Joell Ortiz

Released: February 5, 2010

Featuring: Novel

Producer: Novel

[Hook] [Novel]:
Now if you from where I'm from you can relate cause
See what I've seen, we are what they made us
Been where I've been
At the corner bodega
Everybody wanna be good but I'mma be greater
Cause we can beat 'em all
We can beat 'em all
Stand up and stand tall
Say you can beat 'em all
Cause we can beat 'em all

[Verse One] [Joell Ortiz]:
The bigger they are
The harder they fall
I know it seem hard, but it not at all
Just know what you want and make it your goal
Stare it in the eyes, you ain't takin' a no
That's what you gonna be
That's where you gonna live
That's what you're gonna drive
That's who you gon' be with
You ain't just gon' survive
You gon' do it up
You George and Weezie with it
Look at you movin' up
You ain't settled in
You yet to begin
You ain't givin' up
Show that exit to them
You ain't no quiter
You'se a go getter
If shawty lookin' nice, you can go get her
Girl you can be a wife
Leave that broke nigga
Bring more buckets of ice
Now we Mo' sippers
You just look ahead
Pay no mind to the hatin'
Cause we ain't showin' off
We just celebratin'

[Hook] [Novel]:
Now if you from where I'm from you can relate cause
See what I've seen, we are what they made us
Been where I've been
At the corner bodega
Everybody wanna be good but I'mma be greater
Cause we can beat 'em all
We can beat 'em all
Stand up and stand tall
Say you can beat 'em all
Cause we can beat 'em all

[Verse Two] [Joell Ortiz]:
Everyday I wake
I open my eyes
I drop to my knees
And I look to the sky
When we spoke before
I was askin' Him "Why?"
No not anymore
I'm just tellin' Him "Hi"
Things is different now
I ain't just gettin' by
I thank Him for the blessings
And hope He let me slide
With a couple sins
I pray for my friends
I pray for my fam, cause I remember when
Everything was bad
Frigerator was bare
The radiators broke, "Ma, it's freezin' in here."
The elevator's broke and there's piss on the stairs
Jumpin' out my sleep, cause they shootin' out there
Light some candles up, pour out a little beer
Everyone reminiscin', like "Yo, that nigga there."
Hows it knockin' hard?
The rent late again
If you from where I'm from, then you relatin' then

[Hook] [Novel]:
Now if you from where I'm from you can relate cause
See what I've seen, we are what they made us
Been where I've been
At the corner bodega
Everybody wanna be good but I'mma be greater
Cause we can beat 'em all
We can beat 'em all
Stand up and stand tall
Say you can beat 'em all
Cause we can beat 'em all

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 Bodega Chronicles

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