Although Joell Ortiz is widely considered one of the most underrated MCs around, Ortiz’s lyrical skill hasn’t translate into success in today’s mainstream scene. Learning that the hard way, Interscope head Jimmy Iovine has delayed the promotion of Joell’s major label debut until the Latino rapper sells out with a gimmicky track. Fortunately, Ortiz knows how to make lemonade with the lemons he’s been given and uses the opportunity to rap about his life’s previous Ups & Downs. Guest feature Ming adds a woman’s touch with her smooth hook, and producer Static Selektah‘s beat screams instant classic. Ups and Downs will probably never get played on the radio, but Joell knows what he wants and will settle for nothing less.
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