''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 ''Pieces of a Man'' is the debut studio album by American poet Gil Scott-Heron. It was recorded in April 1971 at RCA Studios in New York City and released later that year by Flying Dutchman Records. The album followed Scott-Heron's debut live a ...

'' 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 Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

, "The Essence", which was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. The album sold over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

Critical reception

The album was mostly well received by critics. One such positive review from Brad Mills at

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, 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 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,

, and Buckwild, but they don't outshine the younger AZ and he holds his own well." He continues by writing, "Lyrically, musically, and historically, AZ has come up with his best work in a long time on this album."

Track listing

Chart history

;Album ;Singles

Samples

*"Once Again" **" Welcome Back" by

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

*"Wanna Be There" **"I Just Want To Be There" by

Ronnie Dyson Ronald Dyson (June 5, 1950 – November 10, 1990) was an American soul and R&B singer and actor. Early career Born in Washington, D.C., Dyson grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he sang in church choirs. At 18 years of age, he won a lead role ...

*"The Essence" **"Musical Love" by

Mary Jane Girls The Mary Jane Girls were an American girl group formed in 1983, best known for their songs " In My House", " All Night Long", "Candy Man", and their cover version of " Walk Like a Man". They were protégées of musician Rick James and disbanded ...

*"Fan Mail" **"Each Day I Cry A Little" by

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptatio ...

*"Paradise (Life)" **"Just As Long As We Have Love" by Wilbert Longmire *"I'm Back" **"Loving You The Second Time Around" by Eddie Kendricks *"Hustler" **"I'm A Bachelor" by

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

*"Rebirth" **"Important Project" by

Keith Mansfield Keith Mansfield (born 1941 in London, England) is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the '' Grandstand'' theme for the BBC. Career Other works include "The Young Scene" (the ...

*"Aziatic (Outro)" **"Life's A Bitch" by

Feat. AZ **"Doe Or Die" by AZ

References

External links

*
Aziatic
' at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

{{Authority control 2002 albums Albums produced by Buckwild Albums produced by L.E.S. (record producer) Motown albums AZ (rapper) albums