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Ok let?s get the Dre stuff out of the way so we can move on. You came up on the scene crazy, signed with Aftermath; it looked like the perfect situation, what happened?
It actually was a good situation, things didn?t worked out as far as me staying there as an artist, but it was the perfect situation because it gave me notoriety, and it was a big post signature was from a hip-hop mogul. But what happened was it wasn?t more than a simple release date issue. I just figured I came in there with a high power buzz, the cover of XXL, you know, make some great records and you know when we came back to a release date, it was kind of stagnant a little bit, and I had to get out of there, that?s all. He [Dre} really wanted me to stay as an artist. I still love the dude today, you know co-writing on Detox and stuff like that, but as an artist it wasn?t the best move for Joell Ortiz, I cant stay still you know when your window of opportunity opens you got to jump right thru it. That wasn?t the best thing for my career.
Now, do you spend a lot of time marketing yourself online, because there is a lot of people on the blogs and forums, that have you in the top 5 emcees list and you say might be the next big thing in rap, I mean its crazy.
Ah that?s crazy, that?s shit is crazy that people got me as a top 5 emcee on the internet. That shit is fucking flattering and a compliment and that?s the shit that makes me push my pen even harder. but ima be a real person, I really don?t be having the time to touch base with the internet, like every now and then ill check up and see whose hitting up my myspace, or see what?s going on at worldstarhiphop.com, and all the up known hiphopgame and allhiphop and see what?s going on every now and then. But most of the time, im in the studio keeping them excited, you feel me. As far me sitting me saying im sitting here in front of a computer I?d be sitting here lying. I do check up, cause you know it does feel good sometime to hear people appreciate your music so I do like to read comments, and I do like to hear when the hate comes thru so I can push my pen even harder. I know how instrumental the internet was in my career but I don?t sit in front of a computer.
Well, I think I?ve got more request from people to interview you than anybody else, I mean people are really interested to hear what Joell has to say man.
Damn man that?s a blessing man, thank you.
So they all want to hear about the new album, talk about that.
That?s what?s up man. You wont be disappointed either man, the record is coming along crazy. Im looking to drop spring of 09. The name of the record is Free Agent. I got some club music on that album now im rich; you know I love the brick, that?s my freshman album, but im trying to be there.
Yeah, and its going to be on Koch right?
Yeah I just resigned with Koch last week actually. So we are already working on release date stuff now and you know the album photos and stuff like that. So we getting things in order and picking out the singles and seeing what?s going to be what.
Is Memories going to be on the album? Cause that?s my joint right there.
Yeah, Memories is on that record, I love Memories man its funny you brought that up.
"I?m back flipped off the monkey bars, ran up the slide/ marker in my pocket was getting vandalized/" - That line made be proud to be from Brooklyn.
[Laughs] Thank You Man.
You had tracks with Big Daddy Kane, Styles P, Immortal Technique. Even Alchemist came in with a beat, how did you line such heavy hitters for a freshman release?
Yo to be honest with you, thru the grace of god. A lot of the people that worked with me on the brick were just fans of the music and wanted to attach they self to something they believed in. Alchemist pitched in with a beat, Showbiz came thru like "Yo I love your stuff". Styles P, these were real genuine dudes that I was working with. Dudes that were like, you know what man, this kid got something going on, and this kid is really talking something. When you listen to him you actually get something from it. I see where he is going with it, this is dope, and I want to work with him. That?s why it sounded so raw to me, Not to toot my horn, but I'm a Hip-Hop fan first before a rapper you feel me. I thought that my album was pretty tight, from a listeners stand point. And I think a large majority of it was because I wasn?t reaching out to heavy people, you know what im saying. I was keeping it real street and real basic and I think that?s why it got the acclaim that it did.
With the internet now, it seems like people create their own credibility, its like peoples reputation is whatever they come up with in their imagination, talk about that.
Yeah, you know Hip-Hop in the street go neck and neck, and the same thing that is happening in Hip-Hop is happening in the street. Like you know, back in the days when you came out on the block, and you were trying to get money dude, you just couldn?t just have your own work dude, you feel me. Like you had to pump for somebody at where somebody you feel me. You had to actually step to dude "Yo I know what it is, yo im just trying to get money im trying to get on". And then it might happen it might not. That the same way it should be, like if the members aint co-signing a lot of dudes, I don?t be seeing how dudes be feeling they self like it. Like, If you aint getting those heavy hitters, Like KRS-One to say "Yo this dude right here?s the truth," They shouldn?t feel they self. You just coming out of left field without no movement, without no groundwork and just thinking you?re going to pop up and make a ring tone single. I mean more power to you because you probably come from poverty like I came from and however you going to get money you going to get it, but don?t sit there and call yourself ill. You know they had a camp, I'm the fore front of the camp, and ill hit you guys with this guy by getting him on two or three records, and then let him do what he does. Like dudes just coming out of left like, yo that?s not the move. Like I said I'm not no hater, I aint knocking him but, you aint hot man, to me. Like as far as the Big Daddy Kane's, and the legendary people that I worked with, I was feeling the new class doesn?t pay homage enough to the dudes enough that paved the way. I don?t think they do there homework and realize who is who, and what is what, and what they mean to the business and the art of music right now. I mean just because they not the big popping dudes right now or on top, these dudes paved the way. Without a Kool G Rap, without a KRS-One, without a Rakim there is no Joell, without a Pun you know what im saying. So, every opportunity you get, man you got to remind them dudes that, you know. As a man, I know and I got to thank them, so whatever way than to get them on a record.
And some great records to man.
Thank you man I appreciate that.
What?s a normal day like now, for Joell Ortiz?
I can just tell you what everyday is for me. I wake up around 7:30, I hit the bath and brush my teeth, wash my face, shower up, I got to the gym about 8:30-9:00. Im in the gym trying to physically fit, trying to you know, feel healthy about this big move im about to make, I really feel well about this album, and the rest of my career is is going to take. So you know im trying to get in shape and feel good about it and start looking good and feeling like im writing. I come out of the gym, I get home, I shower up, I get dressed, and I hit the studio and im in the studio for the duration of the day. If I don?t have to be somewhere to do a club walk through, or an interview somewhere at a radio station, I got right back home. When im at home, if I feel up to it ill write, if not im pretty much watching family guy [Laughs].
[Laughs} What?s been your biggest record so far?
Wow, well I'd have to lean towards Hip-Hop. Just because of the response I get when I go over seas and stuff, and that?s my show closer and the whole fucking building just erupts, when they hear the fucking piano go on. Like I got so many people that ask me questions about that record, like who were you thinking when you wrote that and the bottom of the line was I was just tired of muah fuckas saying yo how you feel about the state of hip-hop. I was like yo dude, here, here is your answer, stop asking me that shit. Here it goes, this is it, hip-hop is alive and well, don't you see people with hands in the air? Hands up if you forever a fan of it. It was a response record, and it just so happened that people picked up to it, people felt it, when I talked about you know, Rob Lo mixtapes, and the feeling. Like when you see what certain niggas mean like, "Oh shit, this nigga did a freestyle" Im getting that shit, I want to know what?s going on, it wasn?t so fucking flooded and cluttered, you know what im saying. That?s what were missing in hip-hop, that exclutivity. Just to give a fresh album to hip-hop was probably my biggest record. And then, probably Brooklyn Bullshit because I get a good response from that when I?m performing.
Check out Part 2 when Joell answers the question everybody's been asking.
So all the people that been wondering about Slaughterhouse, If you was to ask me right now is it going to happen...?
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