O.C.'s debut album, Word...Life, is full of surreal compositions, optimistic arguments, and mature production by DJ Buckwild (from the Diggin' in the Crates crew). There will be complaints that O.C.'s beats aren't as aggressively hyped-up, but that's the point: The rhythms are primitively full yet uncluttered, creating the perfect backdrop for O.C.'s lyrics. On his first single, "Time's Up," he says, "My album will manifest many things that I saw, did, I heard about / Or saw firsthand / Never word of mouth." His voice masterfully grasps the progressively looped beat and rocks you to the sampled Slick Rick chorus: "There time's limited / Hard rocks too." Originally aimed at the underground, the release of this single last fall sent shock waves through the hip hop nation and raised the ante for pretenders posing in a "B-boy stance" without rhyming. O.C. is no longer in the shadows of his "lyrical sparring partners," Organized Konfusion (he costarred on their 1992 single "Fudge Pudge" and freestyles with them frequently). Now he's out in front. And the image O.C. projects in his lyrics is the same one he maintains in his daily travels: straight-up soul power and an aura of strength fortified with knowledge. But who could be a true artist without the experience of pain? The song "Born 2 Live," dedicated to O.C.'s deceased friend Mike Boogie, offers a view of how children come to perceive death. Other songs range from avoiding stupid troublemakers ("Let It Slide") to the self-explanatory "Ma Dukes," which features his mother flexing her strong voice. Well-expressed emotions and a whole slew of funky musical elements help make O.C.'s album a treat for those who appreciate the real." - Next, Vibe Magazine (February, 1995). Listen to Word...Life below...