AZ (Not Just A State In The Union)

AZ
Album: Doe Or Die
Song: Doe Or Die

One of the reasons I started this blog was to become better versed in genres which I don't ordinarily spend a lot of time listening to.  Contemporary jazz.  Electronic music.  And perhaps most of all, hip hop.  I've always felt like I was missing a lot when it came to the rap and MC biz.  I had my favorites, for sure, almost all universally acknowledged as seminal, and almost all huge crossover success stories: Public Enemy, NWA, Wu Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, Mos Def, MF Doom.  But I wasn't well versed in the history of hip hop, and I didn't really have a clue about who might be considered an under appreciated MC.

So, I did a bit of research.  The thing that attracts me most to hip hop is the flow of the MC and lyrical relevance, and wherever I looked in this regard one name kept popping up time and again: AZ.  AZ is Anthony Cruz, a Brooklyn rapper known mostly for his collaborations with Nas, one of the biggest names in the genre.  AZ is considered by hip hop purists to have perhaps the best flow of any rapper in history.  Furthermore, while he has been the recipient of considerable critical praise, he has never achieved significant commercial success for his solo work.  A perfect subject for this blog.

"Doe Or Die" is from his debut album of the same name.  AZ is absolutely sick on this track, his delivery subtle and effortless.  The entire album is excellent, and he plans on releasing a "Doe Or Die 2" this year.  I look forward to it.