''Doe or Die'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by rapper AZ, released October 10, 1995 by

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

. The album features guest appearances by artists such as

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 ( ...

and Miss Jones, and production from

N.O. Joe Joseph Johnson (born March 31, 1975), known by his stage name N.O. Joe, is an American musician, hip hop record producer and songwriter. N.O. Joe was a pioneer of the Southern Hip Hop sound during the 1990s. He operates a production company ...

Pete Rock Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...

, L.E.S., and 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, 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" - which 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 ...

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 the underworld lifestyle of

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

. These cinematic narratives often depict a mobster's ascent to fame and wealth. Further emphasizing these themes, the cover of ''Doe or Die'' portrays AZ as an honoree of an elaborate mob funeral. Within the cover, a stylish portrait of AZ is surrounded by flowers, while the body of the rapper is buried in a casket that contains large amounts of dollars. In addition, the liner notes and the back of the album features images of AZ counting money, drinking expensive

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

, and smoking cigars.

Reception

Upon its release, ''Doe or Die'' received generally favorable reviews from most music critics. Stanton Swihart from

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 ...

gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and compared certain aspects of it to rapper

' debut album '' Illmatic'', stating "The two albums are very much the twin sides of the same double-headed coin. They are so closely connected, in fact, that it's difficult to pinpoint where ''Doe or Dies points of departure are located." He further stated "Certainly it was one of the strongest, most promising debut efforts of 1995, and probably one of the year's strongest rap albums period." Christian Hoard from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, and called it a "Literate, sensitive look at street life that sits comfortably, as a companion, next to Nas' masterpiece (''Illmatic'')." Selwyn Seyfu Hinds from ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' rated the album 7 out of 10, and stated Although praising the album's lyricism, and rating it 3 out of 4 stars, ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' writer Cheo H. Coker criticized some of the album's production, describing some of it as "lackluster beats." A critic for RapReviews.com gave the album an 8.5 out of 10 rating and labeled it as "AZ's best album to date", with the "most replay value". In regards to the Mafioso content, he stated "This album does deserve to be mentioned right alongside '' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'', ''

It Was Written ''It Was Written'' is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released on July 2, 1996, by Columbia Records. After the modest commercial success of his debut album ''Illmatic'' (1994), Nas pursued a more polished, mainstream sound for '' ...

'', and '' Reasonable Doubt'' for popularizing the Mafioso style. In fact, it dropped before two of those three albums did." He however gave criticism to some of the album's production, and lack of consistency, explaining "Despite the shortcomings, the good tracks on this album are not just good, they are great! There are four that I would refer to as certified classics. The main problem with the album is that it could have been an all time classic itself if executive production had been better and the beat selection had been a little more on point in several cases. All in all, this album is slept on and should be viewed as a gem that must be in every true head's collection.".

Track listing

Personnel

*AZ - performer *Nas - performer *Amar Pep - producer, performer *Buck Wild - producer *Void Caprio - engineer *D/R Period - producer * John Gamble - engineer *Jack Hersca - engineer *John Kogan - engineer *L.E.S. - producer *Lunatic Mind - producer *Henry Marquez - art direction *N.O. Joe - arranger, producer *Joe Pirrera - engineer *Pete Rock - producer *Erica Scott - vocals *Ski - remixing *Jamey Staub - engineer *Jason Vogel - engineer *Lindsey Williams - executive producer *Miss Jones - vocals *Barsham - performer *Spunk Biggs - producer *Lunatic mind - producer *Loose - producer

Album singles

*''" Sugar Hill"'' **Released: June 27, 1995 **B-side: "Rather Unique" *''"Gimme Yours (Remix)"'' on-album single**Released: December 5, 1995 **B-side: "Uncut Raw" *''"Doe or Die"'' **Released: April 2, 1996 **B-side: "Mo Money, Mo Murder (Homicide)"

Charts

Singles

''Doe or Die: 15th Anniversary''

A 15th anniversary edition of ''Doe or Die'' was released on November 30, 2010, by AZ's own Quiet Money Records. '' Doe or Die: 15th Anniversary'' features production from

Frank Dukes Adam King Feeney (born September 12, 1983), better known as Ging and by his former stage name Frank Dukes, is a Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter. A prolific producer, he has worked with artists including Camila Cabello ("Havana ...

, Dave Moss, Statik Selektah,

Baby Paul Da Beatminerz are a hip-hop production crew from Bushwick, Brooklyn, and are known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene. History The crew, originally composed of brothers Mr. Walt (born June 2, 196 ...

Lil' Fame M.O.P. (short for Mash Out Posse) is an American hip hop duo composed of East Coast rappers Billy Danze and Lil' Fame. The song " Ante Up", was released on their ''Warriorz'' album in 2000. The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premi ...

from

M.O.P. M.O.P. (short for Mash Out Posse) is an American hip hop duo composed of East Coast rappers Billy Danze and Lil' Fame. The song " Ante Up", was released on their ''Warriorz'' album in 2000. The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premi ...

, and Roctimus Prime. The album also features vocals from R&B singer June Summers. All the songs from the original ''Doe or Die'' are remixed with a new beat.

References

External links

*
Doe or Die
' 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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doe Or Die 1995 debut albums Albums produced by Buckwild Albums produced by L.E.S. (record producer) Albums produced by Pete Rock Albums produced by Ski Beatz EMI Records albums AZ (rapper) albums Mafioso rap albums