Joell Ortiz is a student of the game. After all, he's got that Slaughterhouse pedigree to his name. Understanding of Bars is second nature. Therefore, it's no wonder that he pulled up to BET's Rate The Bars, being an authority on the craft and all. Off the bat, Ortiz' generational loyalties are tested, as he's hit with a back to back of Matt Ox and Lil Tecca - don't get it twisted, there are no hostilities here. He simply deems their work adequate and moves on. Upon being served a multisyllabic onslaught from Big Pun, however, Ortiz is left stunned. "This is excellent wordplay," he responds, after reading lines from "Fire Water." "He drove the fuc*ing point home. I was smiling right off the rip."
Eminem & Fellow Slaughterhouse Members">Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Joe Budden's "Uncle Joe" receives resounding praise, landing four out of five and a "fire" label from Joell; it's unclear whether he recognizes his former group-mate off the bat, but either way, the work speaks for itself. Eminem is next, and it doesn't take long for Joell to crack up at one of his signature dick-jokes. "This is somebody super complex," he laughs. "This is funny, this is fire. This is a five. Whoever this is you got me laughing off the rip. The onslaught continues with some excellent KXNG Crooked wordplay, which prompts Ortiz to acknowledge the strong bars on deck. "This was tough too," he declares. "I feel like this is a Crooked bar. He'd play with words like that."
The Slaughterhouse cycle concludes with some Royce bars from "Summer On Lock," prompting Ortiz to think for a moment. "They going through a lot," he says. "In those four bars they talk about their watch, talk about pain and religion. I guess Bill & The Huxtables had some sort of influence on they life. The bars is decent though." He gives 5'9" a three, and a recommendation to "get some help."
For more from Joell Ortiz, be sure to check out his turn on Rate The Bars - he may be one of the most insightful contributors thus far. Also, keep a lookout for his upcoming album Monday, which drops on August 30th.
