AZ - 9 Lives (June 12, 2001)

When Anthony Cruz found himself homeless (music industry-wise, anyway) after releasing his sophomore effort, Pieces Of A Man, to indifferent criticisms and even more apathetic sales figures, he did what any hustler would do: he regrouped and fought back. After the mandatory ten-day wailing period, in which he blamed everybody but himself for his failures, AZ recorded a quickie project for the “streets”, S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ), that was intended to keep his name in the national hip hop conversation while slyly doubling as his resume for any future employer. Motown Records, the historic home of such acts as the Jackson 5, The Supremes, and even Boyz II Men, somehow took the bait, and signed him almost immediately; in return, AZ provided them with the masters for his third proper album, 9 Lives.

The title 9 Lives was supposed to be a commentary on how AZ believed himself to be cat-like, rebounding without missing a step after the commercial failure of his last project. Considering the man had only suffered one major loss in his battle with the music industry at this point in his career (his debut, Doe Or Die, was a minor hit, in that everybody knows what it is but almost nobody seems to actually own a copy), the title felt a bit premature: a quick glimpse into the crystal ball that is Wikipedia reveals that his days at Motown were also numbered (he lasted for about two albums), so perhaps it was more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than it was a sarcastic look at his own life. Either way, 9 Lives sold zero copies, as could be expected when the label's marketing team isn't exactly familiar with exactly what they're working with.

9 Lives consisted of a handful of tracks from S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ), newly remastered but with slightly altered titles, and some newer material that aped Pieces Of A Man in their overall content and glossy quality. Although AZ's introduction to the rap game was on the shoulders of his friend Nasir Jones (on Illmatic's “Life's A Bitch”), his own career trajectory has followed a materialistic path: even though his rhymes would seem to suggest those of a jaded gangster type who is tired of his way of life but is unable to clearly see a way out, the music those rhymes are set to almost exclusively promote a radio-friendly party lifestyle (which was also one of the many downfalls of the side project from rap supergroup The Firm, which consisted of AZ alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, and Cormega Nature). Those two worlds hardly ever mix in a manner that would taste good, so, unsurprisingly, AZ comes across as a guy who doesn't know who his audience is supposed to be.

Anyway.

1. INTRO

Anthony attempts to get back into the good graces of hip hop heads by turning this rap album intro into a quick verse. Unfortunately for him, the Big Shy beat sounds like a Xerox of a Xerox of something that could have ended up on The Firm: The Album (this is a bad thing, kids), and his bars hold no resonance whatsoever: they evaporate from your consciousness even before they leave our host's mouth. Groan.

2. WHAT CHA DAY ABOUT (FEAT. ALI VEGAS)

9 Lives kicks off with a poor Trackmasters impersonation (provided by producer Qu'ran Goodman), over which AZ attempts to reclaim the throne he never actually had by reminding the listener that his life is much better than yours (mostly because he appeared on Illmatic, mind you). The question asked within the title is used as yet another way to separate himself from the masses, but he then expects those same masses to buy his album when he drops it. Great job alienating your potential audience, Anthony. Especially since everyone already knows that you're not quite as successful as you say you are.

3. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK

This was the same song as S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ)'s “I Don't Give A Fuck Now”, except now without any sense of time specificity: AZ now just doesn't give a fuck, period.

4. AT NIGHT

With the help of producer Chop D.I.E.S.E.L., AZ attempts to bridge the gap between “What Cha Day About” and “I Don't Give A Fuck”, ending up with a mixture that uses the worst elements of both tracks and turns them into an awful-tasting confection that means very little to the general hip hip landscape. Even still, Anthony believes that the majority of his lyrics will fly right over the heads of most of the audience. Nah, man, you have that wrong: the audience (whatever's left of them, anyway) will clearly understand what you mean. They just won't give a fuck now.

5. AZ'S BACK

Anthony takes a risk, tries out a double-time flow over a Southern-tinged Tank instrumental, and manages to sound decent enough merely by not resorting to his usual braggadocio. This type of flow suits him just as well as a 4-year old child wearing one of his father's suits, though, so even without the added stigma embarrassing himself would have caused, “AZ's Back” is still laughable at best. I've always wondered why AZ was so focused on appealing to a mainstream crowd so early on in his career: his crime narratives would seem to be a bit too polarizing for a general audience to accept. Also, the hook on here was fucking terrible. Some ideas are better left in the mind of the artist in question.

6. PROBLEMS

This is the same song that first appeared on S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ).

7. EVERYTHING'S EVERYTHING (FEAT. JOE)

AZ was never a successful commercial artist. Doe Or Die didn't sell all that well, and his work with The Firm was laughable at best. So why does AZ believe that he is destined to have the same level of success as, say, Nas (who isn't really a sure thing anymore, either) or Jay-Z (who is on an entirely different plane of existence, even if his name sounds similar to that of our host)? Collaborations with R&B stalwart Joe aren't doing you any favors, Anthony: you come across as a rapper who decided long ago that money is all that matters, artistic integrity be damned. It wasn't Motown that imposed this radio-friendly requirement on 9 Lives: Pieces Of A Man sounded this glossy, too. Bleh.

8. THAT'S REAL (FEAT. BEANIE SIGEL)

Please refer to my notes from “Problems”.

9. WHAT Y'ALL N----S WANT (FEAT. FOXY BROWN)

AZ and his invited guest Inga Marchand exhibit so little chemistry on this godawful song that it's a mystery how they share the same planet, which makes the fact that this is technically a mini-reunion between two members of The Firm completely bewildering. Chop D.I.E.S.E.L.'s beat is fucking garbage, AZ sounds awkward as hell when he tries to recite his lines, and Foxy Brown, no longer being guided by the hand of either Jay-Z or Nas, comes across as a Lil' Kim clone who believes that reciting the Notorious B.I.G.-esque “uh” multiple times throughout her verse makes her sound (a) hardcore and (b) sexy, but in reality it helps her come across as (c) mannish and (d) retarded. I think I speak for the universe when I say that what y'all n----z want from AZ is a good fucking song. Pretty please?

10. LET'S TOAST

Same track from the previous project, except it was entitled “Let Us Toast” before. I prefer the earlier title, as it sounded much more formal, as though it was a black tie affair.

11. HOW MANY WANNA (FEAT. AMIL)

AZ does his best impression of a hedonistic Shawn Carter song, managing to somehow make the act of fucking sound even more appalling than Kanye West does on any given verse. He even somehow convinced Jay-Z's former colleague Amil to lend some assistance, which probably wasn't all that difficult, since her cashier shift at Target ended at seven that evening. AZ really has no clue what crowd he should be aiming for, and this song is the aural equivalent of his Newt Gingrich-level flip-flopping. What the fuck was this shit, man?

12. LOVE ME

Same track from the previous project, except it was entitled “Love Me In Your Special Way”. Maybe Motown charged by the word?

13. QUIET MONEY TBS (FEAT. QUIET MONEY)

Anthony lends this goofily-named track its opening verse, but quickly leaves the building to go get some soup, leaving the rest of his weed carriers with the pressure inherent with introducing the posse Quiet Money to the rest of the world. Obviously, this statement didn't end up being a very effective one, since you don't have a fucking clue as to what I'm talking about today: while the generic instrumental plays a role in that collective amnesia, the uncredited day players (which includes Animal, who stole the show on S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ), along with two others: I'm pretty sure the late Half-A-Mil is among them, but I can't place the last guy, as that's how badly they all blend together) all drop the ball with their interchangeable verses and lack of charisma behind the mic. Although AZ doesn't really charm listeners behind the mic either, so maybe they did actually hook up with the right man. Regardless, this shit sucked kangaroo penis. This was one of the blandest posse cuts I've ever heard: nobody appears to be excited to simply be there.

14. OUTRO

Yay! We're done!

FINAL THOUGHTS: AZ is, ultimately, an also-ran who lucked into an early friendship with one of the biggest artists in hip hop, but no matter how hard he tries, he will never actually be Nas, and it would be best if he gave up this particular course of action as soon as possible. His third proper album, 9 Lives, burns through about eight of them fairly quickly, as our host is unable to decide who his audience is supposed to be, and as a result, he ends up appealing to absolutely nobody. The (mostly shitty) production is too polished to be considered grimy, but his materialistic lyrics focus more on the streets than on any sort of enjoyment a large amount of money could bring: by trying to have it both ways, he damns his rap career to an eternal hell, one which he has yet to fully escape from. If 9 Lives is really what AZ thought would work after dropping S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ) and the commercial flop Pieces Of A Man, then he was not only sorely mistaken, he was also fucking delusional. 9 Lives is most definitely one of the most boring albums I've ever listened to for this blog.

BUY OR BURN? You should just avoid 9 Lives entirely. To save yourself the trouble, you see.

BEST TRACKS: “I Don't Give A Fuck”

-Max

RELATED POSTS:

Catch up on AZ by clicking here.

For Promotional Use Only: AZ - S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ) (2000)

Even though Anthony Cruz's sophomore effort, Pieces Of A Man, contained guest appearances from his fellow members of rap supergroup The Firm (Nas, Foxy Brown, and Nature) and production from established hitmakers The Trackmasters and, just to pull in the underground audience, Nashiem Myrick and The RZA, it underperformed at the box office.  One of the theories as to why it tanked has to do with the project's teaser single, "Hey AZ", an SWV-featured radio-friendly jam that was a minor hit, but somehow failed to make the actual proper album (possibly due to sample clearance issues).  Personally, I'm thinking that nobody bought the album because it kind of fucking sucked.

Either way, AZ's label, Noo Trybe, dropped him shortly after they dropped Pieces Of A Man.  

Between 1998 and 2000, AZ was essentially homeless, and he took to panhandling in order to earn enough money to pay for food, shelter, and weed.  He was supported throughout this trying time by the royalties he earned off of sales from his first album, Doe Or Die, and his guest appearance on Nasir's Illmatic that still sells copies to this day.  But without a current album to promote, his career was dead in the water.  AZ was at risk of floating down the river into hip hop irrelevancy, just like so much driftwood.

Refusing to admit defeat, though, he fought back by recording and releasing a promo-only album for the "streets" entitled S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ).  Curious title aside, this album was intended to act as a teaser for an eventual album release, while also doubling as a demo tape for AZ to shop around to interested parties.  (One of those parties, Motown Records, took the bait, and released his third album, 9 Lives, in 2001, which contained many of these same tracks in a more polished form.)

S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ) is admirable in that it was made specifically to appease the fans who stuck by his side through all of his label issues.  Unfortunately, those fans didn't consist of enough people that could have actually helped with said problems by purchasing Pieces Of A Man, but I digress.  Besides, as I mentioned before, Pieces Of A Man sucked.  With this project, AZ moved into a new phase in his career, that of an underground artist with a cult following that wrote his music specifically for that audience, as opposed to actively trying to sell millions of records, although that would probably be nice, too.

1. INTRO

Anthony claims to be looking to the future (because there's “more money” out there for him to get, or some other abstract shit), but he's clearly living in the past, letting the beat to Nasir's “Life's A Bitch” (which featured the debut appearance of our host) play in a closed loop in the background while he does a fairly shitty job encouraging listeners to continue beyond the intro. (The sound bite from The Notorious B.I.G. doesn't really help, either.) AZ gives some shout-outs to artists that have passed on, though, so that was awfully nice of him.

2. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK NOW

This was the street single, I believe. (How an album that is essentially a glorified demo tape/audition reel for other labels can even have a “single” is a discussion for another day.) AZ tackles Chop D.I.E.S.E.L.'s DJ Premier imitation in an abrasive manner, as is to be expected when the song's called “I Don't Give A Fuck Now”. This was still pretty entertaining today, mainly because AZ would probably sound pretty fucking good over an actual Primo concoction. However, the fact that Nas sound bites are almost exclusively used as the “chorus” (save for the one that gives the track its title) is a bit unsettling, as though AZ refuses to move on with his life.

3. PROBLEMS

Hilariously inappropriate: when the DeBarge sample from “All This Love” (which is used throughout the song) sings about having some problems, AZ responds to no one in particular, “You got bitch n----z, right?”, as if he's having the most natural conversation in the history of recorded communication. This wasn't the best way to hold on to the audience that may have liked the previous song: Anthony sounds corny, and the sample, though chopped into submission by producer Chop D.I.E.S.E.L., remains too dominant to allow the track to actually breathe.

4. BODIES GOTTA GET CAUGHT

My suspension of disbelief is shot to hell, as AZ hasn't sold enough records to have the liquid cash necessary to “catch” some “bodies” and keep them hidden from the feds. The hook also sounded like ass. No, I mean literally: I'm pretty sure Anthony invited a donkey into the studio to bray a few bars into the microphone before it accidentally ate it. In conclusion, I miss Nas. Do you think he still answers AZ's instant messages and Facebook invites?

5. LET US TOAST

The beat was alright, and Anthony's flow was decent enough, but this sounds too much like an outtake from Doe Or Die to take seriously. Actually, that's the problem I have with AZ in general: he seems to believe that he was a fully developed artist when “Life's A Bitch” dropped, and has failed to grow and develop as a rapper since then. Nobody really wants to hear someone rhyme the exact same way throughout their entire career: that criticism is something that hip hop heads shout out loud when they simply hate your new direction. If you just get better, then your feedback would inform you as such. Moving it along...

6. PLATINUM BARS

Just like with “Uncut Raw” on Doe Or Die and “SOSA” on Pieces Of A Man, Anthony blesses listeners with a quick one-verse wonder. Unlike his earlier two attempts, though, “Platinum Bars” fucking sucks. The beat is all lazy bombast without any dramatic flair, and AZ sounds bored reciting his own lyrics. Yes, this is short (it clocks in at less than a minute), but it's still too long to be considered tolerable.

7. LOVE ME IN YOUR SPECIAL WAY

Same complaint as on “Let Us Toast”, but I didn't mind it as much this time around. DR Period's instrumental doesn't amount to much at first, but once the scratched-in R&B sample works its way into the chorus, one realizes that this is truly the only beat that could work for this song. Also, Anthony spits three verses that help recall why his sophomore effort was so highly anticipated in the first place.

8. THAT'S REAL (FEAT. BEANIE SIGEL)

A guest appearance from an artist who is now relatively lost in the industry after his much more famous friend has seemingly abandoned him, not unlike the experience of our host? Why the fuck not? (As far as I know, though, AZ isn't going around talking shit about God's Son every chance he gets.) Beans sounds almost entirely different than he normally does: maybe the studio was cold that day and he caught a bug. AZ and Sigel aren't unnatural collaborators or anything, but I spent this entire song wondering why this song wasn't better than it was, and then wondered exactly why I believed that it could have ever been better in the first place.

9. ANIMAL SKIT - YOU AIN'T FROM BROOKLYN (FEAT. ANIMAL)

Why would AZ give another artist a chance to shine on what is supposed to be his own audition reel? Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? We will never know the answer to these questions. Maybe he was just trying to do his friend ? A solid. However, Anthony will be pissed to discover that Animal fucking destroys him on his own album, even without the aid of anything as confining as a “beat”. It wasn't a great performance, but I liked Animal's energetic verse more than everything presented by AZ thus far. And there's only one song left on (title), so I'm guessing that my opinion won't change much.

10. I B'S LIKE THAT (FEAT. ANIMAL)

This ended up being another generic love-slash-sex rap meant for mainstream consumption, but the title tricks listeners into thinking otherwise...at least until the patently dull instrumental kicks in. After his rousing performance on the previous skit, though, it is kind of funny to hear Animal fall into such generic hip hop trappings. He still sounds better than AZ, who seems to have mentally checked out after “I Don't Give A Fuck Now”, his new personal theme song, but even he fails to keeps folks interested in his collection of bad puns, awful metaphors, pop culture references, and random violent threats that constitute your typical rap verse. Oh well, at least this is finally over.

SHOULD YOU TRACK IT DOWN: Nah. S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ) was always intended as one of those “album before the album” projects, but there isn't much on here that would give any of AZ's fans hope that the eventual follow-up would be anything worth listening to. (And yet, this CD somehow got Anthony signed to Motown. Yeah, I can't figure that out, either.) As I mentioned in the write-up itself, AZ hasn't progressed much beyond his Doe Or Die days, and while some of you two may appreciate his sticking to the script, this calculated move virtually guarantees that he won't be gaining any new fans anytime soon. It doesn't help that S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ) attempts to use its lack of focus as a benefit rather than a detriment, skipping around as a way of showcasing Anthony's overall range; I ended up not giving a fuck either way. Is it a bold and career-defining move that AZ chose to cede a skit and a verse to an unknown artist just so he could shine, or is it a terrible and career-defining move that AZ is both outshined and outclassed by said unknown artist? Who cares? Odds are, you two won't want to listen to this shit anyway. Nor should you: don't let the presence of a couple of decent tracks below cloud your judgment. (In fact, I'll make this extremely easy for you two: the two best songs, “I Don't Give A Fuck Now” and “Love Me In Your Special Way”, also appear on AZ's Motown Records debut. There! Problem solved.)

-Max

RELATED POSTS:

AZ from A to Z. Or at least some more write-ups for his albums. Which aren't in alphabetical order. Yeah, that joke wasn't very good. Sorry.

AZ - Pieces Of A Man (April 7, 1998)

Pieces Of A Man is the second album by rapper Anthony Cruz, professionally known as Lil' Sprite, a/k/a AZ. It differs from his debut, Doe or Die, in that Pieces Of A Man is a terrible album.

You may feel that you no longer have to read the rest of this review. If so, thanks for your patronage.

Oh, you're still here? Okay. AZ's Doe or Die was a surprise hit back in 1995, thanks to his radio-friendly mafia tales, his friendship with fellow rapper Nasir Jones, also known as Big Sprite, a/k/a Nas, and the fact that Doe or Doe was actually good. The chemistry between the two artists, combined with the fact that Nas once saved AZ's life and, as such, felt some sort of responsibility for his well-being, led to Nas forming the supergroup The Firm, which consisted of himself, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega, who was later replaced with weed carrier Nature, who was literally with weed in pocket when he was tapped to replace Mega Montana, but could only do so after he clocked out at Domino's. The Firm was a doomed concept, mostly because this supergroup couldn't ever legally refer to themselves using their own fucking name (thanks to some allegedly obscure rock band that had the name first), but it certainly didn't help that their album was critically panned and spawned zero hit singles, save for "Phone Tap", the Dr. Dre-produced collaboration between Nas and Az (with an assist by Nature). After the release of their only group effort, the four artists packed their shit and walked away from the project. But not before helping AZ create his second disc, Pieces Of A Man.

Since "Phone Tap" was the only successful song on The Firm's album, it makes complete sense that AZ elected to work with everyone that wasn't Dr. Dre when building his sophomore effort. His original label, EMI, sold his contract to Noo Trybe, who clearly was expecting this disc to be some sort of commercial success, and as a result of their interference Pieces Of A Man was positioned to become The Firm Part Deux. The Trackmasters, the production duo responsible for the shift on hip hop radio from hardcore (read: "good") shit to radio-friendly, 1980's sampling piffle, handle the bulk of the album, just as they did with The Firm. Nas, Foxy Brown, and Nature all make sporadic appearances which were probably recorded in the span of eleven minutes, and AZ does his best to keep up appearances that his career isn't going down the toilet. The album sold barely any copies, and one morning AZ found himself without a record deal, Noo Trybe having exercised the clause in their contract to say "Oops!" and cut their losses.

The first single, "Hey AZ", happened to use the same sample as Mariah Carey's "Honey", and was released around the same time. To the surprise of no one, Mariah Carey's track blew the fuck up on radio (I still love the fact that, allegedly, Q-Tip had a hand in producing Mariah's song when it's clearly a Puff Daddy "creation"), and AZ's track was forgotten quickly. So quickly, in fact, that when Pieces Of A Man finally dropped in 1998, it was nowhere to be found on the album, making this one of the first instances that I've come across where a commercially released single failed to earn its spot on its accompanying album.

Here's the thing: back in 1998, I actually liked AZ's songwriting, and I picked this album up from Circuit City the day it dropped. I didn't even bother to wait for class to end: I left campus during lunch to pick up the CD, and at that time I didn't even have a fucking CD player In my car. (Apparently, I had nothing but money and time to burn.) I believe I spun the disc once that night and promptly decided to never listen to the entire thing ever again for the rest of my life, a promise that I'm willing to break for you, my two readers, because I'm bored, and I wanted to write about something.

Enjoy!

1. NEW LIFE (ALBUM INTRO)
I'm certainly glad that you felt the need to fuck up Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" by adding your own beat, my good sir. This musical tragedy demotes this intro, on which Anthony actually rhymes, to the category of "fuck this shit".

2. I'M KNOWN
Lyrically, AZ sounds exactly the same as he did on Doe or Die. Goldfinga's instrumental sounds incomplete, though, which makes this an empty listening experience. Well, at least it's short.

3. HOW YA LIVIN' (FEAT NAS)

This track is really fucking boring. This exercise in contrasting violent mafia-esque street tales (leftover from the Firm project) with polished, radio-friendly production work by L.E.S. is a flat out failure.

4. TRADING PLACES
Trading Places is a pretty good Eddie Murphy/John Landis collaboration, but regardless of the arguments and infighting that took place behind the scenes (and the intellectual property lawsuits), Coming To America is still my shit. What do you mean, I didn't talk about the song?

5. WHAT'S THE DEAL (FEAT KENNY GREENE)
That title could lead me to the obvious question regarding the very existence of this shitty song, but I'm not going to take the bait.

6. LOVE IS LOVE (FEAT NATURE & HALF-A-MIL)
Did AZ just pronounce "cognac" as "cog-nee-ack"? After a false start with a beat that reminded me of "What's The Deal", except with a completely different rapper (whose verse fades out midway through), the track turns on a dime with a much slower instrumental, a decent-sounding AZ, a terrible second verse by Half-A-Mil, and fellow Firm member Nature rounding out the song, sounding alright, except for when he pronounces "patterns" as "patterins". The fact that the Trackmasters sample a different Nina Simone song (this time, it's "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair") than what Goldfinga used on the shitty intro is intriguing, but just barely.

7. THE PAY BACK
While AZ deserves praise for not simply jacking James Brown and/or EPMD, doing exactly that may have been a more preferred outcome for this Gucci Jones-produces song (great producer name, by the way), which is awfully dull and repetitive, thanks to the plodding instrumental and a feeling of sameness that I've had since the album started playing.

8. JUST BECAUSE
This track has "Trackmasters" written all over it. (Also "Blatant Attempt At Radio Play", "Misfire", and "Terrible Song".) Producer L.E.S. spent a lot of his career working hand-in-hand with Poke and Tone, so the sound of this song may only surprise folks that came to the party after Nas released the L.E.S.-produced "Black Republicans", which sounds absolutely nothing like this claptrap.

9. SOSA
After I picked up Pieces Of A Man, I found myself listening only to two songs: "Whatever Happened (The Birth)", for reasons I'll get to in a minute, and this track, which has always sounded like a natural extension of "Uncut Raw" from Doe or Die, albeit with a Firm polish. The song is also short, almost interlude-length, and I'm sure that I subconsciously picked it thanks to my short attention span, as well. But it is a good song.

10. IT'S A BOY THING (FEAT NATURE)
I realize that "boy" is slang for weed, but seriously, you try listening to Nature's unintentionally hilarious hook and tell yourself that this "drug" song isn't the lamest thing you've ever heard. Oh yeah, sure, this song is for the true drug dealers, the ones that be up on them corners all day long. I'm sure they all fucking love Rod Stewart, and and quote from his songs all the fucking time. Thanks, Nature! Where's Cormega when you fucking need him?

11. PIECES OF A (BLACK) MAN
Not entirely horrible, but I found myself paying closer attention to the beat than to AZ's lyrics. Not because the instrumental is good: as a whole, it's boring. But there are elements of the beat that the Trackmasters saw fit to include, and some of those sound really good. The whole is truly not the sum of its parts. I don't recommend that you listen to this song just so you can hear one or two elements of the beat, though: that would be a waste of your valuable time.

12. LAST DAYZ (FEAT MONIFAH)
Sadly, not a cover of the Onyx classic of the same name. Monifah has a song called "You" that I always believed to be pretty good, even though it wasn't as big a hit as it should have been. As such, her role here, playing the no-name R&B singer on the hook of a boring AZ track, is pretty goddamn depressing.

13. WHATEVER HAPPENED (THE BIRTH) (FEAT THE RZA)
The Rza produced it, and he appears on it. What Wu-Tang stan wouldn't listen to this track more often than the rest? I realize now, ten years removed, that this isn't anywhere close to the best non-Wu Rza beat ever created, but when taken by itself, I still kind of like AZ and Prince Rakeem working together. However, I fully admit that nostalgia may be playing a major part here: newer hip hop heads will probably take to this song not unlike how I take to the shit that's on the radio as we speak.

14. TRIAL OF THE CENTURY (FEAT FOXY BROWN & PANAMA P.I.)
This tale is of no consequence whatsoever. I give credit to Anthony for trying to switch things up on us, and Nashiem Myrick brings us a beat that is pretty theatrical (just as we would expect from the guy that produced Capone-N-Noreaga's "T.O.N.Y." and Biggie's "Who Shot Ya?"), but Panama P.I.'s weak hook (doesn't his name sound like one of those fourth-tier Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters that never received his own spinoff?) and Foxy's (thankfully short) half-verse run this train directly into the side of a barn.

15. BETCHA DON'T KNOW (FEAT KEANNA HENSON)
How the fuck can you end your sophomore album with this piffle and keep a straight face?

FINAL THOUGHTS: Pieces Of A Man finds AZ still living out of The Firm's playbook, as this disc attempts to be a natural extension of that supergroup's album, but with less guest raps. However, The Firm's album sucked balls, and as a result, Pieces Of A Man sucks balls by proxy. Unlike Doe or Die, which, ideally, this disc should have been a sequel to, this sophomore effort sounds like Anthony Cruz was deliberately trying to move billions of units (see: the radio-friendly instrumentals, thanks to L.E.S. and the Trackmasters producing over half of the album) while refusing to clean up his act (the lyrics are as violent as they've always been): as everybody knows, there has to be some sort of compromise. Besides, the Mob doesn't want to hear its tales spelled out on pop radio. I wish that more rappers realized this back in the late 1990's.

BUY OR BURN? Personally, I wouldn't do either one, but if you must, a burn will suffice. But there's always going to be something else that captures your attention online, so you'll probably never get to this one anyway. And trust me, you're not missing anything.

BEST TRACKS: "SOSA"; "Whatever Happened (The Birth)"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
AZ - Doe or Die

AZ - Doe or Die (October 10, 1995)

The phenomenon of getting your personal weed carriers signed to a record deal of their own is a natural occurrence in all musical genres, from hard-hitting rock to alternative polka that can get your girl's panties to drop, but it seems to occur with alarming frequency in hip hop. I can't remember the last time that I checked out another hip hop blog and didn't see a single or a mixtape by an "artist" piggybacking off of their famous friends. Hell, I could probably spend an entire year writing about a different weed carrier every single day (although I will not do that: Max needs his fresh air).

In most cases, I've noticed that the "name" artist will use their baggage handler's album to promote themselves, not their friends, in the traditional "obviously you can see why I'm making more money than them" manner. And that point is usually one hundred percent accurate: usually the guy whose day job is to make sure your khakis are pressed just so isn't really that good of a rapper, and only ends up getting the deal in the first place because the label has convinced themselves (foolishly, in most cases) that the successful and more popular artist will be all over their boy's disc, thus guaranteeing at least enough sales to pay off that coke and whore habit that has damn near bankrupted more than one record label.

It isn't very often that a rapper's own tortilla warmer handles the microphone with enough ease to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their more popular peers. It is extremely rare when a rapper's personal grill disinfectant actually possesses the skills necessary to outshine the primary breadwinner.

The AZ story is not one of the latter examples, but depending on your point of view, it might be one of the former.

Anthony Cruz saw his popularity rise when he was pulled directly off of the stoop in front of his building and thrown into a recording studio with his friend Nasir Jones, who at the time was an aspiring artist that hadn't yet felt what kind of impact some critical acclaim can have on one's career (and, one assumes, had not yet developed the sack one needs to spout statements such as "Hip hop is dead" (no matter how true) and the inherent pretension to even consider ever titling an album N----r). Nas had a few singles floating around, and was in the midst of recording his debut Illmatic when he partnered up with AZ (and, it should be noted, Olu Dara, Nas's father) for "Life's A Bitch", a track that would soon become one of the most popular joints on an album chock full of good songs, regardless of the fact that AZ fucks up and uses the phrase "money-orientated" as if it actually makes some sense (although it certainly wouldn't be the first time a rapper had made up a word to better fit a rhyme pattern).

His guest spot was well-received (thankfully, since he was the only other rapper to actually appear on Illmatic), and AZ soon found himself courting offers from record labels, signing up with EMI in 1995. His debut disc, Doe or Die, followed shortly thereafter.

In the field of East Coast hip hop, AZ is primarily known as one of two rappers that popularized the rapper-as-Mafia-gangster theme that plagued New York rap like a cancer in the mid-to-late nineties. (For those of you that are interested, Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan would be the other rapper, but his crew quickly ditched their Wu-Gambino names shortly following Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., even if Raekwon tried to hold on to it as long as possible.) Doe or Die is essentially a concept album, a tale told from the point of view of a low-level thug with big dreams, and all of the highs and lows that accompany a successful person in this particular arena.

Doe or Die ended up selling very well, and although it didn't garner as much critical acclaim as Illmatic, at least critics regarded AZ as an actual artist, and not as some guy that only got a deal because of his association with Nas (*cough* Bravehearts *cough*).

Ready? Let's begin.

1. INTRO
Bullshit rap album intro. (Did you really expect me to say something different?) Anthony Cruz even manages to offend members of both the Arab and Asian communities with one sentence.

2. UNCUT RAW
Seriously, Doe or Die could have jumped straight to this track (which sounds really good today) and listeners would have been engaged from the very beginning. Instead, I had to sit through the intro, and as a result, I find myself already annoyed with this album, although I'm getting over it.

3. GIMME YOURS (FEAT NAS)
Pete Rock's production takes you back to a simpler time in hip hop, and AZ's unwavering focus on success ("...until my hands touch a million plus/Ain't much to discuss") is damn near derailed by, of all things, Nas singing the hook. This was still early on in Nasir's career, too: what the hell was he thinking?

4. HO HAPPY JACKIE
I just heard this track, and for the life of me I couldn't remember a damn thing about it. I guess it couldn't have been that impressive, eh?

5. RATHER UNIQUE (FEAT PETE ROCK)
This Peter Q. Rockefeller production is neither hard-hitting nor soft: it's simply pleasant. (I know that sounds like harsh criticism, but it really isn't.) AZ spits his usual gibberish-with-some-clever-wordplay-thrown-in-for-good-measure, and sounds good enough that you'll wish that he exclusively worked with top shelf producers. Even if the title is a bit goofy.

6. I FEEL FOR YOU (FEAT ERICA SCOTT)
The beat is relatively simple, but I have to admit that I liked it. AZ's not a bad lyricist, but I can understand why he never hit it big; it must be hard living in Nas's shadow (well, back then, anyway: not so much today).

7. SUGAR HILL (FEAT MISS JONES)
The first single, and the first time that hip hop heads ever heard AZ spit on his own. I never cared for this song, since it sounds waaaay too radio friendly for what is ostensibly a monologue in which a budding mafioso describes, in vivid detail, what he wants out of life.

8. MO MONEY MO MURDER (HOMICIDE) (FEAT NAS)
I know it's because of the beat's pacing, but AZ and Nasir sound like their vocals have been slowed down a bit too much. Otherwise, this is pretty good. It makes you forget that Nas had an earlier guest spot on Doe or Die. The hook just sounds like four random sentences strung together, though. The extra song that immediately follows, "Born Alone, Die Alone", is pretty short, and doesn't distract one bit from the listening experience, even if it is a bit depressing, kind of like one of those flash-forwards on Lost.

9. DOE OR DIE
Back in the day, I always felt that AZ's first three singles sounded much too polished to be representative of the New York sound at the time. I still don't like "Sugar Hill", but I have always liked this track, and the smooth beats helps the medicine go down.

10. WE CAN'T WIN (FEAT AMAR)
AZ obliterates his guest over this moody composition, but to be fair, Amar does the best he can. The hook almost derails this train, but otherwise the ride is only slightly bumpy (due to Anthony's conspiracy theories).

11. YOUR WORLD DON'T STOP
This tale, told from the confines of a fictional cell block, would have sounded more effective without the lame-ass chanting of the title that is worked into the beat. However, I guess lame-ass chanting can help prisoners picture a world outside of their cell, a world with the freedom to choose to not incorporate lame-ass chanting into your song's beat, so in that manner, this song is successful. In fact, if I ever run for public office, that's the platform I plan on winning with.

12. SUGAR HILL (REMIX)
Okay, okay. I like the remix more, because the beat sounds more like what I expected from New York at the time, but I'll be the first to admit that the hook makes absolutely no fucking sense unless you're familiar with the original version. The addition of faster-paced drums is beneficial, though.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Doe or Die actually surprised me a bit. I don't remember the album sounding this good. While it' snot even close to great, it seems to hold up well, even with the awful missteps (mainly, Nas's singing) and zero deviation in the album's subject matter. AZ is no megahypertalented lyricist, but he does well for himself, and comes off as a weed carrier that probably should have his own weed carriers.

BUY OR BURN? This isn't bad at all. I would actually recommend you pick this one up, at an actual store, one with a cash register and four walls (ceiling optional). Especially recommended for all of you deluded fans of that shitty album by The Firm: you'll love this disc, and I'll actually be inclined to agree with you this time out.

BEST TRACKS: "Doe or Die"; "Rather Unique"; "Uncut Raw"; "Mo Money. Mo Murder (Homicide)"

B-SIDES TO TRACK DOWN: "Gimme Yours (Remix)" - Apparently EMI also agreed that having Nas sing the hook was asinine, so Erick Sermon was commissioned to remix the track with an unknown female vocalist singing Nas's chorus. Also hunt down "Doe or Die (RZA Remix)", featuring AZ and Raekwon the Chef ripping shit over an unorthodox and unequivocally dope beat by The Rza, and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a Wu stan.

-Max

Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album (October 21, 1997)

There aren't many rap albums that have the balls to print a dramatic logline on the disc itself. Even fewer albums are theatrical enough to deserve one. This album sure as fuck doesn't.