being dumped for another woman.)

"I’m really a happy-go-lucky kind of guy," Venture admits in atypical rap-star fashion. "People who know me know that I have no dislike against anybody. In that particular song, I was just trying to be funny."

He was also taking the opportunity to team up with Sarasota hype rappers Big Bill and Sylus. "I like working with guys like that. I’m more of a lyricist, they’re more high-energy. They’re like some of the big name artists I’d like to work with someday, like Outkast, Ludacris, and Busta Rhymes. Those are rappers who really add a lot to a party song. Doing those songs live is a real adrenaline rush. I feel like I was born to do this."

Any artist who works with Venture better be ready for a career journey, not just a quick buck. Venture will not be content with being just a good rapper in Sarasota. After opening for Trick Daddy at Tampa Bay’s Sundome, Adina Howard in St. Petersburg, and Juvenile in Sarasota, Venture became determined to get his name in front of bigger audiences.

"I’m used to people in my hometown liking me," he says, "but when I played those other places, people had no idea who I was. I want everyone to know who I am. I love attention!"

For all his high-powered dreams, Venture still keeps his priorities in check. He reserves his true dislike for gangsta rap and any other music that promotes violence. A stint in the Army in 1998 solidified his aversion to guns. So did losing his brother, Mike Merritt, to a stray bullet. "It was a senseless act that took my brother," Venture says, "Somebody was shooting at someone else and shot my brother instead. That’s why I hate guns. I don’t promote violence in my music. I try to be positive with my message. I try to do music people can relate to."

He also tries to set a good example for younger fans. While promoters consider it a smart PR move to include cleaned up versions of "Set That P**** Free" and "You Gon Make Me Hate You" on his CD, Venture’s primary motivation was protecting his own kids. "My four-year-old daughter knows all the words to all my songs, so I had to make sure to make safe versions for her to listen to!" Venture laughs.

His concern goes beyond his own family. He considers his best show one he did in 2004 for the Boys and Girls Club, in which he performed a gospel song encouraging kids to go to church. Using his own life as an example, he tells anyone who will listen that they can accomplish their goals.

"No matter where you’re from, you can achieve your dreams," Venture says emphatically. "I grew up in the projects, and I was just someone putting words on paper, and now I’m promoting my own CD. A lot of people will tell you you can’t, but you can."