Mona Lisa (Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz album)

Mona Lisa
Studio album by
Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz
ReleasedOctober 26, 2018 (2018-10-26)
StudioThe Village Caverns
GenreHip-hop
Length35:57
LabelMello Music Group
ProducerApollo Brown
Apollo Brown chronology
No Question
(2018) 		Mona Lisa
(2018) 		Sincerely, Detroit
(2019)
Joell Ortiz chronology
That's Hip Hop
(2016) 		Mona Lisa
(2018) 		Gorilla Glue
(2019)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Albumism[1]
AllMusic[2]
HipHopDX4.1/5[3]
Pitchfork6.7/10[4]

Mona Lisa is a collaborative studio album by American hip-hop record producer Apollo Brown and rapper Joell Ortiz. It was released on October 26, 2018, via Mello Music Group. Recording sessions took place at the Village Caverns in Lathrup Village, Michigan. Produced entirely by Brown, it features guest appearances from Royce da 5'9" and DJ Los.

The album debuted at number 29 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart in the United States and number 25 on the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart in the United Kingdom. It was reissued on November 24, 2023, as '5th Anniversary Edition' with different cover art and three bonus songs.

On August 22, 2018, Detroit hip-hop record producer Apollo Brown and Brooklyn rapper Joell Ortiz announced a collaborative album entitled Mona Lisa, revealing release date and premiered a song off of the upcoming project, "Decisions", exclusively via Billboard.[5] Music videos were released for the songs "Cocaine Fingertips"[6] and "Grace of God"[7] in November 2018.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Joell Ortiz and Erik Vincent Stephens, except track 9 written with Ryan Montgomery.

No.TitleLength
1."Brushstrokes"0:44
2."Reflection"3:52
3."My Block"3:43
4."Cocaine Fingertips"3:09
5."Grace of God" (featuring DJ Los)3:51
6."That Place"3:35
7."Word..."3:39
8."Decisions"3:21
9."Timberlan'd Up" (featuring Royce da 5'9")3:29
10."Come Back Home"3:45
11."Mona Lisa"2:49
Total length:35:57
Bonus track[8]
No.TitleLength
12."Timberlan'd Up RMX" (featuring Royce da 5'9" and Kxng Crooked)4:41
Mona Lisa (5th Anniversary Edition)[9]
No.TitleLength
1."Brushstrokes"0:44
2."Reflection"3:52
3."My Block"3:43
4."Cocaine Fingertips"3:09
5."Grace of God"3:51
6."That Place"3:36
7."Word..."3:39
8."Flashback"3:17
9."Decisions"3:21
10."Timberlan'd Up" (featuring Royce da 5'9")3:29
11."Come Back Home"3:45
12."Mona Lisa"2:49
13."Master Peace"3:40
14."About It"3:24

Personnel

  • Joell Ortiz – lyrics, vocals
  • Ryan "Royce da 5'9"" Montgomery – lyrics & vocals (track 9)
  • Carlos "DJ Los" Small – scratches (track 5)
  • Erik Vincent "Apollo Brown" Stephens – songwriter, producer, arranger
  • Tate McBroom – recording
  • Magnetic – mixing
  • Eric Morgeson – mastering
  • Michael Tolle – executive producer
  • Joey Dion – artwork
  • Austin "L'Orange" Hart – graphic design

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[10] 25
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[11] 29

References

  1. ^ McIntosh, Daryl (November 3, 2018). "Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz Paint Vibrant Soundscapes and Vivid Narratives on 'Mona Lisa' | Album Review". Albumism. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  2. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Mona Lisa - Apollo Brown, Joell Ortiz | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  3. ^ Giacomazzo, Bernadette (October 31, 2018). "Review: Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz's "Mona Lisa" Earns Its Consistency Stripes". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  4. ^ Nguyen, Dean Van (October 31, 2018). "Apollo Brown / Joell Ortiz: Mona Lisa". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  5. ^ Hale, Andreas (August 22, 2018). "Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz Announce 'Mona Lisa' Project, Premiere New Song 'Decisions': Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  6. ^ "Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz - Cocaine Fingertips | Official Music Video". YouTube. November 6, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz - Grace Of God (Official Music Video)". YouTube. November 27, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  8. ^ "Mona Lisa, by Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz". Bandcamp. October 26, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  9. ^ "Mona Lisa (5th Anniversary Edition), by Apollo Brown". Bandcamp. November 24, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  10. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  11. ^ "Apollo Brown Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
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