Hotly tipped in rap media and co-signed by none other than Dr. Dre, the Brooklyn-bred spitter was primed for hip-hop greatness even before Slaughterhouse first assembled. Those who know Joell Ortiz primarily from his ties to that infamous and now-fractured group ought not miss out on his stellar run with Mello Music Group. Following his collaborative Mona Lisa project with the label’s in-house producer Apollo Brown, the grind-centric Monday applies his craft to a range of beats from fellow genre journeymen like The Heatmakerz, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and Nottz. An innately streetwise lyricist, he reminisces about the old days of malt liquor and bodega cigars on “Before Hip-Hop.” Confessional and contrite, the powerful Big K.R.I.T. feature “Learn You” finds a genuinely remorseful Ortiz addressing his failings in ways rarely heard on a rap record.