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

Yeah, I still want to talk about Anthony Cruz.

In 1995, AZ dropped his debut album Doe Or Die off the strength of his appearance as the lone guest verse on Nas' Illmatic, which many hail as the greatest hip hop album of all time, a statement I've repeatedly said to be completely absurd because there is no such thing. Doe Or Die was also hailed as an instant classic that helped usher in the mafioso craze that the East Coast clung to for so long, started by Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., yet another album acclaimed to the heavens. This craze was responsible for quite a few works of art that helped elevate the genre, such as Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth, Nas' It Was Written & Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z. However, it also spawned quite a few works that had songs that are so garbage they dragged hip hop back down, such as the divisive nature of the late great Biggie's Life After Death, and the eponymous album by The Firm.

The latter was supposed to be Dr. Dre's stamp that legitimized his reign over mainstream rap while also being another landmark in the respective belts of its members Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown & Cormega. And it really seemed like it was heading in that direction after these four participated in Affirmative Action, one of the best posse cuts I've ever heard on Nas' sophomore album. No, really. Also, listen to its remix along with the first version of La Familia and you'll see too that shit was good money regarding the Firm. That is, until Steve Stoute fucked the whole venture up. By kicking Cormega out and replacing him with QB upstart Nature, who just wasn't ready then, The Firm lost their cohesion together. That set a chain of events that led to the resulting album being one of the biggest flops in hip hop history, despite it allegedly selling over one million records in the US. The resulting backlash hit The Firm's new members square in the jaw, and their reputations suffered.

So where does all this leave Mr. Cruz? Well, he still believed that the Trackmasters, responsible for half of the Firm album's production as well as the majority of the 1996 albums of its' members Nas & Foxy, had something to contribute to his musical visions. Which they did by producing an absolute embarrassment of a song called Hey AZ, which had Comby-levels of radio pandering, so of course it was a minor hit. Great news for AZ and co., until the label bafflingly left it off the album. Naturally one would blow a gasket, but not Mr. Cruz. He just went about his BI and enlisted the Trackmasters again, along with producers like LES, Goldfinga and Nashiem Myrick who were famous for bringing a similar aesthetic to Poke & Tone's, as well as one surprise production choice. (Well, not really) Fully armed with the production team he wanted, AZ set out making what is now his favorite body of work. Of course, he doesn't care one bit that it fell just short from earning an RIAA Gold certification for five hundred thousand pressed units, he still claims it as his favorite album.

Does it deserve that title?

NEW LIFE (ALBUM INTRO)
Now this is an intro! Goldfinga gives AZ a properly bleak instrumental sampling one of Hanz Zimmer's many timeless compositions for Tony to wax poetic on, which he does beautifully with an introspection fitting of an album titled Pieces Of A Man. Lyrically, AZ shows on this track that the Firm's colossal failure has not affected his skill level one bit. Nice!

I'M KNOWN
Goldfinga's back at it again with another minimalist gem, which prompts AZ to launch into a thug rap befitting of the beat's grimy quality. This really feels like a successful continuation of the mafioso themes present on Doe Or Die. Nice!

HOW YA LIVIN' (FEATURING NAS)
I friggin' love this song! L.E.S. comes correct with a perfect Trackmasters-esque beat, looping a Glenn Jones 80s classic, that doesn't sacrifice its boom bap-ness. This track furthers the list of quality AZ collaborations with his Firmmate, with both MCs conveying success comfortably without sounding obnoxious. 2 for 2, so far.

TRADING PLACES
L.E.S. cedes his space for the actual Trackmasters, and boy do they ever fuck up. AZ was just trying to continue the tales of success that he had done so nicely on the previous track, only for these two fucks to completely ruin the mood with the tropical-esque bullshit they were so famous for back then. I always had a Trackmasters bias when discussing them because of their work on the song that introduced me to hip hop, Hit 'Em High off the Space Jam OST, but this shit is indefensible.

WHAT'S THE DEAL (FEATURING KENNY GREENE)
We go from low to sinking low wth the one thing I never want to hear on any type of album: the obligatory sex skit. I don't care how fly you think your life is, these skits are simply abhorrent fuckery. Then of course, we cut to a Trackmasters beat, complete with a dope-ass Woods Empire loop, that would've been perfect for the previous track. So yeah, AZ wastes it with his airplay-whoring sex rap. Let me tell you something, Tony: You say you didn't want to put out Sugar Hill because you felt like you sold out? Nah b, these couple of tracks here are where you sold out.

LOVE IS LOVE (FEATURING HALF-A-MIL & NATURE)
Thank the Lord you're back, Goldfinga! We need a beat that can save the album's flatlining momentum ASAP! Why are you focusing on a weed carrier in the intro now? Get back to focusing on AZ, now damnit! Thankfully, Goldfinga snaps out of his stupor and delivers a beat that's somehow even bleaker than the album's intro, even though he samples the same Hanz Zimmer record. AZ brings the weed-carrier from the intro, the late Half-A-Mil, and fellow Firmmate Nature one a posse cut that reflects on their journey from the perilous life of crime and all the changes such an abrupt departure entails. AZ comes correct as per his usual standard, Half-A-Mil doesn't embarrass himself and I must say that Nature shines on tracks like this one. This was a step back in the right direction.

THE PAY BACK
Goldfinga is on a fucking tear on this album: The dude hasn't come with a wack track yet, and this one is his best, by far. Ingeniously speeding up a six-second Sade loop, the result sounds like a menacing Latin acoustic riff that allows Mr. Cruz to paint a harrowing one-verse revenge tale, and the effect the resulting war on him after he succeeds in offing the fucker has on his mentals n’all. I'll say this: AZ is one of the best hook writers in hip hop, even though here he only uses it after he finishes his verse. And he repeats the shit too many times. Still, one of my favorite songs in this dude's discography.

JUST BECAUSE
L.E.S. bows out of this album's proceedings with a party beat that thumps just right utilizing a slowed-down Glow Of Love sample to great effect. I will say, though, that this track among a couple of others are where you see Tony finally compromise his lyrical integrity on this album. And the result is a little sad. I mean, his bookending verses are alright but the second verse is just atrocious. It is what it is.

SOSA
Poke & Tone are back after three tracks of being grounded for their screwups on their last two contributions, and they sheepishly hand in their apology production which utilizes another acoustic riff. No lie, it's one of the best beats they're ever done and AZ relishes in their mastery, delivering a one-verse wonder that recalls the same hunger that produced some of hip hop's best songs ever on his debut. This was awesome.

IT'S A BOY THING (FEATURING NATURE)
What the fuck, PNT?! Here I am in the above paragraph praising what you did on them boards, then you come with this piffle? Firmmate Nature returns, but is relegated to the insignificant hook while AZ wastes some more good lyrics on one of the most generic late-90s-early-00s beats you'll ever hear. Shit sounds like a beat that Jay-Z, DMX & Ja Rule turned down for being too pandering.

PIECES OF A (BLACK) MAN
Trackmasters, you truly mystify me. Why so inconsistent with your productions? You've already achieved the necessary balance to cater to the radio and to the underground on Nas' sophomore, so what happened? The reason why I say this is because here these two goofs give us their best beat, bar none, on the entire album. This shit is right up there with their finest work on It Was Written, and AZ completes the formula with some damn sharp introspection about his come up, a subject he rhymes so well about. This song exemplifies why I think AZ is right up there with the top MCs to ever choke a mic. Another one for the good.

LAST DAYZ (FEATURING MONIFAH)
Smoove? I'm sorry but I can't take that nickname seriously unless you're a comedian. AZ enlists Monifah on background vocalist duties while Smoove loops an R.Kelly sample for AZ to spit about troubles facing him as a then-upcoming black youth who's trying to make a living for himself. Basically, the same subject as the atrocious We Can't Win from his debut, but with proper musical backing and without the pretentious five percenter preaching bookending the damn song. As such, I enjoyed this song a lot. Monifah came correct with her contribution, the lyrics were on point and the beat was pretty enjoyable. So, yeah. Count me a fan of this song.

WHATEVER HAPPENED (THE BIRTH) (FEATURING RZA)
I told you this wasn't really a surprise. My guess is that AZ must've left an impression on the Abbott when they recorded the Doe Or Die remix to the extent that they had to work together again. And these two deliver my favorite song on the entire project as they tag team with a verse each, with RZA unloading a Sunshower-worthy performance, although AZ matches him blow-for-blow wisdom-wise. This shit bangs!

TRIAL OF THE CENTURY (FEATURING FOXY BROWN & PANAMA P.I.)
Time to dip into the storytelling well again, as AZ brings out Nashiem Myrick from Comby's jolly bag of Hitmen. Nash here loops six seconds from a Leo Dan oldie and speeds it up so it's transformed into a beat worthy of a street tale ending with a court drama. Although I enjoyed Panama P.I.'s hook, I think it pales to his work on the title track of Onyx' All We Got Iz Us. And Fox Boogie was totally useless here, with four bars that point towards her being AZ's character's baby moms. Other than that, this was pretty good.

BETCHA DON'T KNOW (FEATURING KEANNA HENSON)
Oh no. Tony Dofat's production is not welcome at all as the final beat on the album. It truly shows, as AZ regresses lyrically in an embarrassing manner. The Najee sample was boring and Keanna Henson was insipid on the hook. It's a damn shame that this album ended on such a whimper.

FINAL THOUGHTS
So obviously AZ still has some problems with cohesion, and this album has some truly shitty songs. But I'm actually surprised to say that AZ may have a point in liking this album more than Doe Or Die. There are at least ten good-to-great songs out of fifteen. That's not a bad hitrate, at all. In fact, I might even go far as to say that this album was more thought-out than his debut. The reason I say this is that this album shares with its predecessor a batch of fucking great songs, a batch of putrid songs and a batch songs in the middle. It's that last group where Pieces Of A Man surpasses Doe Or Die, as the gray-area songs here are flat-out superior to their counterparts on his debut. I must point out, though, that the shitty songs on Doe Or Die are much better than the shitty songs found here, as the crap you're presented with this time is easily ear-rape material. All in all, yeah. This outcome surprised me.

WORTH IT? As weird as it sounds, yes. I think this album deserves to be in your collection. Just stay away from vinyl pressings, because you will skip at least four songs on here.

For more on AZ, get your fill here. You gluttonous bastard, you.

AZ - Doe Or Die (October 12, 1995)

Anyone reading this have a life-altering experience, lately? Show of hands? To those of you who did, now you know where my mental's at and why it took me so long to come back.

Now that I'm here, though, today's subject kind of fell into my lap. I mean, I obviously already knew of East New Yitty's Anthony Cruz bka AZ. What I meant was that up till now, I'd decided not to review any album from this dude's catalog. Not because I think that they're good or bad, but simply because for the longest I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to say about son. It didn't really help that throughout this hip hop fandom of mine, I've encountered dude's work countless times. Then, these past few weeks came. I was adjusting to my current situation when I stumbled upon something I already watched way back in the summer: the BET half-hour documentary about our subject for this post. While it was a doc I enjoyed immensely, it wasn't until I watched it again these past few weeks that it started a massive back-&-forth debate in my head regarding ol' Antonio's impact on this genre. Add that to me stumbling upon 36 Seasons by Ghostface Killah, on which AZ was co-starring, a role in which he stole the show every time you heard him, and my AZ retrospective journey was officially underway. Fast forward to now, I finally know where this guy fits in this blog of mine.

Out of all the Brooklyn neighborhoods frequently mentioned in hip hop, Anthony Cruz was born in the one that intrigues me the most, East New York. So many of my favorite boom bap tunes were inspired by that place. I was also very intrigued that Stetsasonic were from ENY as well, and that their early park jams were the main reason he fell in love with the art form. (For the record, if you don't know who Stetsasonic are, you should probably stop reading this very instant and burn their catalog into your brain. Like now.)

This change in Tony's life was largely hidden from the world. In fact, apart from immediate family and very close friends, nobody really knew that AZ was a potential MC, until one of his homies hooked him up with an upstart DJ/producer, some dude who called himself Pete Rock, in 1989. You might've read about him once or twice or a hextuple of times here. Of course AZ, being the aloof & bashful twerp that he was back then, never pushed for a collaborative album with the Soul Brother back when the legend was cutting his production teeth. I'll let you think about that lost opportunity for a moment. And yes, I do enjoy making you think about these lost possibilities. Builds character, you see. To crank your irritation up a notch, the hip hop world wouldn't have even heard of Anthony Cruz had it not been for a chance meeting with another then-up and comer in hip hop, one Nas.

After meeting each other through a dude called Yammy, Large Professor Nas immediately noticed that this AZ cat was a diamond in the rough who simply cannot slip through the fingers of hip hop history. So, once the dude who was originally scheduled to appear as the sole guest appearance on his album got locked up, Large Professor Nas remembered that burning desire he had to put Mr. Cruz on. And that's how Life's A Bitch, the last completed record off Illmatic, was born.

You can probably guess how things went from there. Everyone and their government mule wanted to hear more from AZ. Matter of fact, that one verse incredibly got him the deal with the late EMI Records, whose fuckface execs ran to him with big-ass dollar signs in their eyes. Everyone around Tony was so elated that he was finally provided the platform an MC of his potential deserved. So, he went about recording the single that was to be his opening statement in the rap game, the one song that everyone was hopefully to point to years later when remembering his impact on hip hop history. The resulting single, Sugar Hill, sold five hundred thousand copies in less than three months. Naturally, album time was upon our protagonist.

Given that its release followed Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., the quintessential mafioso rap album in my opinion, Doe Or Die was considered the second mafioso masterpiece which helped further the mafioso influence spread throughout East Coast hip hop back then. Along with the critical acclaim came the inevitable comparisons to Illmatic. And if there's one negative from AZ debuting on that album, it's the fact that he's always shoehorned in lyrical comparisons with Nas, even when they're not sharing the same song. I feel this really detracts from the opportunity to appreciate his lyrics, because songs like Life's A Bitch effectively demonstrate how Tony can be a lyrical force to be reckoned with. Hell, this is a stigma he's still carrying, goddamnit. And that's where this review comes in. You're here to find if Mr. Cruz exorcised that stigma on his debut.

Doe Or Die, boy/girl (pick one):

INTRO

Is it just me, or have these intros/skits/outros long overstayed their welcome in this genre? It's even worse when they are backed by amazing beats such as this Lunatic Mind recipe. Yet another composition needlessly flushed down the toilet.

UNCUT RAW

Here Tony assesses the motives of a young criminal mind in the ghetto. Simple note here: Any aspiring MC who hasn't yet studied AZ on songs other than Life's A Bitch is really missing a a lyrical spectacle. And it is here that the first issue I have with this album shows itself: The beat by a certain Loose (me neither) is merely serviceable. See when you have an MC the caliber of Tony here and you're seeking to craft the ultimate hip hop song, musical and lyrical quality must both be present. The result ain't ass or anything, but I won't go out of my way to include it on any playlist of mine, and you shouldn't either.

GIMME YOURS (FEATURING NAS)

Time for old friend Pete Rock to step behind the boards. I tell you: I friggin' love the shit outta this song. I couldn't give less of a rat's balls that Nas is atrocious on the hook, the Soul Brother still found a way to make this shit a classic. AZ does not switch up his MO and this time, the Minnie Riperton-sampling beat matches his contribution punch for punch. If it weren't for Nas making every lost R&B legend throughout history turn in his grave with his putrid I-Level interpolation, this would easily be one of the greatest hip hop songs ever made. As such, it's still one of the greatest hip hop songs ever made. Then there's the remix, produced by Erick Sermon. Now, this was done back when the E-Double was just starting to make a limited reputation for himself as one of the go-to producers for radio appeal, and as such, his remix sounds a bit poppy. Nevertheless, it is a more fleshed out track with a proper vocalist singing the I-Level interpolation instead of Nas, violator of R&B. You'd be correct in assuming that the remix is the better song, but I actually listen to the original more. Not sure what this signifies.

HO HAPPY JACKIE

Oh Buckwild, how I miss your boom bap beats. Le sigh. Here he hits another homer with a brilliant sampling of Kool & The Gang. So of course, AZ spends the entire song ho-shaming a girl. Look, obviously these types of women exist, but I'm sorry: I can't believe they were as rampant as most rappers imply them to be. Misfire. Call em like ya see em, people.

RATHER UNIQUE

The PR returns on production duties and while his Les McCann-sampling beat is the textbook example of what sampling can offer music in general, I can't claim that he hasn't made better Petestrumentals. For example, his work with INI. Or the earlier Gimme Yours track. Still though, this is one awesome song. The minimalist beat provides ample space for Tony here to roll out the quotables show. And by God, does he ever. This dude is that MC, schooling you and kicking your ass with his wordplay. Two for the good!

I FEEL FOR YOU

We go from Pete Rock to Amar Pep, one of AZ's childhood friends. Unfortunately, the step down in production quality is absolutely jarring. AZ's attempts at thug rap are commendable, but ultimately meaningless as Amar's beat absolutely refuses to let you tune it out and try to focus on the lyrics. What makes this so frustrating is that the beat can only be described as noise. And not Bomb Squad-brilliant noise, but babies crying after shitting themselves-noise. Antonio, I know you're a stand up guy who does right by his homies, but goddamn: Less ass on them boards, please.

SUGAR HILL (FEATURING MISS JONES)

The producer of Life's A Bitch is reunited with AZ to give him his biggest record. And, believe me, L.E.S. pulls no punches with the radio-pandering, with the Sugar Free sample running rampant throughout the instrumental. Hell, Miss Jones even interpolates the record's famed hook in a manner that fits this track. Here's the thing: I actually dig this record as a song. But as a hip hop track it's just too corny. Of course, AZ comes correct on them lyrics with his rags-to-riches mafioso approach here, as he's always done so far. I must say that the influence on the lyrics may be G Rap & RAGU, but on the music it's BIG's Juicy all the way. I stand by what I said earlier, though: I dig this record as a song, but not as a hip hop track.

MO MONEY, MO MURDER, MO HOMOCIDE (FEATURING NAS)

DR Period, fresh off his hardcore flex with MOP's debut album To The Death, switches up his production approach entirely for this track. Here, he exhibits a level of skill previously unheard from him on his To The Death work with a deft sped-up O'Jays sample that amps up the theatrical value as AZ & Nas craft their classic mafioso duet. The interplay between both MCs is electric and furthers the mafioso rap lynchpin status that this album is trying to achieve. After the song ends, you're treated to a short one-minute mini-song with yet another fantastically haunting beat by Lunatic Mind. And this time, AZ spits 8 bars that will stick in the back of your brain for quite some time. I'm just a bit vexed that this wasn't the intro to the album.

DOE OR DIE

In an attempt by EMI to throw off the audience, AZ enlists the help of Rap-A-Lot producer N.O. Joe, whose Houston brand of G-Funk bred many a hit for the likes of the Geto Boys, Scarface & UGK. In return, AZ spits some of his best lyrics ever on the beat. Now, I appreciate the attempt to broaden one's horizon, but the jump needs to sound organic. Trust me, the bleak lyrics are not a good fit for the party feel of N.O. Joe's G-Funk presented here. If you want to hear these lyrics paired with a beat that does them justice, there's a remix on Youtube by Boston production heroes the Vinyl Reanimators (famous for their acclaimed work with Edo. G & the late Scientifik) so go check for that. You're welcome.

WE CAN'T WIN (FEATURING AMAR PEP & BARSHAM)

I tell you, this album's cohesion has been shot to hell too many times. For example, here Amar Pep returns on the boards with a beat that sounds like it was made by a five year-old. It's here that AZ decides to bring his homies on this posse cut about five percenter conspiracy theories, on which he completely obliterates them on the lyrical front. For the record: Barsham sounds like the younger, greener brother of AZ. The dude rambling incoherently in the bookends of this song needs a crisp punch in the face last century. Fuck this song.

YOUR WORLD DON'T STOP

Because we can't have nice things, the awesome original version of this song by Spunk Bigga was scratched off the album because of bullshit regarding an uncleared Lou Donaldson sample. Instead, one of my favorite beatsmiths, Original Flavor’s Ski aka Ski Beatz aka that motherfucker who later produced Dead Presidents for a certain Jay-Z, issues a remix with cleared samples that is simply suffocating in its minimalism. Maybe that aspect fits a song about a jailed convict more, but the vocalist's off-key chants are even more jarring than Nas' earlier ear-rape, unlike the original where the sampled chants are perfectly on-key.

SUGAR HILL (REMIX)

L.E.S. remixes his original creation with a more hip hop-oriented beat, sampling the same Stylistics record made famous by EPMD back in 1989 on their hit It Wasn't Me, It Was The Fame. He also samples Miss Jones' final chants on the original Sugar Hill. Let me tell y'all: This is more like it! The instrumental makes AZ's lyrics sound more desperate, fitting the mafioso approach like a friggin' glove. This was a damn fine way to end the album.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Now that we're done with the track reviews, let's address the obvious: Does this album warrant all those comparisons to Illmatic? The answer should be a resounding 'Hell no'. The main thing Illmatic had that this didn't was the presence of a producer orchestrating the album. Illmatic had Large Professor overseeing every bit of its crafting as the perfect A&R. Doe Or Die was afforded no such luxury, and as such it suffered from the fuckfaces at the label talking into AZ's ear and pulling him in the directions of their every whim: One moment they want the poppy Juicy-like single with Sugar Hill, the next they want the Cuban Linx mafioso banger so they get Mo Homicide, after that they go after that G-Funk money through making the title track, then they go back to trying to recapture Illmatic's magic with Gimme Yours and Rather Unique. See the problem here? There are too many musical discrepancies to consider this album a back-to-back classic, which is a problem AZ still suffers from on his subsequent albums. What's even more infuriating is that AZ here was right under Pete Rock's nose: These two could've extended the magic found on Rather Unique and Gimme Yours to a full masterpiece of an album, through him producing the entire thing or taking Large Professor's Illmatic route and A&Ring the album properly. Instead, what we get is a compilation of Tony's best songs mixed with some alright joints and truly horrid tracks, none AZ's fault of course. Unless he was responsible for Amar goddamned Pep being here. Cuz lemme tell ya: Whoever decided that Amar buttfucking Pep's beats deserved to score full songs while Lunatic Mind's contributions were relegated to mere intros and interludes should be kneed in his/her nethers.

FINAL RATING: 3 outta 4. Even though this album contains at least four of the best songs in hip hop history, I cannot in good conscious say that the full product is zero skips. So buy the recommended tracks, stream ‘em, burn ‘em, buy the whole thing, whatever. Just make sure you get a taste of AZ backed by the worthy beats found on Doe Or Die. Some of the best hip hop you'll ever come across in your life. Trust me.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN

DOE OR DIE (REMIX) (FEATURING RAEKWON)

Further proof that the remixes to this album's singles far outclass the originals, here AZ enlists the help of the motherfucking RZA, Abbott of the Wu-Tang Clan, who sculpts a track right out of the Cuban Linx mold, complete with a Raekwon feature for AZ to indulge to his heart's content. AZ takes full advantage of this opportunity, relishing in his invitation to Wu territory and managing to create a song that would've snugly fit on the Purple Tape. Of course, Raekwon sounds absolutely thrilled to spit alongside Tony here, which is always a plus. So yeah, this song's perfect. I'd like to point out that there are three versions of this song, all official. This is the one I'm reviewing here, because I feel it's more complete. Again, you're welcome

For a further exploration of the Visualiza, here.