It also helped establish his membership in the legendary hip hop crew D.I.T.C., which includes Lord Finesse, Showbiz and A.G., Diamond D, Fat Joe, Big L and Buckwild, who produced the majority of this album.

[1] The song was a scathing accusation, pointed at thug-posturers who were flooding the hip hop scene at the time.

DiBella said that Word...Life signaled "the arrival of one of modern rap's more gifted storytelling lyricists", noting how O.C.

for exercising his "creative control" on "straightforward, eloquent" tracks like "Ga Head" and "Let It Slide" and showcase "a more intricate, abstract side" on songs like "No Main Topic" and "O-Zone", concluding that: "While not always believable as a battle rapper, in terms of the rap game O.C.

He helped introduce a new breed of MC's that left behind the playfulness of the Native Tongues, the anger management of Public Enemy, the controversial 'attitude' of N.W.A, the pop sensibility of Heavy D."[3] Word...Life was re-issued in 2004, its tenth anniversary, with five bonus tracks.