Any listeners of Joell Ortiz know that you'll be hard pressed to catch a weak verse from him. The Brooklyn wordsmith never takes a bar off, whether it's over the production by the likes of Just Blaze and DJ Premier, or alongside Eminem and his now-defunct group Slaughterhouse. His new song "Captain" continues his run of grade A lyricism.
“It always feels good to tell a dope beat what’s been on my mind,” Joell told VIBE. “My oh my how times have changed. Enjoy the rapping."
On "Captain," Joell Ortiz acknowledges that fans may think he's fallen off – although he released the potent collaborative album Mona Lisa with producer Apollo Brown in 2018, his last solo effort was in 2016. But over a signature soul sample from Heatmakerz, he makes the case that he's still got more to say.
"Y'all think I lost my step? Was on the run, but had to stop and never caught my breath? I'm drenched, I'm on the bench with like four more reps. In other words, I got sh*t left to get off my chest."
"Captain" is the second single from Joell Ortiz's upcoming solo album Monday, proceeding the previous single "Learn You" featuring Big K.R.I.T. Monday will feature production from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Apollo Brown, Heatmakerz, Nottz and more, and is scheduled for an August 30, 2019 release through Mello Music Group.