Joell Ortiz, the skilled Brooklyn lyricist who formed part of the group Slaughterhouse, is gearing up to release a new album with producer L'Orange titled Signature. For those unfamiliar with his work, it's characterized by sharp lines and wordplay, an emphasis on grimy production, and a confident delivery as he spits out street bars. If this newest single is anything to go by, this may well be one of the New York rapper's best projects in a while. Moreover, "OG" is a dark and menacing soundscape layered with tales of Ortiz's age, life experiences, and injustice.
Furthermore, Joell Ortiz specifically hones in on how people in the streets escape their tough circumstances and rise above systemic police abuse and hardened crimes. In fact, Ortiz speaks on his own status as an MC and how he's aged, but also how he still remembers those days. His flow is steady and well-balanced between faster stanzas and more punch-packing short bars. His two verses on the song are actually narratively framed in somewhat of an inverse order. In the first, he stars with his current life and then reminisces on how it used to be. On the second he inverts that to recall how you might love your hood, "but when you leave, you won't miss it much."
Read More: Joell Ortiz: Resilience & Rhyme In Music
Joell Ortiz & L'Orange's "OG"
Meanwhile, the production here is simple but dangerously effective as a raw instrumental. With just an infectious bassline, simple boom-bap drums, and a distorted guitar strum that reverberates throughout, the beat bangs. Signature will likely be a very solid project, and "OG" builds that hype up as an excellent track. If you haven't heard it yet, find it on your preferred streaming service and check out some standout lines below. Also, stay posted on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Joell Ortiz and L'Orange.
Quotable Lyrics
I was in them streets like Rico
But the boy from Puerto Rico ain't get caught up in the RICO
It was OD package anytime I moved the diesel
Not it's O.G status, new ways to move the needle