Tazama chanzo cha AZ (rapa)

{{Ongezea}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| Jina                = AZ
| Img                 = Az-03.jpg
| Img_capt            = AZ, mjini New York, mnamo 1998
| Background          = solo_singer
| Jina la kuzaliwa          = Anthony Cruz
| Amezaliwa            = {{umri na tarehe ya kuzaliwa|1972|9|5|df=yes}}
| Asili yake          = [[East New York, Brooklyn]], [[New York]]
| Aina               = [[Hip hop]]
| Kazi yake          = [[MC]], [[rapa]]
| Miaka ya kazi        = 1992–mpaka sasa
| Studio               = [[Virgin Records|Virgin]], [[Motown]], [[Koch Records|Koch]],
| Ameshirkiana na     = [[Nas]], [[The Firm]], [[Cormega]], [[Wu-Tang Clan]], [[DJ Premier]], [[Half A Mill]], [[Begetz]]
| Tovuti                 = [http://www.doeordie2.com/ www.doeordie2.com]
}}
'''Anthony Cruz''' (amezaliwa tar. [[9 Mei]] [[1972]] mjini [[Brooklyn]]) ni [[rapa]] wa [[Marekani|Kimarekani]] mwenye asili ya [[Dominika]]. anafahamika zaidi kwa [[jina la kisanii]] kama '''AZ'''. Pia, hujulikana zaidi na zaidi kwa kuwa rafiki mkubwa wa kitambo wa rapa mwenzi - [[Nas]] na kuwa mmoja kati ya wanachama wa kundi bab-kubwa la hip hop, [[The Firm]], ikiwa ni pamoja na [[Nas]], [[Nature]] na [[Foxy Brown]]. AZ anafahamika sana kwa maudhui yake ya uimbaji wa kina na silabasi mbalimbali.

AZ alianza kujipatia umaarufu baada ya kuonekana kwenye albamu ya [[Nas]]' ya ''[[Illmatic]]'' katika wimbo wa "[[Life's a Bitch]]" (1994)—tena alikuwa msanii mgeni pekee kuonekana kwenye albamu hiyo. Baada ya vita ya zabuni, AZ amesaini mkataba na EMI, na muda mfupi baadaye akatoa albamu ya ''[[Doe Or Die]]'' (1995) ikatamba sana, lakini ilipata mafanikio madogo kibiashara. Single kiongozi ya albamu, "Sugar Hill", imekuwa kibao pekee kupata mafanikio makubwa kibiashara kwa AZ akiwa kama msanii wa kujitegemea, kwa kufikia nafasi ya 25 kwenye chati za [[Billboard Hot 100]], na kutunukiwa hadhi ya [[RIAA certification|Gold]]. Mkataba wa AZ na EMI ulihamishiwa katika studio enzi ya [[Noo Trybe Records]]/[[Virgin Records]] wakati EMI Label Group imefungwa.  Mnamo mwaka wa 1997, yeye na [[Nas]] wameonekana kwenye tangazo la biashara la [[Sprite]]
. AZ akaingia mkataba na [[Motown]]/[[Universal Music Group|Universal Records]] na kutoa albamu ya ''[[9 Lives (albamu ya AZ)|9 Lives]]''.<ref name="ALLMUSIC">[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/az-p14943 allmusic Biography]</ref> Mnamo mwaka wa 2002, ametoa ''[[Aziatic]]''. Single kutoka katika albamu, "The Essence," (akishirikiana na [[Nas]]) imepata kuchaguliwa kwenye ugawaji wa [[Tuzo za Grammy]] wa mara ya 45 kwa Ajili ya Rap Bora ya Wawili au Kundi.

Mnamo mwaka wa 2004, AZ alikuwa akipanga kutoa albamu - inge-kuwa albamu yake ya nne, ''Final Call'', hata hivyo, lakini hatimaye ikatiwa kapuni kwa kufuatia kuvuja kwa ajabu na imetolewa kama [[Final Call (The Lost Tapes)]] mnamo 2008. Ametoa albamu zake za 4 na 5 ''[[A.W.O.L. (albamu)|A.W.O.L.]]'' na ''[[The Format]]'' mnamo 2005 na  2006, kwa pamoja. Halafu ''[[Undeniable]]'' ilitolewa mnamo 2008.

Na kwa mwezi wa Oktoba wa 2009, anafanyia kazi albamu yake yake ya 10 iitwayo ''Doe or Die 2'' itakayotolewa mwanzoni mwa mwaka wa 2010.<ref name="AllHipHop.com">{{cite web|url=http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2009/12/01/22049258.aspx|title=AZ: From Brooklyn to Hollywood|last=Davis|first=Meosha|date=2009-12-01|work=|publisher=[[AllHipHop]]|accessdate=2009-12-26|archivedate=2010-01-04|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104080547/http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2009/12/01/22049258.aspx}}</ref>. Ana matumaini ya kuwaingiza kikosi cha utayarishaji cha awali cha [[Doe Or Die]] kama vile [[L.E.S.]], [[Pete Rock]], [[DR Period]] na [[Buckwild]]. Ametibitisha hata kwamba amefanya nyimbo mbili na Pete Rock, ikiwa ni pamoja na "Rather Unique Part II". AZ pia ana mpango wa kuchukua biti kutoka kwa [[DJ Toomp]], [[Dr. Dre]] na [[Kanye West]] kwa ajili ya DOD2 ikiwa ni pamoja na kumwingiza mkali wake wa mistari wa zamani [[Nas]], pia kwa mujibu wa akaunti yake kwenye Twitter ametaja ya kwamba ameomba biti kutoka kwa [[RZA]] vilevile na kupanga kuitoa albamu kunako mwezi wa Mei au Juni 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10323/title.az-wants-dr-dre-kanye-west-and-nas-for-doe-or-die-2|title=AZ Wants Dr. Dre, Kanye West And Nas For Doe Or Die 2|last=Arnold|first=Paul W|date=2009-12-22|work=|publisher=HipHopDX|accessdate=2009-12-26}}</ref> Single ya kwanza kutoka albamu itakuwa "Feel My Pain" iliyotayarishwa na Frank Dukes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://limelinx.com/files/b96ba295f9a05e205cea2df3008e1392 |title=Nakala iliyohifadhiwa |accessdate=2010-05-27 |archivedate=2012-03-01 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301084222/http://limelinx.com/files/b96ba295f9a05e205cea2df3008e1392 }}</ref>

==Diskografia==
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}

===Albamu za studio===
* ''[[Doe or Die]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Pieces of a Man]]'' (1998)
* ''[[9 Lives (albamu ya AZ)|9 Lives]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Aziatic]]'' (2002)
* ''[[A.W.O.L. (albamu)|A.W.O.L.]]'' (2005)
* ''[[The Format (album)|The Format]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Undeniable]]'' (2008)
* ''Doe or Die 2'' (2010)

===Albamu za ushirika===
* ''[[The Firm: The Album]]'' <small>(akiwa pamoja na kundi zima la  [[The Firm]])</small> (1997)

===Kompilesheni albamu na Mixtapes===
* ''[[S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ)]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Decade 1994–2004]]'' (2004)
* ''The Return Of S.O.S.A. (Part 1)'' (2005)
* ''The Memphis Sessions: The Remix-Tape'' (2007)
* ''Niggaz 4 Life'' (2008)
* ''[[Final Call (The Lost Tapes)]]'' (2008)
* ''Anthology (B-Sides & Unreleased)'' (2008)
* ''The Return Of S.O.S.A. (Part 2)'' (2008)
* ''[[Legendary (AZ Album)|Legendary]]'' (2009)
* ''[[G.O.D. (Gold, Oil & Diamonds)]]'' (2009)
{{col-end}}

===Mionekano===
* 1992: "Understanding" [[Nas]] ''Pre-Illmatic Demo Tape''
* 1994: "The Genesis", "Life's A Bitch" [[Nas]] ''[[Illmatic]]''
* 1995: "Wake Up Show Anthem" With Big L, Chino XL, Doug E. Fresh & Masta Ace [[Sway & King Tech]] ''Wake Up Show 2''
* 1996: "A+Z" [[A+ (rapper)|A+]] ''[[The Latch-Key Child]]''
* 1996: "When The Cheering Stops" With Zhané, Ray Buchanan & Scott Galbraith (from ''[[NFL Jams (Import)]]'')
* 1996: "Lady [DJ Premier Remix]" [[D'Angelo]] ''Lady 12"''
* 1996: "Album Intro", "Affirmative Action" With Foxy Brown & Cormega [[Nas]] ''[[It Was Written]]''
* 1996: "La Familia" [[Foxy Brown]] ''I'll Be 12"''
* 1996: "I Miss U [Come Back Home Remix]" [[Monifah]] ''Moods... Moments LP/ Miss U 12"/You 12"''
* 1996: "[[Something About You]] (Darkchild Remix)" [[New Edition]] single
* 1998: "Head Over Heels [Trackmaster's Remix]" [[Allure]] ''Head Over Heels 12"''
* 1998: "Rock Me [JD Remix]" [[V.A.]] ''Caught Up OST''
* 1998: "Promises" With LaTocha Scott Of Xscape & Ray Buchanan (from ''[[NFL Jams (Intersound)]]'')
* 1999: "Let's Live" With Animal [[The Union]] ''[[Hard Labor]]''
* 1999: "24/7 [Remix]" [[Kevon Edmonds]] ''24/7 12"''
* 1999: "Thug Connection" With Kool G Rap [[Papoose]] ''Alphabetical Slaughter 12"''
* 2000: "Takin' Ova Da Streets" The Bleach Brothers ''Takin' Ova Da Streets 12"''
* 2000: "Groove On [Remix]" [[Half-A-Mil]] ''Groove On 12"''
* 2000: "Quiet Money" [[Half-A-Mil]] ''[[Million]]''
* 2000: "Quiet Money [Blood Money]" With Animal & Half-A-Mil [[The Union]] ''Organized Rhymes''
* 2000: "It's War" [[DJ Skribble]] ''Traffic Jams''
* 2001: "Layaway" [[Jon B.]] ''[[Pleasures U Like]]''
* 2001: "The Flyest" [[Nas]] ''[[Stillmatic]]''
* 2002: "Holla Back" With Nawz & Tito [[Kool G Rap]] ''[[The Giancana Story]]''
* 2002: "Keep On Lovin' You [Remix]" [[Dave Hollister]] ''Keep On Lovin' You 12"''
* 2004: "Redemption" [[Cormega]] ''[[Legal Hustle]]''
* 2006: "Professional Style" [[The Alchemist (producer)|The Alchemist]] ''Chemistry Files''
* 2006: "The Hardest Pt. I" [[Styles P]] ''The Ghost Sessions - Mixtape''
* 2007: "No Holding Back" With Cormega Statik Selektah ''Spell My Name Right: The Album''
* 2007: "Who Am I?" with Cormega & Nature [[Cormega]] ''Who Am I?: The Soundtrack''
* 2008: "Too Real" [[Foxy Brown (rapper)|Foxy Brown]] ''[[Brooklyn's Don Diva]]''
* 2008: "It's So Hard" with [[Ali Vegas]], [[Styles P]] & Danny McClane
* 2008: "Road To Success" ASN
* 2008: "On The Road" ASN With Keisha Shontelle & Fuc That
* 2009: "Harbormasters" with [[Ghostface Killah]] & [[Inspectah Deck]] ''[[Chamber Music (Wu-Tang Clan album)|Chamber Music]]''
* 2009: "D.O.A." (Death of Autotune) [Remix]" [[Jay-Z]]
* 2010: "I'm Ill" [[Doe or Die 2]]

==Marejeo==
{{Marejeo}}

==Viungo vya nje==
* {{MySpace|azofficialmyspace|AZ}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Az}}
[[Jamii:Waliozaliwa 1972]]
[[Jamii:Wanamuziki wa Marekani]]
[[Jamii:Wanamuziki wa hip hop]]
[[Jamii:Watu walio hai]]