Joell Ortiz Is Classic…

I fux with Joell Ortiz because he is such a student of rap music. He is cut from the same cloth as a Black Thought. He isn't yet on B.T.'s level of micsmanship, but I am sure he can get there if he gets motivated. This mixtape is proof positive of his skillset.

Joell Ortiz Covers The Classics via OnSmash

This mixtape has been months in development. Because Joell is such a big fan of Hip-Hop it wasn't easy to convince him to cover some of rap's greatest classics with his own flavor. Joell thought it was sacrilege to apend these songs in a mixtape or any other recorded format. Something akin to rewriting the rap bible.

I think what Joell did was better than a REWRITE. He did a REMEMBER. This mixtape remembers our history. People that don't understand rap's history of learning life's lesson through communication think that rap is a contact sport where challenges are issued in an arena of one-upmanship. Those are the vulture that thrive on Hip-Hop's dysfunction. Each one teach one was never the motto of those executives and carpetbaggers.

Instead of keeping the focus squarely on himself Joell Ortiz reminds us why these songs mattered in the first place. Definitely put this mixtape in your portable music player. Pick up the original records that were sampled for this tape.

Respect the architects.

Remember your history before it becomes HIS story.

Happy Born Day BIG L.

Rest in peace.