Joell Ortiz Preps ‘Yaowa’ Mixtape

When Brooklyn's Joell Ortiz blacks out on the mic, he's one of the game's most dangerous weapons. Now, Ortiz has confirmed he has a new official mixtape on the way hosted by DJ Green Lantern and DJ Don Cannon. The tape is entitled 'Yaowa' -- a popular catchphrase that Ortiz routinely shouts out in his work and everyday life.

"I got so many meanings of yaowa, it's crazy," Ortiz explained. "First, it's used as a term of endearment for dudes around my way. How you say, 'What up?' We say, 'Yaowa!' It came from my man Smash. Shout to Smash. He used to be really drunk around the way. It's a distance between the buildings. He used to be saying, 'Yo, what up?' But he'd be so drunk, it sounded like he was saying, 'Yawhuhup?' He'd be twisted. I just turned it into yaowa. Every time I get on a beat, I say, 'Yaowa,' before I rap on it."

As for a potential theme to the new work, Ortiz is adamant that he's not worrying about perception, making money or anything other than pleasing his fans by doing what he does best: rapping.

"I'm just thinking about zoning out," he said. "I'm not thinking about who I'm reaching out to. I'm not thinking about who to bring to the tape. I'm just thinking about making a really, really good tape. Letting people know who Joell Ortiz is one more time."