Emcee of the Month: Joell Ortiz

So I'm here at Mariana's crib in Brooklyn and the party's been over for about an hour now. And as I'm doing a quick glance through the youtubes(!) for Joell Ortiz material, I came upon this.

Man, this cat is the realest.

The somber and unapologetic reality of this track is one of the most unique and invaluable aspects of hip hop music. This music has always been about voicing the stories of the less fortunate and down-trodden; perhaps more so than any other musical form in history. Joell's commitment to exposing the immediacy of addiction is both refreshing and disturbing, especially considering the relative complacency of more popular hip hop artists when tackling these matters. His choice to use the instrumental from Kanye West's "Devil in a New Dress" is especially fitting for the subject as it undulates underneath the verse with soaring melancholy.

Joell can't be judged by his freestyles. He's actually way doper than that. This track is a real gem.

peace.