Joell Ortiz isn’t like most rappers. He’s Latino: a negative in the eyes of some A&R’s. He’s a legitimate “baller”: he was offered scholarships to play college basketball. And he’s intelligent: He scored close to a 1400 on his SAT’s. His debut album, The Brick: Bodega Chronicles, proves Ortiz is unlike most rappers musically as well.

Coming up in the rap game, Ortiz was denied a record deal by several labels because of his weight. Those who didn’t think his chubbiness was a problem often cited his lack of crossover potential due to his ethnicity. He heard all the reasons in the world why he’d never get a single record deal. Well, the haters were right - he got two.

After signing with Koch Records, the label under which The Brick was released, Dr. Dre flew Ortiz out to California where the Brooklyn rapper signed a deal on the spot. While fans eagerly await his Aftermath debut, The Brick will certainly hold them over, as the album displays Ortiz’s limitless potential as an artist.

What sets Ortiz apart from other rappers is his nostalgic vibe. His first single, “Hip Hop,” is an ode to the true meaning of the culture, which to him, is unlaced Timberlands, Champion hoodies and chicken wings and french fries. Ortiz’s hunger and passion are evident over the piano-driven beat.

Unfortunately, “Hip Hop” is one of the few songs in which the quality of the beat is even close to matching Ortiz’s lyrical ability. A rapper like Ortiz, who can pack a seemingly infinite number of syllables into each line, deserves better than the weak, stuttering drums on “Block Royal” or the Miami Vice-esque cinematic-vibe on “Caught Up,” a song in which Ortiz offers a unique perspective of drug-dealing.

Not all the production is sub-par though. “BQE” features a minimalist, pulsating piano beat produced by Alchemist - the utter grittiness of the beat sufficiently complements Ortiz’s forceful delivery. Ortiz and Akon sound especially smooth on “Keep On Callin,’” also a piano-driven track (notice a trend here?).

But even with inconsistent production, Ortiz shines. On “Brooklyn Bullshit” he has no qualms admitting he doesn’t life a glamorous lifestyle, spitting lines like, “So what if this the second day I wore these jeans/ I was chillin’ yesterday, they don’t stink, nah mean?” Listeners feel a certain connection with Ortiz because he’s not rapping about diamonds and cars in every song, which is refreshing.

Lyrically, Ortiz doesn’t waste a word. He never seems to run out of lines, and shows off his talent by delivering 125-bar freestyles, of which there are four on this album. Tracks like these are probably best suited for mixtapes, not albums, but you can’t blame Ortiz considering his creative wordplay.

Although several young New York rappers have built up a considerable buzz in the past few years with little to show for it (Saigon, Papoose, Jae Millz, to name three), a backing from Dre could give Ortiz the boost he needs to achieve mainstream success, especially considering inconsistent production was The Brick’s glaring weakness.

With huge artists like Nas proclaiming “hip hop is dead” and more and more fans tuning out of the East Coast and into the South, many will wonder whether Joell Ortiz will be the one to revive the New York rap scene. But as he raps on his lead single - “I ain’t trying to bring New York back/ I’m just a breath of fresh air, that good ole New York rap,” at this point maybe that’s just what the game needs.

by Andrew Kahn

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