O.C.

Origins

Omar Gerryl Credle was born on May 13, 1971, in Brooklyn and raised in Bushwick. He has named Kool G Rap, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Slick Rick as his main influences. His first appearance on record came in 1991 on Organized Konfusion's "Fudge Pudge," followed by a spot on MC Serch's "Back to the Grill" remix. Meeting Lord Finesse and Buckwild on the road connected him to the Bronx-based Diggin' in the Crates crew, better known as D.I.T.C.

Word...Life

O.C.'s debut album, Word...Life, arrived on Wild Pitch Records on October 18, 1994. Buckwild handled most of the beats, with contributions from Organized Konfusion, Lord Finesse and DJ Ogee. The lead single "Time's Up," a pointed critique of rappers faking street credibility, became an instant classic of the era, and "Born 2 Live" followed. The album reached No. 34 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and critics singled him out as one of rap's most gifted storytellers. In 1995 he joined Chubb Rock and Jeru the Damaja on "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers" for the Clockers soundtrack.

Jewelz and Later Work

Jewelz (Payday, 1997) brought in DJ Premier and Da Beatminerz alongside Buckwild; its single "Far From Yours," with Yvette Michele, reached No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. He followed with Bon Appetit (2001), Starchild and Smoke and Mirrors (both 2005), and appeared on D.I.T.C. group projects.

In November 2009 Nature Sounds released Oasis, a full-length collaboration with fellow D.I.T.C. member A.G. Three years later he teamed with Detroit producer Apollo Brown on Trophies (Mello Music Group, 2012), a widely praised late-career album that introduced him to a new generation of listeners.

Legacy

O.C. never chased a hit, and that is a large part of his reputation. His calm, conversational delivery and careful writing made Word...Life a cornerstone of mid-1990s New York rap, and "Time's Up" is still cited as one of the sharpest records ever made about authenticity in hip hop. Decades later he remains a model of the working, independent veteran emcee, and his run from Wild Pitch through Nature Sounds and Mello Music Group traces the path many 1990s New York lyricists took once the major labels moved on.