Avg Rating: 
3.9 ( 19 total votes )
Joell Ortiz - So Hard
Artist: Joell Ortiz
Producer: Frequency
Album: Free Agent
Label: Lush Life/eOne
The YAOWA army is in full effect, gearing up troops to take over the world. The opponent is disbelievers and the ammo is the constant jams that 5 Star General Joell Ortiz keeps pumping out, and we here at DJBooth are enlisting for service starting immediately. The battleground for today’s contest is Joell’s new single, So Hard, set to be released on his upcoming album Free Agent, which will finally see the day of light on February 22. Produced by Frequency, So Hard is an uptempo record with quick piano notes, funky guitar strings and the definitive horns that kick in and hit you in the back of the neck every time one sounds. Aided by the bluesy vocal work of Anna Yvette, Joell spits uplifting lyrics, all while boasting about being better than the “next guy” with his typical blend of lyricism and aggression. With a hook that’s catchy and uplifting, the Slaughterhouse member has added another song to his arsenal that would make any Call of Duty player feel confident in his powers. This isn’t music, this is war.
This song first appeared on the
Independent Chart
on January 10, 2011
Listen to More: Joell Ortiz Written by Ivan Ibarra
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Member Reviews and Ratings
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 11684 |
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Forgetting that the album accidentally leaked and was placed on sale digitally in December after the release date was moved to February (oops!) was the best way to handle "Free Agent." After all, with records like "So Hard" it would be a shame if more people weren't made aware of the support they really need to show. Damn, this is catchy.
PS. This is my first intro to Anna Yvette, who I suspect has a bright future ahead of her. 
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 26 |
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Great voice on the hook + Joelle Ortiz rapping= banger. Nice work, lady and gentleman.
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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ive been saying this for the longest ortiz is one of the most complete emcees in the game... put him on any beat and he always sounds dope. if rap was a sport and based on skill and not a popularity contest he would be MVP finalist every year
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Joell Ortiz is Hip Hop!!! A true Classic in the makin!!
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1069 |
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This Joell Ortiz track has that hit appeal. production is nice and Joell goes hard on it. Anna Yvette has that Christina on Burlesque sound.
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 2476 |
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As Z said, this album's been through some real ups and downs, but I'm stoked to finally see this project released. Ortiz has been one of the most consistent emcees in the game and if while I enjoy him more when he's more aggressive, this track proves he's got some widespread appeal as well.
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1077 |
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Judging by this track "Free Agent" has a chance to finally give Joell the shine he deserves, I just hope the date doesn't get pushed back again. Everything works on the track: Ortiz is fly as usual and I love the funky/soul vocals on the hook.
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1805 |
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OK.... as soon as i pressed play, i knew this was gonna be great. And i was right. This is one of the best records ive seen all week. Thee production from Frequency is amazing. I loved every second of this. I pressed play like 6 times after the first listen. This is a great song from Joell. Im gonna be listening to this for a long time to come.
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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This cat is the TRUTH! This is REAL hip-hop. He never ceases to amaze me.
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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| Posted on Jan 07, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 399 |
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the beat is nice.
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| Posted on Jan 08, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 34 |
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Production make me crazy!
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| Posted on Jan 08, 2011 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1227 |
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This is not amazing, Joell could have gone more lyrical.
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| Posted on Jan 09, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 24 |
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This track's bounce is nice, definitely something to cruise to.
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| Posted on Jan 09, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 241 |
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beat and hook aare nice and create so a great groove for joell ortiz to come in and smash...great record
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| Posted on Jan 10, 2011 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 2065 |
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I like what Joel tried to do here, he should try more light and uptempo production. Respect rotation.
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| Posted on Jan 11, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 92 |
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classic hip-hop
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| Posted on Jan 11, 2011 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 9 |
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I Think Anna Yvette made the track as good as it was. Joell gave us some bars, but not his best work. Its still a great song though.
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| Posted on Jan 21, 2011 |
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Tastemaker |
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Joell Ortiz has been winning me over lately. This record is just another example of why.
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| Posted on Feb 09, 2011 |
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