O.C. on People Saying “Jewelz” Was A Sellout Record & Half of “Word…Life” is From Demos (Full Interview)

[Frump]

I disagree with alot of you on Jewelz i think it’s a much more well rounded album then Word Life and OC shows much more versatility on Jewelz as a dude who can make all types of songs not just for underground heads

I don’t think the singles sound forced at all. I thought far from yours was dope even with the singing.

It wasn’t forced like say Mic Geronimos joint with Puff where you can tell it sounds painful for Mic to make and he sounds out of his element.

Also by 97 you had to make a song or two with singing on the hook for the radio or the label would tell you to kick rocks

 

[Frump]

I remember it being an issue for people because they felt "1nce Again" was just weak, back then. And Tribe is my favorite group of all-time, but the whole chemistry was shot by the 4th album. I never heard anyone having an issue with the singing. Tammy was singing on everybody's sh*t back then, and in the early 90's. People loved when she was on Heavy D's records. And Hev would always have mad chicks singing on his joints and that was always seen as real Hip Hop, but also his lane.

Dudes would catch heat when they tried to switch up and do it, either to get more airplay or sales. That's when you would hear people complaining. It became almost like a parody to see people who claimed they didn't like that vibe, switch up and start trying to do it. People forget, but there were a lot of MC's during that era that used to say R&B was wack and all that, but then a couple years later, get a R&B singer to knock out hooks for them, lol.

I hear you but I didn’t mind 1nce again

I actually liked Beats Rhymes and Life as well I think it got unfair hate because Tribe was coming off three classics and it was impossible for the album to live up to expectations

Sure that’s when the chemistry was starting to leave between Tip and Phife but I still think it’s a solid 4 mic album

 

[Peabo Bryson]

^^^ Chiming in with this dope ass collection of demos and radio freestyles

 

[ADP]

Props to everybody in this thread, could've been a no replies one.

Great to see a decent debate for once, can tell a lot of you know your shyt, funk the stans and the trolls

to OC as well, underrated

 

[Heavy_Handz]

I disagree with alot of you on Jewelz i think it’s a much more well rounded album then Word Life and OC shows much more versatility on Jewelz as a dude who can make all types of songs not just for underground heads

I don’t think the singles sound forced at all. I thought far from yours was dope even with the singing.

It wasn’t forced like say Mic Geronimos joint with Puff where you can tell it sounds painful for Mic to make and he sounds out of his element.

Also by 97 you had to make a song or two with singing on the hook for the radio or the label would tell you to kick rocks

You’re exactly right. Even M.O.P. had Blood, Sweat, Tears which was a far cry from anything they had ever done up to that point. Nobody was thinking about heartfelt M.O.P. records but when both Fame & Danze had lost their mothers and so many other childhood friends as well to the streets they naturally made music that you could feel was from another place. And it was natural. That album is clearly their most emotional record and still considered by many to be a classic. I feel that in a way O.C. Jewelz record was coming from also a more personal place because he had records like Can’t Go Wrong, Stronjay, The Crow & Jewelz. These are all good records. A lot of stubborn cats just didn’t like the difference in sound. Mad that Hip-Hop was sounding different in 97 than it did in 94. Living in the past.

 

[Awesome Wells]

A lot of stubborn cats just didn’t like the difference in sound. Mad that Hip-Hop was sounding different in 97 than it did in 94. Living in the past.

I don’t think it's that.

Because if we look at Internal Affairs, it didn't sound anything like Stress: The Extinction Agenda. That was a 5 year difference, and Monch was still in top form when he came back in '99. O wasn't. And nothing that Monch was doing, was anything that was in contrary to what he said he was all about. I don’t think people want a certain sound, I do think people want the same level of quality or better. Common and The Roots are other examples. '94 to '99, still making classic sh*t, and not switching up for mainstream.

So for dudes like O or even Ras Kass, if they try to switch lanes on their sophomore joints after saying they were trying to be more mainstream or hit radio, after not selling well on their critically-acclaimed debuts, that's a clear sign that they tried to do it and caught backlash for that. '94 is only three years before '97. That's not exactly the past in music, lol. But most of the underground MC's we loved in '94, for the most part, were lost with their direction by '97-'98. Ras said it himself. They didn't know if they should stay true to what they always did, or try something else to fit in. Jewelz was a cool album, but it was definitely O trying to fit in with what the climate was at the time. Which is literally the opposite of what he was about on the debut.

 

[Mowgli]

That album proved dedicating a song to your spouse just leads to divorce

 

[bigdaddy88]

both records are classics as far i can tell. i prefer jewels slightly

 

[Art Barr]

The real problem is when dudes like you were expecting Word…Life 2 almost 3 years later. Stuck in the past.

[/QUOTE]

Wanting to preserve the sound of a year that was bygone. By 1997 the world shifted, the music scene shifted, the experiences & the life of MC’s like O.C.’s changed dramatically. Traveling abroad, experiencing life on such a different scale. No longer confined to his block. See, life is so much more larger scale than some music scene that you hoped to preserve for your selfish sheltered in lifestyle. When you continue to move forward in life and not life stuck in your past you will undoubtedly change. Your expectations fukked you up and tainted any review you may have given from your boxed in perspective. I’m not a music reviewer. Neither are you. Peace.

Stop.

In 97.

Alternatively to oc and at the time all.of ditc selling out exfept show biz and ag in full scale.


I was flanking.
ju who had song of the year in 1997 with freestyle or written.

NEXT AS FAR AS MUSIC REVIEWS.

every artist that nikkaz like sic e 1997 that debuted as a solo or group. I was rhe review person that made it so the LA els.out a rocket to their back. Or if it'd a cult following to being a popular draw.

We can play who's who.
In which on no day.

Has your name been brought up as the guy.

Simply because I am thee guy.



Art Barr


The nikka you all trying to be. whether you know it or not.

I already did it nikka.



Art Barr

 

[IronFist]

One of the most humble people I've ever spoken with.

 

[LevelUp]