Word...Life [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

OC

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 22, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Wild Pitch Records
• ASIN: B001675SVC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #97,138 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "...OC, the slept-on phenomenon...", April 25, 2006

By	ctrx ('bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word...Life (Audio CD)

To say that "Word...Life" is slept on is an understatement. Everyone who's heard this album agrees that it's among the greatest ever, yet it almost never gets mentioned when people list the best ever. Blame it on the poor financial decisions of Wild Pitch Records, because while they produced great music, all of their great albums are impossible to find today. Many of the reviewers here have been comparing "Word...Life" to Nas's classic "Illmatic", and while I sort of see where they're coming from, I wouldn't really compare it to that. It really comes from the same school as Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "Mecca and the Soul Brother" and Main Source's "Breaking Atoms". The immaculate production, handled largely by legends Buckwild and Lord Finesse, uses samples and instrumentation to create some of the best jazz-rap beats ever. OC is an extremely talented MC. His delivery is similar to Large Professor's, but his subject matter concerns philosophy, storytelling, and reminiscing over experiences. He uses elevated wordplay and themes to make very intelligent and sophisticated verses. "Word...Life" was among the last of the great jazz-rap albums, released in 1994, and it is truly a lost hip hop gem.

The album begins with an excellent intro with a completely dope piano and bass beat with background voices, before OC breaks into an excellent verse. Next comes the title track, "Word...Life", one of the most well executed hip hop songs ever. The song has a hard drum beat, a jazz sax, a great chorus, and perfect lyricism. "O-Zone", a great track, has a nice sax loop and chorus. "Born 2 Live" is a certified classic, from the opening bars to the super chorus ("Born to live, a life to die, life's so damn short and I wonder why...") and OC's reminiscing over his younger days and lost pals. The beat samples the often-sampled piano piece from Keni Burke's "Rising to the Top". On "Time's Up", OC bashes a nameless liar, it's a tough diss track, and it is followed by the similarly excellent "Point O Viewz". "Constables" has a great hard piano-laced beat and is an anti-police song with great lyrics and chorus. "Ga Head" is a very funny song with a great jazzy beat. OC disses an ex-girl and tells how he found she was a lesbian. "No Main Topic" is great like the rest, and "Let it Slide" shows OC's talented storytelling ability over a great beat. "Ma Dukes" and "Story" round off the album well, as well as "Sabotage", a classic outro. The "Born 2 Live" remix, track 14, is one of the few remixes ever, in my opinion, that actually improves on the original.

"Word...Life" is one of my favorite albums, full of message, great lyricism, and most of all beautiful jazzy production. Everything came right together for this album, and every track is great. Despite its excellence, I wouldn't suggest shelling out $50 for any album, but it's definitely available for download or sale much cheaper if you look. I definitely recommend that any fan of 90s hip hop try to find it because it is as good as almost any.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Crime Has Been Comitted (5 Stars), August 15, 2005

By	Norfeest "Yes Yes Y'all" (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word...Life (Audio CD)

It's a crime that:

Word...Life isn't mentioned in the same breath as Illmatic and Ready To Die

O.C. has been swept under the rug while cats that aren't even on his level have been blowing up for years.

Albums like this isn't aren't the blueprint that's being followed in mainstream hip hop.

That only 11 people even bother to show love and review this album.

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Again I say, a crime has been committed. If you haven't had a chance to experience this classic LP, then go get it a.s.a.p. It was reissued a while back and is more than worth checking out. This is a must have classic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Don't Know.........I'm Here to tell you!!!!, August 2, 2003

By	"bigboyhiphop" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word...Life (Audio CD)

CLASSIC, CLASSIC, CLASSIC!!!!!!!!
If you are a real hip hop fan, buy this album right now!!!! This is one of the 20 or 25 best albums ever made (and probably the only one in the top 20 that most people never heard of). This album came out in 1994 (illmatic/ready to die era) and wild pitches promotion sucked so this album didn't get the accolades it deserved. this is one of those albums that's a true depiction of new york life and it also is a proper illustration of what an mc should be. oh yeah, you can count the amount of times the god curses on one hand, not saying you're not supposed to curse, but try making a classic without doing it. This album, in my opinion, is the proper companion to illmatic. you wanna impress real hip hop heads? pull this out and watch their eyes brighten, and if they don't know, justpressplay!!