by David JeffriesJust like the self-titled, 2011 EP from his crew Slaughterhouse, Free Agent is a contractual obligation release, freeing gifted rapper Joell Ortiz from his eOne contract, but this time, as a solo artist. The similarities don’t stop there as the EP and Joell’s effort share the furious highlight “Put Some Money on It,” plus they both pack a punch you wouldn’t expect from such releases. In the case of Free Agent, it’s a knock-out. Hip-hop heads get to revel in Ortiz’s insider story as he goes through his legal deals with Aftermath recordings and Dr. Dre, but the subject matter doesn’t dominate the album, which sounds more like dispatches from the heart of a champion than mere industry bitching and gossip. Think » Read more