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)
Omega
Az Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[AZ] - Yo yo, what up baby boy?
[F] - Ohhhhh
[AZ] - Hahaha
[F] - What's the deal my nigga?
[AZ] - Look at you, uh huh, lookin like money
[F] - You know what it is
[AZ] - Yeah
[AZ] - Yeah
[F] - It's been 2 or 3 years, right?
[AZ] - I know, I been a minute right?
[F] - I know man, listen here
[AZ] - It's all good tho, you know I'm maintaining
[F] - You lookin good though baby boy
[AZ] - I mean whatever, lets get it poppin
[F] - Alright, well I'm with you, gimme ur number
[AZ] - No doubt, no doubt
[F] - Here go my number right here
[Verse 1]
You know the happenings, homies just yapping and
Hand shaking, laughing, and exchanging all they math again
You usually lose touch when you traveling
A few dudes bruise up in the batteling
Parked on Madison across from the Radison
We talked about the taddling some niggaz did in Maryland
Plus discussed, no homicides unraveling
I asked was he dabbling he laughed and said he managing
His Cardi frames was as clear as a camera lens
He hardly changed, I was near in comparison
We joked about how police choked him out
And he claimed as far as fame I had enough to bust in Operas mouth
In other words, I was up in clout
And from the curb I need to pull a Larry Bird fore I'm up and out
Without a sound, snatch my Guinness off the ground
Rose up, gave him a pound and told him, "Homie, hold it down"
[Chorus]
You know the game insane in the brain
Big thangs in the Range, real niggaz never change
And though we homies and we no longer hang
You know you know me and that love still remains
So thru the fame, thru the fire and the flames
I adapt to the pain, real niggaz do the same
And though we homies and we no longer hang
You know you know me and that love still remains
[Verse 2]
It was Tuesday when I saw him, figured Friday I could call him
Woke up early Wednesday morning, flew a chick in from New Orleans
She ain't that average bitch who be dogging for dick
You know them chicks that get you sick when they keep calling
Up in Nostrum's for a fresh pair of the Force 'em
Of course with footwear I be that first nigga that sport 'em
Caught 'em, before the salesmens even had time to assort 'em
Bought 'em, before any celeb stylist eva saw 'em
Warm soon as I copped 'em in the spot playing possum
Debating my destination, lacing, weighing my options
Celly started rocking, I anwsered, "What's poppin'?"
They anwsered and said, "They shot him, now the hood got a problem"
I had to swallow, reaching out for my water bottle
Tryin to figure what nigga, why and by who, then
Before you know it, the other voice told it
It was homie from the old click I just seemed to spoke with
Oh shit, this can't be serious, that's my word, pssssh
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
It's Doe or Die, we survive till we slain
And it's no surprise, homie was prolly high when they came
I know the guy, he was fly, him and I was the same
A Gemini, with a status symbolized as his name
Godly trained, he could camoflague on any terrain
Cardi frames, we go back like bottles and James
It's a shame cuz they say his baby mom is to blame
But nonchalantly I refrained cuz it constantly changed
From close range, somebody please slowly explain
If they just wanted some jewels why didn't they go for the chain?
If they just wanted some news they coulda left him in his Hanes
But no, they just left a nigga breathless and banged
[Chorus] - 3X
The lyrics to AZ's song "Omega" tell the story of two friends reuniting after a few years apart. The first verse details the small talk between the two, discussing their travels, the gossip they've heard about others, and their current lives. The chorus emphasizes the strength of their friendship despite no longer hanging out as much. The second verse takes a darker turn as AZ wakes up to news that his friend has been shot and killed. He reflects on their similarities and shared experiences before expressing confusion and anger at his friend's senseless death.
Throughout the song, AZ emphasizes the importance of maintaining close connections with friends despite time and distance. He also touches on themes of mortality and the senseless violence that plagues many urban communities.
Line by Line Meaning
You know the happenings, homies just yapping and
You know how it is, friends just talking about their lives and exchanging contact information
Hand shaking, laughing, and exchanging all they math again
They greet each other with handshakes, laugh together and exchange phone numbers again
You usually lose touch when you traveling
It's easy to lose contact with people when traveling
A few dudes bruise up in the batteling
Some guys got into a fight
Parked on Madison across from the Radison
They parked on Madison street across from the Radison hotel
We talked about the taddling some niggaz did in Maryland
They discussed the gossiping some guys did in Maryland
Plus discussed, no homicides unraveling
They also talked about no murders happening recently
I asked was he dabbling he laughed and said he managing
AZ asked if he was involved in something sketchy, but the guy laughed and said he was managing
His Cardi frames was as clear as a camera lens
The guy's glasses were very clear and looked like camera lenses
He hardly changed, I was near in comparison
The guy didn't change much over the years while AZ did
We joked about how police choked him out
They joked about a time when the guy got choked out by the police
And he claimed as far as fame I had enough to bust in Operas mouth
The guy joked that AZ was famous enough to sleep with Oprah Winfrey
In other words, I was up in clout
In other words, AZ was very famous and successful
And from the curb I need to pull a Larry Bird fore I'm up and out
AZ needs to make one more big move before he retires from the rap game
Without a sound, snatch my Guinness off the ground
AZ took his beer off the ground without making a noise
Rose up, gave him a pound and told him, "Homie, hold it down"
AZ got up, gave the guy a fist bump and told him to take care
You know the game insane in the brain
The rap game is crazy
Big thangs in the Range, real niggaz never change
There are big things happening and real people stay the same
And though we homies and we no longer hang
Although they're friends and don't hang out much anymore
You know you know me and that love still remains
They still have a strong bond despite not seeing each other much
So thru the fame, thru the fire and the flames
Through all the success and difficulties
I adapt to the pain, real niggaz do the same
AZ adapts to the hardships and real people do too
It was Tuesday when I saw him, figured Friday I could call him
AZ saw the guy on a Tuesday and planned to call him on Friday
Woke up early Wednesday morning, flew a chick in from New Orleans
AZ woke up early on Wednesday and brought a girl from New Orleans over
She ain't that average bitch who be dogging for dick
The girl wasn't a typical girl who was only interested in sex
You know them chicks that get you sick when they keep calling
The kind of girl who annoys you by calling all the time
Up in Nostrum's for a fresh pair of the Force 'em
They went to a store called Nostrum's to get a new pair of Nike Air Force Ones
Of course with footwear I be that first nigga that sport 'em
AZ is always the first to wear new sneakers
Caught 'em, before the salesmens even had time to assort 'em
AZ got the new sneakers before the sales associates had a chance to sort them out
Bought 'em, before any celeb stylist eva saw 'em
AZ bought the new sneakers before any celebrity stylists had a chance to see them
Warm soon as I copped 'em in the spot playing possum
He felt good about his purchase and pretended to be asleep when the guys arrived
Debating my destination, lacing, weighing my options
AZ was deciding where to go next while tying his shoes
Celly started rocking, I anwsered, "What's poppin'?"
His phone started ringing and he answered it saying "What's up?"
They anwsered and said, "They shot him, now the hood got a problem"
The person on the other end told AZ that someone got shot and it's causing problems in the neighborhood
I had to swallow, reaching out for my water bottle
AZ had to take a deep breath and drink some water to deal with the shock
Tryin to figure what nigga, why and by who, then
AZ was trying to figure out who did it and why
Before you know it, the other voice told it
The other person on the phone told AZ who did it
It was homie from the old click I just seemed to spoke with
The person who got shot was someone AZ had just spoken with
It's Doe or Die, we survive till we slain
It's survival of the fittest and we have to keep going until we die
And it's no surprise, homie was prolly high when they came
It's not surprising that the person who got shot was probably under the influence of drugs
I know the guy, he was fly, him and I was the same
AZ knew the guy who got shot and they were similar
A Gemini, with a status symbolized as his name
The guy was a Gemini and he had a nickname that represented his status
Godly trained, he could camoflague on any terrain
The guy was well trained and could blend in anywhere
Cardi frames, we go back like bottles and James
AZ and the guy go way back like popular drink bottles and famous people named James
It's a shame cuz they say his baby mom is to blame
It's a shame because some people say that the person's girlfriend is to blame
But nonchalantly I refrained cuz it constantly changed
AZ decided not to say anything because the story kept changing
From close range, somebody please slowly explain
AZ wanted someone to explain the situation to him in detail
If they just wanted some jewels why didn't they go for the chain?
AZ didn't understand why the attackers didn't just steal his friend's jewelry
But no, they just left a nigga breathless and banged
Instead, they killed him
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: MC LEAN, JACKIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind