Joell Ortiz is a Brooklyn-based rapper of Puerto Rican descent, who was born on July 6, 1980.

His first big break came in March 2004, as a feature in The Source’s “unsigned hype column”; the second was winning the 2004 EA Sports Battle, which scored him a deal with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Records. This success was short-lived, as Dupri voided the contract to sign rapper Sonny, which produced beef between Joell and Jermaine.

Joell’s first major studio release was the 2007 The Brick: Bodega Chronicles

His Aftermath deal failed to open doors, causing him to leave the label.

Joell finally gained some mainstream recognition after joining rappers Joe Budden, Royce da 5'9", and KXNG Crooked) to form the supergroup Slaughterhouse. In addition, worked with producer Illmind on the album Human.