Biography:
AZ was born Anthony Cruz to an African-American mother and a Dominican father. Although he had been rapping since 1992, AZ first came to prominence by appearing on Nas' landmark album Illmatic on the song "Life's a Bitch" (1994)—he was the only guest emcee to appear on that album. After a bidding war, AZ signed with EMI, and soon released Doe Or Die (1995) to more critical acclaim than commercial sales. The album's lead single, "Sugar Hill", became AZ's only major commercial success as a solo artist, reaching the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and achieving Gold status. AZ's EMI contract was transferred to sister label Noo Trybe Records/Virgin Records when the EMI Label Group was shut down.
In 1997, he and Nas appeared in an Sprite commercial.
AZ's fanbase grew considerably after he joined The Firm, a supergroup comprised of AZ, Nas, Foxy Brown, and Nature, with Dr. Dre and The Trackmasters producing. The Firm's only album, The Album, was regarded as critically disappointing. Pieces of a Man, AZ's second solo release, didn't sell well. Independently, AZ released S.O.S.A. to little fanfare in 2000. Soon, however, AZ signed with Motown/Universal Records and released 9 Lives.
In 2002, he released Aziatic. A single from the album, "The Essence," was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The video to its first single, "I'm Back," received moderate MTV2 play. AZ was supposed to release an album titled Final Call, around late 2004 or early 2005. Due to massive bootlegging, however, the album was never released. Instead, A.W.O.L. was released on September 6, 2005. This album featured many tracks that were on the unreleased Final Call, as well as some new ones—the first single was the DJ Premier-produced "The Come Up," and it became a moderately popular single.
AZ's sixth solo album The Format , was released on November 7, 2006.
Since The Format, AZ has released a mixtape titled The Memphis Sessions and a J-Love mixtape titled The Return of S.O.S.A. His latest album Undeniable will be released in early 2008.
Style:
AZ is known for his smooth, rhythmic cadence of delivery. He is also known for his use of multi-syllable rhyme schemes, internal rhymes, unconventional rhymes, and a large vocabulary. AZ is "one of the greatest rappers as far as lyrics and longevity", his style and flow are instantly recognizable and comparable to his friend and collaborator Nas.
Albums:
* 1995: Doe Or Die
* 1997: The Firm: The Album
* 1998: Pieces Of A Man
* 2000: S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ)
* 2001: 9 Lives
* 2002: AZiatic
* 2004: Final Call (unreleased)
* 2005: A.W.O.L.
* 2006: The Format
* 2007: Memphis Sessions (Remixtape)
* 2008: Undeniable
* 2009: Legendary
* 2009: G.O.D. (Gold, Oil & Diamonds)
Vendetta
AZ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Intro: AZ]
Yea, it's overdue right here
Ya'll know what it is..
[Verse 1: AZ]
The dead is gone, the world welcomes new borns
No application for - snitches, niggaz, but you can join
Just get your coins, and start droppin' dime
Superiority, I can stop time
And I am the minority, so who can knock mines?
Purposely placed here on purpose to shine
Home, purchased on furnace, my concerns is to grind
Get some M's, then gettin' to win
And transfer all U.S. currency for yen
A few friends, few next to kin
Yes it's true, I flew through in that Flurizan Benz
Show room shoppin', coppin' rims, I'm top-ten
Niggaz gon' respect my pen
Survived in two droughts, two seperate games
So I shout, "Who'll slouch, get outta my lane"
My homey's homey did ten in chain
So we set-up in Tony's rome, and I picked out his brain
I explained it's bigger game then just street nigga fame
Them same thoughts I fought like Sugar Shane
Reachin' the next chapter after of life after I mastered
Fuck it Fresh, address these little bastards
[Verse 2: Fresh]
Uh, yea, yea
I'm reachin' for the Range doors on the truck
The European stitched strong in the guts
My nigga M3's doors liftin' up
Uh, Fresh sick wit dough, got Danbury pictures goin' off the dust
And the Cranberry Six growin' off the guts
Light pink heavy wit strong of the cuts
Actin' like steady bitch, knowin' you a slut
And after we get finished ma knowin' you won't cut
And you know I'm in the truck, and deep dishin' it
Fire's are Six, the kid keep kickin' shit
Pies of the brick, the kid keep flippin' shit
I insist the stag' and seen different shit
Bubble face your par' wit see fish in it
Bubble great, ponair's wit clean kinesh shit
In Duffle bag by Guc'
The white double-stitch, on the hall, that's Emilio Puc'
Flow Rivers in the booth and I'm speakin' the truth
So listen up, young niggaz cuz I'm speakin' for fuse
Uh, yea
[Outro: Ralo]
The bigger it is nigga, the harder it falls
Niggaz scared of LL, nigga give us the ball...
Listen to this man
I want ya'll to listen real close and real careful man
There ain't seldom is niggaz born wit all the five senses
The five senses are now, listen to this and listen to this shit close
Cuz this is when a nigga is a last level nigga
First of all, you had to been born wit automatic understanding of the game
You had to have been wit automatic understanding of the game from birth
Then you gotta be unadulterated R-rated
You gotta know how to spit that dialogue in some form of fashion
Whether it's just talking or it's rapping
Then you gotta be law of the nourishing
Once you getting motion, then you get focused
You get hot, that you cannot be motherfucking stopped
Then on top of that you gotta have lyrical sense on a massive level
Some niggaz got it on minus, some niggaz got it on maiden
Some niggaz got it on the massive, Massive is the last level
Then on top of that it gotta be written in your script
The script... the script... the script...
Yo real niggaz you can't break
And real nigga you can't make 'em man
We've been big niggaz all of our life man
Answered to nobody man, and wake and go wherever they take us man
In "Vendetta," AZ discusses his success and position in the rap industry. He takes pride in being a minority and puts his focus on his work and wealth. He talks about a home he bought and his concern for making money. He also references being respected for his writing skills and surviving through difficult times. Fresh takes over the second verse, discussing his success and wealth, as well as how to make it in the rap world. Ralo concludes the song, saying that you cannot break or make a real person.
The lyrics of "Vendetta" demonstrate the nature of rap in the early 2000s. AZ's discussion of success, money, and status is typical of the time. The lyrics also discuss the importance of writing ability in rap, which is still important to today's rappers. The song concludes with a focus on staying true to oneself, an idea that has been a constant theme in rap culture.
Line by Line Meaning
The dead is gone, the world welcomes new borns
The past is gone and life goes on, new generations are born.
A thousand-bookies is sworn in uniform
Many police officers are ready to punish crimes.
No application for - snitches, niggaz, but you can join
There is no application process for snitches or backstabbers, but they are welcome to join.
Just get your coins, and start droppin' dime
Get paid and start snitching.
Superiority, I can stop time
I am superior and can control time.
And I am the minority, so who can knock mines?
As a member of a minority group, who has the right to criticize my success?
Purposely placed here on purpose to shine
I was intentionally placed in this world to succeed and shine.
Home, purchased on furnace, my concerns is to grind
I bought a house with my hard-earned money, and my main focus is to keep grinding.
Get some M's, then gettin' to win
Make millions of dollars, then keep winning.
And transfer all U.S. currency for yen
Exchange all U.S. dollars to yen.
A few friends, few next to kin
I have a few friends and family members who are close to me.
Yes it's true, I flew through in that Flurizan Benz
It's true, I drove through in my luxurious Benz.
Show room shoppin', coppin' rims, I'm top-ten
I shop in car showrooms, buy expensive rims, and I am one of the top ten successful people.
Niggaz gon' respect my pen
People will respect my writing and creativity.
Survived in two droughts, two seperate games
I managed to survive in two difficult situations in my life.
So I shout, "Who'll slouch, get outta my lane"
I shout to anyone who tries to slow me down, to get out of my way.
My homey's homey did ten in chain
A friend of my friend spent ten years in prison.
So we set-up in Tony's rome, and I picked out his brain
We set-up in Tony's restaurant, and I asked him for advice.
I explained it's bigger game then just street nigga fame
I explained that there is a bigger game than just achieving success on the streets.
Them same thoughts I fought like Sugar Shane
I struggled with these same thoughts, like boxer Sugar Shane Mosley.
Reachin' the next chapter after of life after I mastered
I am reaching the next chapter of my life after achieving mastery.
Fuck it Fresh, address these little bastards
I don't care, Fresh, address these young, disrespectful kids.
The European stitched strong in the guts
The car has strong European stitching in its interior.
My nigga M3's doors liftin' up
My friend's BMW M3 has doors that open upwards.
Fresh sick wit dough, got Danbury pictures goin' off the dust
Fresh is wealthy, owning valuable paintings stored away in Danbury.
And the Cranberry Six growin' off the guts
The car has cranberry accents growing from its interior.
Light pink heavy wit strong of the cuts
The car has light pink features with heavy and strong cuts.
Actin' like steady bitch, knowin' you a slut
Pretending to be steady or faithful, but really being promiscuous.
And after we get finished ma knowin' you won't cut
After we are done with you, you won't put up a fight.
And you know I'm in the truck, and deep dishin' it
You know I'm in the car, driving it fast.
Fire's are Six, the kid keep kickin' shit
The car's engine is strong, and I am still talking smack.
Pies of the brick, the kid keep flippin' shit
Dealing drugs, and still flipping them fast.
I insist the stag' and seen different shit
I insist on unique and unusual experiences and have seen many things.
Bubble face your par' wit see fish in it
Having a bubble carbonator with fish inside.
Bubble great, ponair's wit clean kinesh shit
Carbonator with great bubbles, and ornamental clean designs.
In Duffle bag by Guc'
In a duffle bag by Gucci.
The white double-stitch, on the hall, that's Emilio Puc'
The white, double-stitched item in the hallway is designed by Emilio Pucci.
Flow Rivers in the booth and I'm speakin' the truth
My flow is good, and I am speaking the truth in the recording room.
So listen up, young niggaz cuz I'm speakin' for fuse
Listen up, young people because I am speaking for your anger.
The bigger it is nigga, the harder it falls
The greater a person's success, the harder they fall when it crumbles.
Niggaz scared of LL, nigga give us the ball...
People are intimidated by successful people because of their abilities and skill.
Contributed by Claire C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.