Search - Oc :: Word...Life

This is a GREAT ALBUM

Adam P Boots | Valley Village, CA United States | 04/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a classic album, but no CD is worth $97. I'm only suggesting this because I'm a fan of the album, the man, and evne the crew he reps, but buy it from either Sandbox Automatic dot com, or you can go to hip hop site dot com and get it there too... (i.e. replace dots with periods, and erase the space). This album has been re-issued a couple of times and the re-issues are available at those sites for NORMAL prices (not inflated "Out of print" prices...)



If you want a real review, you can check the other one I wrote on the other page that has the out of print Word Life on it, or you can read the other reviews people have written. This is a dope album from right in the heyday of Rap."

(Rating: 9 out of 10- -4.5 stars) O.C. Speaks!

Chandler | Atlanta (College Park), Georgia | 09/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A lot of people say that this is a classic, comparing it to classics like Big's "Ready To Die". I believe that this classic, but in it's own way.



I first heard O.C. was on Organized Konfusion's "Let's Organize" on their 1994 album "Stress: The Extinction Agenda". He had a small verse in that song, but it was pretty nice. About a month ago I found this in a shop out in Los Angeles and I immediately snatched this up off the shelf.



O.C. really has potential throughout this album, and that is something that I'm looking for when I hear an album. O.C. knows how to tell stories which I like, especially on the tracks "Born To Live" about the childhood and death, as well as the song "Story". He makes an outstanding song dedicated to his ex-girlfriend who left him for another girl, on the song "Ga Head" (Hey I know how he feels, I went through that same problem recently).



Aside from his story tellin skills, he has mad rhymes to hold himself up. Rumor has it that the lead single on this album was "Times Up" aiming at fake rappers who think they can get by in the hip hop game. He rhymes about his grudge towards cops on the song "Constibles". The best track for me is the soft sounding "Ma Dukes" as O.C.'s mother sings throughout the song, while he rhymes.



As for guest appearances, they are very well hard to notice, if you are not paying attention. The only guests are Organized Konfusion. Prince Poetry appears at the end of the song "No Main Topic", and Pharohe Monch helps ad lib the chorus to "Let It Slide".



My only reason I didn't give this a 10 was because the album starts off kind of slowish like, like the first 2 or 3 tracks, then soon picks up. Then it's all good from there.



As well, O.C. did have a strong album. Unfortunately this album came out at the wrong time, in this case 1994. (Damn, '94 was just a hard year for underground hardly known acts to make a name for themselves). This album was the many albums that were slept on. O.C. would later hook up with the group Diggin In The Crates as time went on. If you want to hear some nice sounding music that you think you might have skipped over, I highly recommend this to you.



Before I finish, I need to let you know something. O.C. was able to rerelease this album on ReIssue Records back in 2004. His origonal album was on Wild Pitch Records (why the hell can't everybody else who was on Wild Pitch find a way to rerelease their albums...The Coup *cough cough* UMC's!) This reissue would have two bonus tracks, "Born To Live (remix)" and "Time's Up (remix)". The remixes are nice, but the origonal are better. The 2004 version on this album is much easier to find because it is not out of print, like the origonal version. If you can find any version, get it because it's worth buying.



Lyrics: A+

Production: A-

Musical Vibes: A-

Overall: A



C.I.'s Favorite Tracks: Creative Control, Born 2 Live, Time's Up, Constables, Ga Head, No Main Topic, Let It Slide, Ma Dukes, Story, Outro (Sabatoge)





Chandler The Imfamous, and I'm out ya'll. Peace!"

One of the greatest pieces in Hiphop music today

Doc Strangelove | Nowhere, NYC USA | 06/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Whut music do you own that can have a lasting sound equipped with dope beats and indespensible lyricism? The thing about artists like O.C. is that they belive in perfectionism and truth for true hiphop heads to keep bangin' the sounds till they end up in a old folks home, haha. On the real though, this is one of the greatest album I've listened to in such a long time. Also great production from Buckwild, Lord Finesse, DJ Ogee (Last 2 also on the Jewelz album), and others. O.C.'s WORD...LIFE shows display of concepts coming from real-LIFE situations relating to whut goes down in low-economical enviroments in the ghetto, our hiphop culture, and problematic disputes real cats deal with. "Born to Live" is such a great track, giving a view on depression and having an open mind living in the hard-rock times of the ghetto. "Time's Up" of course needs no introduction, as it shows O.C. aimin' at the "perpetrators" that are destroyin' the art. The track shows the best of his skills, also showin' he knows how to bring verbal warfare to the fake, wanna-be hardcore emcee. "Point O Viewz" is without a doubt one of my favorite tracks off the album. With a smooth beat, and O.C.'s lyrics doin' great justice to it, it simply yet kinda topped "Time's Up" as bein' the hit off the album. This tracks shows great acknowledgement and dedication to why he and others exists on the mic. "Constables" has a dark beat, and great concept exposin' the corrupted side of law enforcement. "No Main Topic" is also a good track, criticizing the ones that make songs that don't make sense (no subject, no topic, get it?) . "Let it Slide" is a crazy track, relating to the limit of having 'beef', and choosing if it should be avoidable or not. The last track on this album "Story" is another dark track, as O.C. spits an article of a current event happening on his street. Its amazin' that underground cats like O.C. are overslept, and never get the recognition they deserve. Yet, Hip Hop today is now in looked as a mirage, it can't be avoided. I highly recommend this album to the true headz today. Also to the ones that jus heard his "Jewelz" album, get this also. Turn off the radio and play sumthin' thats worth hearing! Somethin' that defines and relates to the WORD...LIFE, suckaz!!!!"