Coming off one of the most respected underground debuts of the mid-’90s, Diggin’ In The Crates representative O.C. returned with something to prove when he released his sophomore album, Jewelz, on August 19, 1997, through Payday/FFRR Records.
Three years removed from his critically acclaimed Word…Life debut and the timeless single “Time’s Up,” Omar Credle entered Jewelz as an already established lyricist. This time, however, the Brooklyn-born emcee expanded the sonic palette while surrounding himself with some of New York’s best producers.
The boards alone read like a Golden Era dream team. DJ Premier produced four tracks, while fellow D.I.T.C. members Buckwild, Showbiz and Lord Finesse contributed alongside Da Beatminerz and DJ Ogee. The combination gave Jewelzthe polished but still rugged New York sound that made the album fit perfectly into 1997 without O.C. sacrificing the lyrical integrity that established him in the first place.
“My World,” produced by Premier, remains one of the album’s definitive moments, with O.C. dropping jewels over one of Primo’s unmistakable boom-bap backdrops. “War Games” reunited him with Organized Konfusion, the group that gave O.C. one of his earliest appearances on 1991’s “Fudge Pudge,” while “Win the G” and “M.U.G.” paired him with Freddie Foxxx, better known today as Bumpy Knuckles.
Then there was “Dangerous.”
Produced by Da Beatminerz and featuring fellow D.I.T.C. lyricist Big L, the track brought together two of the crew’s sharpest pens for what would become one of Jewelz‘ most memorable collaborations. “Far From Yours,” featuring R&B songstress Yvette Michele and produced by Buckwild, gave O.C. one of the album’s more accessible records and became his highest-charting Billboard single.
But the strength of Jewelz was never limited to singles. Records such as “The Chosen One,” “Stronjay,” “The Crow,” “Hypocrite” and the Lord Finesse-produced title track displayed the versatility of an emcee who could battle, tell stories, become introspective or simply demonstrate superior microphone mechanics without chasing whatever sound happened to be dominating radio.
That’s part of what has allowed Jewelz to age so well.
Released during a year when Hip Hop was undergoing enormous change following the deaths of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., O.C. stayed committed to lyricism, beats and the no-gimmicks approach that made D.I.T.C. one of New York’s most respected collectives.
Twenty-nine years later, Jewelz remains exactly what its title suggests—a collection of gems from one of the culture’s most consistently underrated lyricists.
Salute to O.C., DJ Premier, Buckwild, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, Da Beatminerz, DJ Ogee and the entire Diggin’ In The Crates crew for another timeless chapter in New York Hip Hop history.