Getting started in the hip hop industry is difficult on its own, and many artists need to deal with personal issues on top of it all. While he was recording and releasing the first Joell Ortiz mixtapes, the artist had quite a lot to deal with both in and out of the studio. Although the early years were not easy, they gave him material for excellent hip hop songs that would take him far into his career.
Joell Ortiz was born in 1980 in Brooklyn, New York, where he competed in a number of rap battles throughout the years. While competing, he met a number of artists who would influence his sound and eventually put the experiences into the first Joell Ortiz mixtapes. While working on new mixtapes, he also put his energy into locking down a record deal.
In 2004, Joell Ortiz started getting the attention he deserved when he appeared on The Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype list. He was also on the Chairman's List for XXL Magazine, but his big break came when he won the EA Sports Battle that year. As the winner of the battle, he was given the opportunity to record a song for release on the NBA Live Soundtrack.
After appearing on the NBA Live Soundtrack, Joell Ortiz finally got the break for which he had been looking. Hip hop legend Jermaine Dupri signed Ortiz to his label, So So Def Records. Unfortunately, the deal did not pan out and Ortiz began collaborating with artists like KRS-One and Kool G. Rap to release new Joell Ortiz mixtapes.
Finally, after shopping around for a new deal, Ortiz signed to Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath Records. Although he was signed to Aftermath, Dre let him take an opportunity to record an album with Koch Records entitled The Brick: Bodega Chronicles. It seemed as if things were finally going his way, but many personal issues distracted the rapper from pursuing his success. He has been compared to Big Pun many times now, a comparison that he takes very seriously.
Joell Ortiz mixtapes provided a great venue for the rapper to stay connected to the industry when his record deal fell apart. Unfortunately, he had personal issues to deal with in addition to his professional issues and his career took a rocky turn for quite awhile. However, with some perseverance and patience, Joell Ortiz would eventually get back on track and realize his dream of making it in the rap industry.
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