Diggin’ In The Crates Too Deep

O.C.’s fourth album, Starchild, is by far more refined than his previous endeavor (Bon Appetite), but fails to reach the level of excellence achieved with his debut and sophomore releases (Word…Life and Jewelz). O.C. exhibits all the skills of a street savvy lyrical veteran but the production of Starchild leaves much to be desired. Production newcomers such as Locsmif, Soul Supreme and Vanguard supply a slew of tracks that, unfortunately, sound unoriginal and dated. Using 90’s flavored production to back one of the great 90’s M.C.’s is an ideal concept for those who yearn for the days of old but the product falls short of spectacular when considering O.C.’s past accomplishments.Starchild begins with “Evaridae” featuring fellow veteran Pharoahe Monch. Pharaoh provides a soulful hook for a mellow beginning of what looks to be a promising comeback album. The next track “Who Run It?” takes the tempo up a notch while keeping the same muted, mellow jazz influence. The smooth jazz feel is refreshing but by the end of the next track “The Professional” the horn samples begin to sound overused with the beat riding excessively after the last verse, accentuating its repetitiveness. This trend continues as most of the remaining tracks compel listeners to hit the skip button prematurely at the end of each song.

For existing O.C. fans, Starchild offers some new rhymes from an old friend over the type of production that made the 90’s a golden age for hip-hop. As for those who aren’t familiar with the accomplishments of O.C.’s former crew, D.I.T.C., this album is a poor representation of a talented old school artist.