Word...Life


Word...Life is the debut album from underground hip hop artist O.C., who came to prominence in hip hop because of the album. It was released on October 18, 1994 by Wild Pitch Records. It also helped establish his membership in the legendary hip hop crew D.I.T.C., which includes Lord Finesse, Showbiz & A.G., Diamond D, Fat Joe, Big L and Buckwild, who produced the majority of this album.
The album is most remembered because of the single "Time's Up". The instrumental to the track was used in the movie 8 Mile, starring rapper Eminem, in a rap battle scene. The song was a scathing accusation, pointed at thug-posturers who were flooding the hip hop scene at the time. Vocal clips from the song have been sampled in numerous hip hop tracks throughout the years; including Mos Def's song "Hip Hop" off of his 1999 album Black on Both Sides and Big L's song "The Enemy", which appears on his posthumous album The Big Picture.

Critical reception

editor M.F. DiBella said that Word...Life signaled "the arrival of one of modern rap's more gifted storytelling lyricists", noting how O.C. delivers the "East Coast B-boyism" found in "Time's Up" but excels on "Born to Live" and the more "existential subject matter" on the record thanks to Organized Konfusion providing "thought-provoking intellectual diversity" throughout the record.

Track listing

#TitleSongwritersProducerPerformer Length
1"Creative Control"O. Credle, L. Baskerville, T. JamersonOrganized KonfusionO.C.1:44
2"Word...Life"O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C.4:53
3"O-Zone"O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C.4:04
4"Born 2 Live"O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C.4:46
5"Time's Up"O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C.3:29
6"Point O' Viewz"O. Credle, D. Vanderpool, A. BestBuckwild, PrestigeO.C.4:14
7"Constables"O. Credle, L. Baskerville, T. JamersonOrganized KonfusionO.C.4:04
8"Ga Head"O. Credle, R. HallLord FinesseO.C.3:55
9"No Main Topic"O. Credle, G. ScottDJ OgeeO.C.3:42
10"Let It Slide"O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C., Pharoahe Monch4:23
11"Ma Dukes"O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C.3:58
12"Story"O. Credle, G. ScottDJ OgeeO.C.3:03
13"Outtro "O. Credle, A. BestBuckwildO.C.2:51
14"Born 2 Live "O. Credle, A. BestOrganized KonfusionO.C.3:45

2004 re-issue

Word...Life was re-issued in 2004, its tenth anniversary, with five bonus tracks. They are:
  1. "Challenge Y'all"
  2. "U Made Me"
  3. "U-N-I"
  4. "Half Good Half Sinner"
  5. "Wordplay"

    Album singles

Chart positions

Album

Singles