O.C. Says Bon Appetit Was Blueprint For Kanye And Jay-Z

Despite strong critical acclaim for his 1994 debut album, Word...Life, O.C. received a great deal of criticism for his 2001 third effort, Bon Appetit [click to read]. Released on Jcor Records, which folded shortly thereafter, the release was a new direction from the emcee who had previously criticized the lyrical abilities of the game on his seminal "Times Up."

"I think I laid a blueprint with that record. And you know, I think a lot of people followed suit," said O.C. to blog Philaflava. "I think that... I think Jay, I think Kanye, I think a few people took that album and took it to the next level. Plus they was on the stage, so you know, it was a better platform for them, doing what I did."

Jay-Z appeared on the album, on the bonus track "Bonafied."

O.C. also revealed plans for his next album. Reportedly titled My Soul To Keep, the project has yet to find a label home. The Brooklyn-born emcee who's affiliated with D.I.T.C. added that he had been inspired by both MF DOOM and Jedi Mind Tricks in marketing the album, and releasing it through himself.

As far as specific details, O.C. stated,"I reached out to Reef the Lost Cauze. I told him awhile back, 'I think you hold yourself back.' Like I think he holds back like he holds himself back. Cause he could straddle the fence if he wanted to, he's nice. I think he's real like, I think he's exceptional. He's keeping true to the underground, but I think he could get into the world of what Big and them do too if he wanted to. I just think he's not interested in that. He said he's not. But I'm like, 'Yo B, do it.' And he's like, 'I don't know O. I ain't...' You know once you get into that world and you know, you mess up, people kinda turn they back on you. I'll probably do some stuff with Ill Bill. We was talking about doing a record, like an album together."

Earlier this week, O.C. appeared on "Time Travel" [click to listen] from D.I.T.C.'s upcoming album The Movement.