1. "Unfortunately, OC was overlooked his whole career" In response to Reply # 0
Skills wise, he's great. And his production over the first two albums was phenomenal, especially Jewelz.
Maybe he didn't have the right image? He was known as an MC's MC, but there were a number of rappers who had a similar image. He wasn't quite braggadocio, and he wasn't entirely conscious although he had self-awareness and positivity sprinkled in his lyrics.
I was guilty of overlooking OC at the time as well. Granted, I lived in STL, but I didn't hear of him until a friend of mine who lived in CT passed on Word...Life. And I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't listen to Jewelz until a few years ago. In a better universe, he'd have the career of, say, Gang Starr or Redman.
3. "He could have benefited from a Pete Rock, Premier or Q-Tip...." In response to Reply # 0 Mon Aug-03-20 12:31 PM by My_SP1200_Broken_Aga
...Remix in 94 ...Word..Life is still clasic to me, but the production was more laid back, which was cool, but probably not what would have reached a bigger audience. Even his biggest song "Times Up" is so laid back.
That said, O.C. is one of my all time favorite MCs from that era.. up there with Nas, Jeru, Big L, Biggie and a few others.
5. "Describing “Time’s Up” as “laid back” is wild." In response to Reply # 3
That song has some real aggressive energy to me. His cadence is kinda different on that record too. The first verse especially has a jilted style that sounds punched-in at times, but the pocket is there and it sounds NICE.
10. "have you seen the video??? " In response to Reply # 5
....watch everyone in the background calmly standing in place and only head nodding almost looking like they're in meditation while O.C. delivers his rhymes ..it's super laid back ..not to say there's no energy, it's got a lot of energy ..it's just contained and not explosive like "Time 4 Sum Aksion"
Thats my take anyway.. classic song tho, one of my all time favorites.
6. "Can you explain what about Jewelz..." In response to Reply # 4
I’ve heard this take before and could really only apply it to people thinking he had a few more commercial sounding tracks and didn’t go as lyrical EVERY song as he looked to craft based on vibe and not just lyrics.
But I’m curious as to why people would think his performance on that album was just ok?
It’s legit one of my favorite albums of all-time as I feel he struck a great balance. He had songs of all types of vibes on there and managed to keep it cohesive and didn’t seem to over-reach trying to do a track that wasn’t true to himself as an artist.
If I found fault with anything at all with his performance, it’s that third verse on Dangerous which goes a little too far with the “fucking MC” metaphor and on top of that, the song really didn’t need that verse since it had 4.
He may have set himself up for that by mentioning how he doesn’t need to cuss every bar on the first album because I really don’t think he over-does it on Jewelz especially not when compared to many artists and albums we praise on here.
19. "The instrumentals are what make it for me." In response to Reply # 18
Ricky's Theme especially. I dig Ill Communications a lot. Although that album hit a sore spot for me cause the white kids I went to school with loved Get It Together. And when Q-Tip's line comes up...
15. "RE: O.C. - Word...Life is underrated" In response to Reply # 0
This record is a sure shot classic in my eyes. And just because you mentioned Pete & CL, I have to say I always wondered about Born to Live and Take You There (from The Main Ingredient) being essentially the same beat.
Dj Joey Joe Member since Sep 01st 2007 13770 posts
Mon Aug-10-20 12:12 PM
22. ""Word...Life" Was Considered A Classic Among Hip-Hop Heads" In response to Reply # 0
So why would you think "Word...Life" is underrated, it got it's proper due, many thought O.C. was going to be big (a commercial success) like many of the rappers who came out during that time, the album was & still is dope in it's own right, what more do you want?
I will say he's one of the few artists where his sophomore album "Jewels" is just as dope or even better, not too many artists (especially in the rap genre) have two solid and dope albums right from the jump.
I think what you feel is that how can artist like O.C. who had two dope albums have a career that falls short, I will say cause he couldn't keep up the momentum, when his third album came out, that's what kind of killed his career cause he was trying to get signed to Roc-A-Fella Records during those sessions and Buckwild felt that the production he gave O.C. was what he needed to hang with the big boys, and that wasn't such a great idea to release that album when you're still indie, they should've kept it boom-bap DITC style (even though it was a few tracks that had that vibe to it).
--------- "We in here talking about later career Prince records & your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak
24. "RE: "Word...Life" Was Considered A Classic Among Hip-Hop Heads" In response to Reply # 22
I just don’t feel like it’s universally accepted though.
Yes the heads say it’s classic but those same heads don’t even mention it along the lines of The Sun Rises or Resurrection.
And to me, that shit is better than both.
Maybe I’m just an OC fan but I believe he just has always had a talent for crafting great hip-hop songs period.
And yes I agree that his first two albums can hold up to damn near ANY solo MCs first two albums if you think about it.
Not really mad he didn’t blow up and get mainstream recognition, I just think that even in hip-hop circles he’s still considered dope but at the same time an afterthought.
Dj Joey Joe Member since Sep 01st 2007 13770 posts
Wed Aug-12-20 12:19 PM
32. "Yeah That Is Something Only An O.C. Fan Would Say" In response to Reply # 24
>but those same heads don’t even mention it along the >lines of The Sun Rises or Resurrection. >And to me, that shit is better than both. >Maybe I’m just an OC fan
Sorry but those two albums "ARE" better than "Word...Life" sorry mayne, but not every dope rap album can be equal or better than other albums that came out around the same time.
--------- "We in here talking about later career Prince records & your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak
I haven't thought as much about it 'til just now, but I'm inclined to think that most of the DITC crew gets overlooked in general.
Which is interesting in a way, because I think most of us who love hip-hop like that are plenty familiar with that crew and the various members, but out in the wild I feel like they are not as oft-cited.
A lot of the artists otherwise mentioned had some degree of crossover or mainstream success, but I feel like most of these cats stayed at the "musician's musician" level, if that makes sense, with maybe the exception of Fat Joe.
I'm willing to be swayed by arguments to the contrary, but it feels like "diggin' in the crates" became a kind of self-fulfilling label, as I had to dig to even track down some releases (e.g. Showbiz and AG).
Again, I leave room for the possibility that I'm off on that judgment.
31. "RE: Fuck That ... Starchild is underrated...while we’re at it" In response to Reply # 26
>Word Life is a classic..... > > >The point was made that some heads don't put it next to >resurrection or Sun rises.... > > >Maybe resurrection... >but Sun Rise.....nah... Come Clean alone outshines .. > > >What we should be talkin about is OC's sleeper album, Trophies >with Apollo Brown. That's a got daymn gem of an album... > > >werd.
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