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Jojo Pellegrino was once one of the the premier artists developing on one of my most beloved label's in the early 2K, Violator Records. Back then Jojo was blossoming nicely into what I was confident was going to be the role of the leading solo act on Violator. Amongst a bunch of huge Hip-Hop names (Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, Nore, etc.,) the famed management company started by Chris Lighty and Mona Scott was also working on a new group that featured a trio of young Brooklynites who went by the names Red Cafe, Gravy and Q Da Kid, who together formed Da' Franchise. Collectively, Jojo and Da' Franchise were all gaining an abundance of musical traction at the same time.....
It was on the ever popular Violator compilation LP's (You remember those dope ass albums that had all the artist caricature's drawn on their cover's) that the up and comer's would shine their brightest. On the first volume Da' Franchise appeared with Ja Rule for the thugged out goodness of "First Degree", then on the second one they returned for the ultra dope "Livin In The City", that was assisted by west coast crooner Butch Cassidy. Additionally, the second installment of the compilation was where Pella would increase his status as one of the sharpest new emcee's anywhere while simultaneously holding the crown as the illest Italian lyricist in NYC, not unlike his predecessor's Genovese and Johnny Blanco. With his ill re-working of the classic Rakim track "Microphone Fiend", Jojo would prove he was a true head, extremely capable of flow dexterity. Another highlight would be his performance with L.A. veteran wordsmith Kurupt for "Grind Season", a song and collabo that I find is always sorely overlooked when I talk about his best material. Never one to shy away from puttin' his foot in the cypha and doin' the hokey pokey all around, Jojo was conjointly impressive next to his then heady freshman classmates, Remy Martin, Red Cafe, Fabolous and Cadillac Tah on "Rap's New Generation". Indeed, I was excited about the future of Pella and the young roster over at Violator. To me, the big time money and fame enjoyed by some of their celebrity label mates was all but inevitable for them as well.
Fast Forward to 2009. If you would have told me all those years ago that today Red Cafe would be the only one to ever release an album (and it wasn't even on Violator), Q would be signed to a label that doubles as a body spray and that Gravy would be the only one to become a multi- millionaire via a starring role in a major bio-pic, hysterical laughter would've been all that ensued on my part. Furthermore, if you told me that the slick-tongued Italian kid from Staten Island who was baptized into the game battling in the Stapleton projects would wind up leaving the label, and his debut album "The Pellegrino Story" never saw the light of day, I might of just called you a bold faced liar in disbelief. Arguing that there just couldn't be any way a cat that possessed that much skill and promise would get lost in the proverbial Hip-Hop shuffle. Life is funny that way though. It's always what you least expect to happen that becomes reality......not the other way around.
While Jojo has kept a somewhat lower profile in recent years, he's far from over with or retired. Officially leaving Violator and his production company Great World sometime in 02' along with being one of the many artists left in limbo due to Loud Records folding, Pelly sprung into his indy hustle. He began dropping mixtapes and jumping on guest appearances with ferocity. Putting out the "Hitman For Hire" mixtape (which I consider to be the best tape he's ever done, and one of Kay Slay's classic's) and then putting out the heavily celebrated "Beast" track for Marc Ecko's video game "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure", the blue eyed Pizon wasted no time in getting folks buzzing about him once again. Spending some time across international waters with famed Norwegian producer Tommy Tee came next. Furnishing Tee's album "No Studio No Time - The Wait" and then providing a wondrous contribution to the much lauded American release; Marco Polo's "Port Authority" all in 2007 added to the reverberating whispers that Pella was back. Specifically it was his Polo produced track "Speak Softly" that established that he had remained as sharp as ever. Those effort's coupled with many a YouTube video highlighting his freestyle and lyrical chops, lead me to believe he's poised to once again make moves on the industry that at one time momentarily walked away from him.
Resurfacing with the same highly honed skills from a decade ago and an indy aaproach, things do seem bright for Pellegrino. With word circulating that a new mixtape is on the horizon and set to be released soon, I'm genuinely pleased to hear that one person who most definitely should not have hung it up way back when, didn't.....Even when things were less than sanguine. In any case, here we have two new joints from said mixtape that I'm almost positive will please any longtime JJP fan. The first one, "Rap Pain" is a worthy freestyle cover of a joint that everyone used to bang out and sing the chorus to (shouts to X, you'll be home soon brutha). The second, "Real Fake" is classic brainy braggadocio and brass from Pella. Enjoy, and good luck to Pellegrino, I sincerely hope he keeps on fightin' the good fight. We still need/want that debut album and many more after it! til' then, la buona fortuna con la sua musica en 09'....
-BIG D O
Rap Pain
http://www.zshare.net/audio/54789546d03a8a8f/
Real Fake
http://www.zshare.net/audio/5478977003f48c2c/
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