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Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972), known professionally as AZ, is an American rapper. Best known for his affiliation with hometown native and fellow East Coast rapper
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
, they formed the New York City-based hip hop group the Firm along with Foxy Brown,
Cormega Corey McKay, better known by his stage name Cormega, is an American rapper. Early life Cormega was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens. He was childhood friends with Nas, Havoc and Capone, who all went on to become successful rappers. A ...
and
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
in 1996. Cruz first saw recognition for his guest appearance on Nas' 1994 single " Life's a Bitch", from his album '' Illmatic'' (1994). Cruz was then signed by EMI to release his debut studio album, '' Doe or Die'' (1995), which was met with critical acclaim. Its lead single, " Sugar Hill" (featuring Miss Jones) peaked at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and received
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Moreover, The Firm's sole album (1997) peaked atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart despite unfavorable critical response; the group disbanded two years later. Upon EMI's dissolution, he was transferred to its sister labels, Noo Trybe Records and
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
, through which he released his second album, '' Pieces of a Man'' (1998) to continued acclaim. Afterward, Cruz signed with
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
and
Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
to release his third and fourth albums, '' 9 Lives'' (2001) and '' Aziatic'' (2002).
allmusic Biography AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
/ref> The latter contained the song "The Essence" (featuring Nas), which earned a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards. Online magazine
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
listed AZ as the "Most Underrated
apper PackageKit is a free and open-source suite of software applications designed to provide a consistent and high-level abstraction layer for a number of different package management systems. PackageKit was created by Richard Hughes in 2007, and ...
of All Time". AZ also made it onto the site's "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)", where he was named "arguably the most underrated lyricist ever".


Early life

AZ was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to an African-American mother and an Afro-Dominican father. He grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, with his mother and sister.''#20YrsLtr: Doe or Die'' (2016) AZ started writing rap lyrics when he was 12 years old. He attended Eli Whitney High School, with fellow Brooklyn rapper
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
, until the vocational school closed down in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, he became friends with Nas, a young rapper from
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
.Anthony Cruz: ''Jewels, Gems & Treasures''. Quiet Money Publishing, 2015. Nas started working on his debut album '' Illmatic'' and invited AZ to work with him in the studio. AZ appeared on the album intro and had a verse on " Life's a Bitch". After ''Illmatic'' was released in 1994,
EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...
offered AZ a record deal.


Career


1995–2001: ''Doe or Die, Pieces of a Man'' and ''9 Lives''

AZ's debut album '' Doe or Die'' was released by EMI Records on October 10, 1995. It features guest appearances by Nas and production from N.O. Joe, Pete Rock, L.E.S., and Buckwild, among others. ''Doe or Die'' was known for popularizing the theme of mafioso rap, alongside several albums, namely
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
's ''
Reasonable Doubt Beyond (a) reasonable doubt is a legal standard of proof required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems. It is a higher standard of proof than the standard of balance of probabilities (US English: preponderance of ...
'' and Nas's '' It Was Written''. Doe or Die produced several singles, including "Mo Money, Mo Murder", "Gimme Yours", "Doe or Die" and " Sugar Hill", the last of which became his highest-charting single domestically and his sole Top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, being certified Gold by the RIAA in September 1995. In 1998, '' Pieces of a Man'', AZ's second album, was released via Noo Trybe Records. His third album, 2001's '' 9 Lives'', was released via
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
, peaking at #58 on the Billboard 200.


2002–2007: ''Aziatic,'' ''A.W.O.L.'' and ''The Format''

AZ's fourth album '' Aziatic'' features a duet between AZ and long-time friend and collaborator, Nas, "The Essence", which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The album was mostly well received by critics, one such positive review from Brad Mills at Allmusic, states: "AZ has been looked upon to do amazing things with his music. Has he lived up to those high expectations on this album he has from start to finish. The beats on this album are complex, inventive, and almost perfectly suited for AZ's style of rhyming. He's carefully crafted this album rather than slapped it together overnight to meet his quota, and it shows. It helps immensely that he's brought along people like DR Period, Az Izz, Nas, and Buckwild, but they don't outshine the younger AZ as he holds his own well. AZ has come up with his best work in a long time on this album

On September 6, 2005, '' A.W.O.L. (album), A.W.O.L.'', his fifth album, was released, becoming the first AZ album to be released on his own imprint, Quiet Money Records. AZ's sixth studio album '' The Format'' features production from Lil' Fame of M.O.P., Face Defeat, Emile, J. Cardim, Phonte, Statik Selektah and DJ Premierbr>
The album's lead single is its title track "The Format", which was produced by DJ Premier, with "Vendetta" as its B-Side. ''The Format'' also features the bonus track "Royal Salute", a retaliation to 50 Cent's song "What If" which included a line aimed at AZ. On October 7, 2007, Quiet Money released ''The Format (Special Edition)'', adding six bonus tracks including "Royal Salute".


2008–present: ''Undeniable, Legendary'', ''Doe or Die II'' and ''Truth Be Told''

'' Undeniable (AZ album), Undeniable'', his seventh studio album, was released on April 1, 2008, through Quiet Money and Koch Records. The album debuted at number 141 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 25,000 copies in its first week. In October 2009, AZ confirmed he was working on a sequel to his debut studio album, titled ''Doe or Die 2''. He hoped to enlist the original production team from '' Doe or Die'' such as L.E.S., Pete Rock, DR Period, and Buckwild. AZ also had ambitions on trying to acquire beats from DJ Toomp, Dr. Dre and
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
for the album, as well as reaching out to his old rhyme partner Nas. The first single from the album "Feel My Pain" was produced by Frank Dukes. In 2010, former member of Da Beatminerz, Baby Paul confirmed he would be producing for the album and serving as executive producer. On November 30, 2010, he released a 15th anniversary edition of ''Doe or Die'' titled '' Doe or Die: 15th Anniversary''. In 2010, Dr. Dre and Kanye West were said to be too busy to produce for the album, but AZ said he was patiently waiting for them to complete their next solo records so they could join the production team. He was also seeking production from DJ Premier. During a 2011 interview with XXLMag, AZ confirmed that Nas would be featured on the album. On March 27, 2012, AZ released the first street single from ''Doe or Die 2'', "My Niggas", which features production from longtime collaborator Buckwild. The album's production includes tracks from Statik Selektah, Baby Paul and the original ''Doe or Die'' team of beatsmiths L.E.S., DR Period, Pete Rock, and Buckwild. In 2014, AZ was heavily featured on
Ghostface Killah Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...
's album '' 36 Seasons''. After several delays, ''Doe or Die II'' was released on September 10, 2021. On December 1, 2023, AZ released his tenth studio album ''Truth Be Told'' via Quiet Money Records. The album was entirely produced by Buckwild and included the singles "The GOAT", "This is Why", "How We Get It", and "Respect Mines".


Discography

;Studio Albums * '' Doe or Die'' (1995) * '' Pieces of a Man'' (1998) * '' 9 Lives'' (2001) * '' Aziatic'' (2002) * '' A.W.O.L. (album), A.W.O.L.'' (2005) * '' The Format'' (2006) * '' Undeniable (AZ album), Undeniable'' (2008) * '' Legendary'' (2009) * '' Doe or Die II'' (2021) * ''Truth Be Told'' (2023) ; ; ;Collaboration Albums *'' The Firm: The Album'' (1997)


Awards and nominations

;
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:AZ 1972 births Living people African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers American rappers of Dominican Republic descent East Coast hip-hop musicians EMI Group artists Five percenters Hispanic and Latino American rappers Motown artists Rappers from Brooklyn Underground rappers Virgin Records artists Gangsta rappers 20th-century American rappers 21st-century American rappers The Firm (hip-hop group) members 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians