Jewelz
by O.C.

O.C. - Jewelz is as 90's as it gets. You can instantly recognise it as a product of its time. This is not necessarily bad, because its time happens to be hip hop's golden era (borderline at least, you could argue it ended a a couple of years earlier), but there are some issues that hold it to a lower tier than the top albums of that period. The most striking one is the lack of identitly that applies to all aspects of the album. There aren't enough unique characteristics to make it memorable, stand out and separate it from the mass. The production feels like it took a step in the wrong direction in comparison to his debut album. Maybe it has to do with the presence of many producers which lead to losing its aim. On the other hand, there were many producers involved in Word...Life too and it was more consistent and cohesive, so I am not sure what exactly went wrong. The rapping is kinda ok, but the Big L comparison does O.C. no favors, as it showcases what he lacks and how much room for improvement there was. The lyrics have many great rhymes ("Hazy like asthma, bizarre disaster Stress almost held me down from being a master", "Now a starchild, phenomenon like the X-Files Rappers know I'm coming, so they go in exile Czar in this rap shit, cumming on your mattress Microphone fiend, I make beats do backflips", "You may never find an MC well-orchestrated like a symphony Some will go down in history, some in infamy The infamy will be somewhat a mystery As long as my name O.C. live on through infinity My identity will ring bells in all vicinities From fans to enemies, I’m the antidote and remedy I’ma philosophize, analyze, no question If I die, I’ma return like Jesus resurrection") but most of the themes he's talking about feel like we' ve heard them before and better-when a romantic song comes in and it's a breath of fresh air, you know something is off. The obvious exception to that statement is The Crow-hands down the highlight of the album for me.
It might seem that my stance on this album it's totally negative, but that's far from the truth. I simply wanted to clarify why I don't view this as a classic, even though I find it extremely enjoyable. It may not stick with you for a long time and you may forget it soon once it's over, but this doesn't mean you can't enjoy the ride. Not every album is meant to be groundbreaking. It serves its purpose more than fine.