AZ (rapper)
Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972), better known by his stage name AZ, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He is known for being a longtime and frequent music partner of East Coast rapper Nas and also a member of hip hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature. Online magazine About.com listed AZ as the "Most Underrated apperof All Time". AZ also made it onto the sites' "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)", where he was reiterated as "arguably the most underrated lyricist ever." AZ first became known by appearing on Nas's landmark 1994 album ''Illmatic'' on the song " Life's a Bitch", as well as featuring vocals on the opening track "The Genesis". AZ signed with EMI, and soon released his debut album, ''Doe or Die'', in 1995, to critical acclaim. The album's lead single, "Sugar Hill", became AZ's major commercial success as a solo artist, reaching #25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and achieving Gold status. AZ's EMI contract was transferr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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East Coast Hip Hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx, New York City. In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip hop music has prioritized complex lyrics for attentive listening rather than beats for dancing. The term "East Coast hip hop" more specifically denotes hip hop originating from the East Coast of the Northeastern United States; Southeastern states such as Georgia instead fall under the umbrella of Southern hip hop rather than "East Coast hip hop". A notable exception is the Hampton Roads music scene, centered on Virginia Beach, which produced artists as diverse as Missy Elliott, Pharrell and the Neptunes, Timbaland and the Clipse, all of whom are closely associated with the New York music scene and the evolution of East Coast hip hop, particularly from the late 1990s to present. Musical style In contrast to the more simplistic rhyme ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Doe Or Die
''Doe or Die'' is the debut studio album by rapper AZ (rapper), AZ, released October 10, 1995 by EMI Records. The album features guest appearances by artists such as Nas and Miss Jones (radio personality), Miss Jones, and production from N.O. Joe, Pete Rock, L.E.S. (producer), L.E.S., and Buckwild (music producer), Buckwild, among others. The album spawned the single "Sugar Hill" - which was certified gold by the RIAA in 1995. Upon release, ''Doe or Die'' received notable critical and commercial success. The album peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200, and #1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. ''Doe or Die'' produced several singles, including, "Mo Money, Mo Murder," "Gimme Yours (remix)," "Doe or Die" and "Sugar Hill (song), Sugar Hill" - which was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1995. The album went on to sell over a million copies A sequel, ''Doe or Die II'', was released on September 10, 2021. Content The album incorporates fictitious tales chronicling th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists. He was the CEO of Def Jam Recordings and he has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole. Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z first began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 and released his debut studio album ''Reasonable Doubt (album), Reasonable Doubt'' in 1996. The album was released to widespread critical success, and solidified his standing in the music industry. He went on to release twelve additional albums, including the acclaimed albums ''The Blueprint'' (2001), ''The Black Album (Jay-Z album), The Black Album'' (2003), American Gangster (album), ''American Gangs ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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East New York, Brooklyn
East New York is a residential neighborhood in the eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are roughly the Cemetery Belt and the Queens borough line to the north; the Queens borough line to the east; Jamaica Bay to the south, and the Bay Ridge Branch railroad tracks and Van Sinderen Avenue to the west. Linden Boulevard, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue are the primary thoroughfares through East New York. East New York was founded as the Town of New Lots in the 1650s. It was annexed as the 26th Ward of the rapidly growing city of Brooklyn in 1886, and became part of New York City in 1898. During the latter part of the twentieth century, East New York came to be predominantly inhabited by African Americans and Latinos. East New York is part of Brooklyn Community District 5, and its primary ZIP Codes are 11207, 11208, and 11239. It is patrolled by the 75th Precinct of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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People Of The Dominican Republic
Dominicans ( es, Dominicanos, links=no) are the citizens of Dominican Republic and their descendants in the diaspora. Dominican is historically the name for the inhabitants of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, the site of the first Spanish settlement in the Western Hemisphere. The origins of the Dominican Republic, its people and culture consist predominantly in a European basis, with Native Taíno and African influences. The majority of Dominicans reside in the Dominican Republic, while there is also a large Dominican diaspora, mainly in the United States and Spain. The total population of the Dominican Republic in 2016 was estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics of the Dominican Republic at 10.2 million, with 9.3 million of those being natives of the country, and the rest being of foreign origin. The country has a right of blood citizenship law. Name Historically the Dominican Republic was known as Santo Domingo, the name of its present capital and its patron ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Bedford–Stuyvesant (), colloquially known as Bed–Stuy, is a neighborhood in the northern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Bedford–Stuyvesant is bordered by Flushing Avenue to the north (bordering Williamsburg), Classon Avenue to the west (bordering Clinton Hill), Broadway to the east (bordering Bushwick and East New York), and Atlantic Avenue to the south (bordering Crown Heights and Brownsville). The main shopping street, Fulton Street runs east–west the length of the neighborhood and intersects high-traffic north–south streets including Bedford Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, and Stuyvesant Avenue. Bedford–Stuyvesant contains four smaller neighborhoods: Bedford, Stuyvesant Heights, Ocean Hill, and Weeksville (also part of Crown Heights). Part of Clinton Hill was once considered part of Bedford–Stuyvesant. Bedford–Stuyvesant has the largest collection of intact and largely untouched Victorian architecture in the United States, with roughly 8,80 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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45th Grammy Awards
The 45th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2003 at Madison Square Garden in New York City honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2002. Musicians accomplishments from the previous year were recognized. Norah Jones and her song "Don't Know Why" were the main recipients of the night, garnering six Grammys, including four major awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist, plus Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Songwriter Jesse Harris received the Song of the Year award for his work on "Don't Know Why." Simon and Garfunkel reunited to open the show performing " The Sound of Silence". The Bee Gees were presented with the "Legend Award", only 42 days after the sudden death of Maurice Gibb. The award was received by the surviving brothers, Barry and Robin. During Barry's speech, he made mention of Maurice's widow Yvonne and their children ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aziatic
''Aziatic'' is the fourth studio album by the rapper AZ, released on June 11, 2002. Background After two albums that received vastly differing responses (''Pieces of a Man'' in 1998 and '' 9 Lives'' in 2001), 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 includes a duet between AZ and his 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 sold over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Critical reception The album was mostly well received by critics. One such positive review from Brad Mills at Allmusic, says, "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 car ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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9 Lives (AZ Album)
''9 Lives'' is the third solo studio album by American rapper AZ. It was released on June 12, 2001 under the Motown imprint. Production was handled by twelve record producers, including Bink!, Darren Lighty, Eddie F and Ty Fyffe. It features guest appearances from Ali Vegas, Amil, Beanie Sigel, Foxy Brown and Joe. The album peaked at number 23 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Track listing Sample credits *Intro and Outro **"I Can't See Me Without You" by The Main Ingredient *Problems **" All This Love" by DeBarge *Love Me **"Love Me in a Special Way "Love Me In a Special Way" is a single by DeBarge, released on November 20, 1983. It was the second and final single from their third studio album, ''In a Special Way'' on the Gordy label. Overview The song was written, composed, arranged and pro ..." by DeBarge Charts References External links * {{Authority control 2001 albums Motown albums AZ (rapper) albums Albums pro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its operational headquarters are located in Santa Monica, California. The biggest music company in the world, it is one of the " Big Three" record labels, along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. Tencent acquired ten percent of Universal Music Group in March 2020 for €3 billion and acquired an additional ten percent stake in January 2021. Pershing Square Holdings later acquired ten percent of UMG prior to its IPO on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. The company went public on September 21, 2021, at a valuation of €46 billion. In 2019, ''Fast Company'' named Universal Music Group the most innovative music company and listed UMG among the Top 50 most innovative companies in the world and "amid the music industry's digital tran ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''motor'' and ''town'', has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved crossover success. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most of the Motown sound, a style of soul music with a mainstream pop appeal. Motown was the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million. During the 1960s, Motown achieved 79 records in the top-ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969. Following the events of the Detroit Riots of 1967, and the loss of key songwriting/production team Holland–Dozier– ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pieces Of A Man (AZ Album)
''Pieces of a Man'' is the second solo studio album by American rapper AZ. It was released on April 7, 1998 via Noo Trybe Records. Production was handled by Trackmasters, Goldfinga, Gucci Jones, L.E.S., Kenny Kornegay, Nashiem Myrick, RZA and Tony Dofat. It features guest appearances from The Firm, Half-A-Mil, Monifah, RZA and Panama P.I. The album peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and at No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. The album was highly praised for its complex and insightful lyricism. The first single was intended to be "Hey AZ" featuring SWV, which peaked at No. 50 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Music video for "Hey AZ" was shot, but the song was included only in the Japanese edition of the project. Track listing ;Sample credits *Track 1 contains a sample from " Feeling Good" by Nina Simone, and a sample from "Happy Birthday Maggie" by Hans Zimmer. *Track 3 contains a sample from "Show Me" by Glenn Jones. *Track 7 contains samples fro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |