But his prowess also placed him amongst the most promising of his own class of contemporaries. If there was a hip-hop university in the early ‘90s for aspiring emcees, AZ would have graduated summa cum laude with a double major in Advanced Lyric Structuring and Rapid Rhyme Delivery. Now, if you think this must have made him an heir to the throne of New York City’s giants of hip-hop’s Golden Age, namely Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane, then you are absolutely correct. If you’re not already familiar with AZ, let me briefly describe his lyrical ability.
If you’re like me, and a fan of complex lyricism, then AZ probably occupies a comfortable top-tier spot on your list of the all-time greats, and even higher on the list of emcees who never fully received their just acclaim. One of my favorites of that year, and of all-time in fact, is AZ’s debut LP Doe or Die. It fulfills nearly all of the things I look for in a great hip-hop album-it’s creative, imaginative, beautifully crafted, and brilliantly executed.
Happy 25th Anniversary to AZ’s debut album Doe or Die, originally released October 10, 1995.ġ995 is my favorite year in hip-hop history. There were so many monumental albums released that year that many landmark LPs invariably get left out of the discussion of greatness.
0 kommentar(er)
