Born 2 Live

"Born 2 Live"
"Born 2 Live"
Single by O.C.
from the album Word...Life
B-side	"Let It Slide"
Released	November 22, 1994
Recorded	1993–1994
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:49
Label	Wild Pitch
Songwriters	Omar Credle; Anthony Best;
Producer	Buckwild
O.C. singles chronology
Music video
	"Born 2 Live" on YouTube

"Born 2 Live" is a song by American rapper O.C., released as the second single from his debut studio album Word...Life (1994) on November 22, 1994. Produced by Buckwild, it contains samples of "Risin' to the Top" by Keni Burke, "Outside Love" by Brethren and "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Isaac Hayes.

Background

According to O.C., the song was dedicated to a childhood friend who was killed in Baltimore.^[1]^[2]

Content

The song finds O.C. reflecting on his childhood memories and discussing the fragility of life.^[3]^[4] He recounts his own experience of dealing with the death of a close friend when he was a child, exploring bereavement^[5] and the costs of street life.^[4]

Critical reception

M.F. DiBella of AllMusic wrote of the song, "The soulful composition lifts a tasteful snippet from Keni Burke's 'Keep Rising to the Top.'"^[3] Matt Jost of RapReviews remarked, "Buckwild's sample choice hints at a stereotypical crossover attempt, but if anything, musically 'Born 2 Live' resembles the Nas/Pete Rock collaboration 'The World Is Yours' with its steadily grooving, soulful beat and its casually sung hook."^[5]

Remixes

The song received two remixes, one produced by Organized Konfusion and the other by DJ Eclipse. O.C. changed some lyrics on the remix to broaden the song from a personal tribute to a friend to a universal message about death and loss.^[2]

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)^[6]	41

References

↑ O'Neill, Abby (April 18, 2018). "O.C.: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
1 2 Ettelson, Robbie (January 22, 2015). "O.C. – The Unkut Interview". Unkut. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
1 2 DiBella, M.F. "Word...Life - O.C." AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
1 2 Allah, Sha Be (October 18, 2025). "Today In Hip Hop History: OC Dropped His Debut Album 'Word…Life' 31 Years Ago". The Source. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
1 2 Jost, Matt (June 7, 2005). "O.C. :: Word...Life :: Wild Pitch Records". RapReviews. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
↑ "Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales: Week of December 10, 1994". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2026.

[1] O'Neill, Abby (April 18, 2018). "O.C.: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved 13 May 2026.

[Unkut-2] 1 2 Ettelson, Robbie (January 22, 2015). "O.C. – The Unkut Interview". Unkut. Retrieved 12 May 2026.

[AM-3] 1 2 DiBella, M.F. "Word...Life - O.C." AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2012.

[Source-4] 1 2 Allah, Sha Be (October 18, 2025). "Today In Hip Hop History: OC Dropped His Debut Album 'Word…Life' 31 Years Ago". The Source. Retrieved 12 May 2026.

[RR-5] 1 2 Jost, Matt (June 7, 2005). "O.C. :: Word...Life :: Wild Pitch Records". RapReviews. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2012.

[6] "Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales: Week of December 10, 1994". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2026.

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