Aziatic
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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Aziatic
- Artist: AZ
- Rating:
- Release Date: June 11, 2002
- Total Time: 46:58
- Type: Contains explicit content
- Genre: Rap
Review
Since teaming up with Nas on Illmatic, widely considered to be one of the greatest albums in hip-hop, 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 and he holds his own well. One problem that AZ has always had is that he lives in the shadow of his work in the mid -'90s. There's a new era of hip-hop fans who may not know him as well as the rest, but he's done well to reach out and offer the new generation something as well. There aren't just the thuggish tracks, but also some tracks suitable for the club and the ladies, such as "Take It Off." Lyrically, musically, and historically, AZ has come up with his best work in a long time on this album. The biggest complaint is the length of the LP, with only three songs going over four minutes. Why he would make such a great album and end it short is beyond comprehension. ~ Brad Mills, Rovi| Azia Kai Aynamh (2002 Album by Velocity) | |
| Aziatic [Clean] (2002 Album by AZ) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Aziatic
| Aziatic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by AZ | ||||
| Released | June 11, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2001–2002 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 47:08 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producer | DR Period, Portlay, Chop D.I.E.S.E.L., L.E.S., Baby Paul, Miller Time, Buckwild, Big Joe | |||
| AZ chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Aziatic | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| HipHopDX | [2] |
| RapReviews |   [3] |
| Rhapsody | favorable [4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| Rolling Stone |  [6] |
| Stylus | A [7] |
| The Source | ? |
Aziatic is the fourth studio album by rapper AZ, released on June 11, 2002.
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Contents
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Background
After two albums that received vastly different responses (1998's Pieces of a Man and 2001's 9 Lives), his fourth album is considered AZ's comeback album, which restored his credibility. The album features AZ's flow and style over melodic, soulful production. It featured a duet between AZ and long-time friend and collaborator, Nas, "The Essence", which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. The album went on to sell over 500,000 copies[8] and be certified Gold by the RIAA.
Critical reception
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 and he holds his own well."
He continues by saying; "Lyrically, musically, and historically, AZ has come up with his best work in a long time on this album."
Despite the positive remarks, the main points of criticism draw from the length of the album, with only three songs breaking past the four minute mark.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Once Again" | DR Period | 2:38 |
| 2. | "A-1 Performance" | Portiay | 3:53 |
| 3. | "Wanna Be There" | Chop D.I.E.S.E.L. | 3:55 |
| 4. | "Take It Off" | L.E.S. | 4:23 |
| 5. | "The Essence" (featuring Nas) | Baby Paul | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Hands In The Air" (featuring DJ Rogers Jr.) | Precision | 4:14 |
| 7. | "Fan Mail" | Miller Time | 3:36 |
| 8. | "Paradise (Life)" | Miller Time | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Take Care Of Me" | Precision | 3:41 |
| 10. | "I'm Back" (featuring Daddy Rose) | Buckwild | 3:12 |
| 11. | "Hustler" (featuring Animal & Trav) | Chop D.I.E.S.E.L. | 4:08 |
| 12. | "Rebirth" | Buckwild | 2:00 |
| 13. | "Aziatic (Outro)" | Chop D.I.E.S.E.L. | 0:57 |
| 14. | "Doing Me" | Big Joe | 3:48 |
Chart history
- Album
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 2002 | Aziatic | #29 | #5 |
- Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | |||
| 2002 | "I'm Back" | - | #63 | - | |
References
External links
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