AZ On ‘Doe Or Die II,’ Working With Idris Elba, And Being All In For A Reunion With The Agency

In an age where the attention span of rap fans is fleeting, it’s easy for artists to secure lost in the wash. If you’re out of gawk and out of solutions in an attention-looking out for world, it turns into rather more now not easy to seize the ears, minds, and hearts of fans and patrons. On the other hand, there are repeatedly exceptions to the guideline, particularly in the case of extinct rapper Anthony “AZ” Cruz. For upwards of a decade, the Brooklyn-bred artist has managed to withhold the buzz and mystique surrounding the lengthy-awaited sequel to his acclaimed 1995 solo debut Doe or Die.

After dropping the Legendary and G.O.D. (Gold Oil And Diamonds) mixtapes in 2009, Doe or Die II‘s announcement changed into once met with a convincing amount of fanfare and anticipation, with longtime fans of the East Recent York repper. Fans were desirous to gaze him revisit a body of labor and rhyme body that many own deemed a bonafide classic. At the muse tagged for start in 2010, the album might well well be field to a succession of setbacks over the following decade, yet, “SOSA” (AZ’s rapping alias) continuously promised its start, renewing fans’ hope with the occasional single or compilation mission.

Now, 25 years after Doe or Die hit cupboards, AZ has in the slay unveiled its sequel. With Doe or Die II, Sosa delivers suave streetwise musings from the vantage level of a predominant participant who’s viewed and carried out it all and has lived to hiss the account. Consisting of twelve songs and one bonus discover, Doe or Die II contains visitor appearances from Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Jaheim, Conway the Machine, Dave East, T-Effort, and Idris Elba—all of whom jumped at the opportunity to lend a hand AZ bookend his career.

“Over over again, all people that’s on this joint, they’re legit,” acknowledged AZ about the album’s wide title-studded list of contributors. “Ain’t too extraordinary talking. I respect them all ’trigger it wasn’t loads of talking. They secure appropriate to the business.” Over a decade in the making, Doe or Die II is an album that lives up to the hype while doubling as a swan song from one of many most helpful emcees of his generation.

AZ spoke with us about bringing his career beefy-circle with his most new L.P., the opportunity of a brand new album from The Agency (with supergroup members Cunning Brown, Cormega, and Nas), and lengthening his ticket with new opportunities in movie, vogue, and more.

VIBE: Your new album, Doe or Die II, dropped Sept. 10th. How has it been seeing the buzz and anticipation surrounding its start?

AZ: I imply, it’s kinda overwhelming because it’s been a minute, like 2012 since I announced that I changed into once inserting out Doe or Die II and folks changed into once angry then. So for it to be this an extended time later and it’s peaceable the same love and the same vibe, it’s kinda overwhelming, nonetheless it completely’s a real response and folks are actually checking.

Doe or Die II is the sequel to your debut album, which many fans and critics own in solutions a classic. Roar the affect the fresh had to your career and why you chose to revisit that theme for a sequel?

Wisely, Doe or Die, from the generation we changed into once in, that changed into once the mid-’90s and sh*t, and that’s when the golden generation changed into once popping. You had Mountainous, Nas, Mobb, all people changed into once coming from Recent York, doing their one-two and I direct I jumped on that classical soul form of joint with “Sugar Hill,” man. First, it changed into once “Existence’s A Bih” that galvanized the oldsters in direction of my title, nonetheless then “Sugar Hill” got here out and, you perceive, I went platinum so it changed into once a real time. You respect, I’m young, we’re in the metropolis, and we’re bringing our desires to existence and sh*t, so that changed into once real. The explanations why Doe or Die II, is I honest appropriate wanted to withhold out it beefy circle, appropriate? So in spite of what, careerwise and my legacy wise, I started from one level and I stopped up at one level. It’s a 360 to me, you perceive, what I’m announcing? ‘Announce off lend a hand then, we were signing contracts. And when we changed into once signing contracts, it changed into once for eight albums, 9 albums, and sh*t. You’re like, “Damn it’s in all probability you’ll maybe well also’t even secure the most predominant one out,” appropriate? We changed into once young lend a hand then, nonetheless now I’m independent and me inserting out this album, it’s like I carried out the cipher of what I started. I’m finishing up.

The first time Doe or Die II changed into once mentioned changed into once over a decade ago nonetheless by no formula materialized except now. What components played in the lengthy delay, and the plot were you ready to secure over these hurdles to enlighten it to the public?

I wished to put it out, nonetheless you perceive, you’re honest appropriate procuring for that energy. The sonics changed into once changing. You received the Midwest doing their factor after which it changed into once honest appropriate all sorts of zones. And at the tail-quit, the various artists, they’d their diminutive solutions of doing issues. So in the course of all that, I changed into once honest appropriate repeatedly inserting out a file or two every Twelve months honest appropriate to put it out ’trigger I felt just like the album wasn’t ready. It wasn’t cooking appropriate, so I changed into once like, “Let me honest appropriate relax.”

I peaceable changed into once doing reveals, I peaceable changed into once doing various issues and sh*t so it changed into once cool. I changed into once on a song here and there, nonetheless then when the pandemic hit, it changed into once like, “Yo, man, it’s either now or by no formula,” you perceive what I imply? Love Doe or Die, now or by no formula. I acknowledged, “Let me put this sh*t together and secure it carried out for real,” and that’s where we’re at with it.

Did seeing any various veterans like Nas, Jay-Z, and various greats out of your generation come out with initiatives that shook up the game in present years encourage you in any plot?

No longer actually because I do know the plot they’re constructed, I do know the plot I’m constructed. To look them peaceable doing it’s miles a blessing, ya dig, nonetheless I honest appropriate be sitting in the decrease, expecting me to hit my target and sh*t. It’s repeatedly real to hear your A-Alikes secure busy, so I’m like, “Okay, their sword is peaceable appealing, I do know my sword changed into once appealing” so I’m like, “Aight, let me honest appropriate relax.” Wait so the lane can open up sufficient and honest appropriate soar appropriate in. So that’s where I changed into once at with it.

How extraordinary cloth changed into once recorded for Doe or Die II since you in the muse announced plans to start and the plot extraordinary of it’s peaceable left in the vaults?

If I had put out no records when I first acknowledged I changed into once gonna put out the Doe or Die album, it would’ve been like 25 records. ‘Announce off appropriate now, it’s 13 on this album. I put out round seven or eight. I peaceable doubtlessly received a couple in the chamber, like three or four in the chamber. So yeah, I’d’ve had like 25 records on this album if I’d’ve waited.

Wisely, I actually started actually locking the general plot in like 2017. I doubtlessly had like two or three records I doubtlessly already had after which by 2020, I did a real majority of it, like a real six. After which this Twelve months 2021, I did the remainder, so every thing is rattling advance new. It’s doubtlessly like three of them I had cooking and sh*t already, nonetheless every thing else is new. Fresh up, new baked.

With the hiatus between albums, did you is in all likelihood feeling any pressure to enlighten while creating this album?

Nah, business as long-established. We from the Brook, we don’t actually secure no pressure, the appropriate pressure changed into once on myself to secure to the rep, nonetheless various than that, ain’t no pressure. I honest appropriate wanted to create it appropriate ’trigger these sh*ts final for eternity, you perceive what I’m announcing? I honest appropriate wanted to create it appropriate.

The introductory discover on Doe or Die II facets an appearance from actor Idris Elba. How did he change into alive to by the mission and what’s your connection to him?

Wisely, I changed into once setting the album up. I changed into once like, “Yo, this sh*t sound like a movie, we desire somebody to dialogue it on the intro aspect. Definitely one of my peoples changed into once on tour someplace or doing something they normally ran into him available in the market, Idris and sh*t. I do know I linked with him lend a hand when I changed into once on tour with the Rock The Bells tour with Nas. We dialogued a chunk of bit so I reached out to him like, “Yo, what’s real man, I want an intro.” He acknowledged he don’t actually carry out intros, nonetheless he changed into once like, “Let me hear the album ’trigger I carry out fk with you.’ So I let him hear snippets of the joint and he changed into once like, “Alright, let’s secure it carried out,” and he hopped on so that changed into once a blessing.

You recently launched Doe or Die II‘s lead single, “The Wheel” that contains Jaheim. How did the two of you join, and the plot did that song come together?

I put out a file at the quit of 2020 referred to as “Varied,” and I changed into once doing one of my interviews and sh*t with the D.J.s and Kay Gee from Naughty By Nature changed into once on the toll road, too. I direct he dropped something with his artists. And I changed into once like, “Yo man, we gotta work,” and he changed into once like, “Definitely, we gotta secure busy” and after that, we linked. He gave me some beats and sh*t and I do know Jaheim changed into once from his camp and I changed into once like, “I’m attempting to lag left, I’m attempting to withhold out the surprising, man. The attach Ja at? I want him on a joint.” ‘Announce off Ja, he’d been sitting dormant for a minute, too. And he changed into once like, “Let’s create it happen.” He received the beat, I chose the beat, he hopped on the hook and the remainder is history.

Rick Ross pops up on “Never Sufficient,” which captures the lavish ambiance you is in all likelihood every identified for. What’s your history with Ross and the backstory to that song?

Nah, I fk with Ross, he elevate the torch, he spit that sh*t, you perceive? So I honest appropriate reached out to him and hit him like, “Yo, man, what’s up. I kinda must create this album account, man, I want some spitters on this sh*t,” so he changed into once like, “Let’s secure it carried out.” Ain’t too extraordinary talking with Ross, if he fk with you, he fk with you. Ain’t too extraordinary talking or dialogue, he’s getting appropriate to it.

“Ritual” finds you, Wayne, and Conway The Machine sparring on a discover and accounts for 3 separate eras in hip-hop. What about these two artists made you tap in with them for this explicit discover?

Conway, he’s scorching appropriate now, he’s surely a spitter. Me and him were dialoguing, I acknowledged, “We gotta carry out something.” He changed into once like, “Let’s secure to it.” So he received on it and when we received on it, I changed into once like, “Damn, who else actually completes the cipher, too?” And I changed into once like Wayne, he’s a fking distress, you perceive what I’m announcing? I had an Alchemist beat. You respect how Alchemist give it up and I changed into once telling Wayne lets carry out our absorb factor, or I peaceable received the joint with Conway. He changed into once like, “Give me that ’trigger they gotta put some respect on my title, give me that.” You respect what I imply? The sport gotta respect his pen-game, so he hopped on it. That’s one of my current records too, man, that joint appropriate there. “The Ritual” is one of my current joints.

You had a cameo in Dave East’s “Child of the Ghetto” video earlier this Twelve months and locked to your first collaboration with “Blow That Sh*t,” one of many standout cuts on Doe or Die II. Point out your relationship with East and the plot that discover got here to be.

East is linked with my boy [Nas], so it’s surely love. East, he’s doing his one-two and when you’re from the East Flit, it’s in all probability you’ll maybe well also’t duck him ’trigger he’s in each attach. So when I went to withhold out the video, I told him I want to hop on something, I want that energy. He changed into once like, “What’s up,” so we received in the lab and we did our one-two, you perceive what I imply. Knocked it appropriate out.

After scoring tracks on the fresh model of Doe or Die, Pete Rock and Buckwild contributed tracks to its sequel over twenty-5 years later. How crucial changed into once it to own them be a element of Doe or Die II, and the plot did their involvement manifest?

I imply, they repeatedly caught round. It’s certain cats from the genesis that stick across the general plot to the quit and sh*t. And moreover you actually strive to address discontinuance to dwelling with loads of sh*t, so I figured their presence on the joint actually helped actually solidify your entire 360 motion. Buck actually played a element at some stage in my whole career sh*t and Pete, that’s like household so I wished that. So it changed into once an add-on that made it legit.

What are three songs on Doe or Die you’re longing for fans to hear and why?

The “Never Sufficient” with Ross. “The Ritual” with Conway and Wayne and “Blow That Sh*t” with Dave East because all three is good legit sh*t, man. And it offers you that energy, it offers you that vibe. All three seize you to various zones, and it’s honest appropriate real energy man and all people’s spitting how they’re alleged to spit, spitting that real sh*t. So these three appropriate there. Nonetheless to withhold it 100, I admire your entire album, to be technical. ‘Announce off your entire album received various vibes. Every song’s received its absorb energy to it.

What changed into once your mission while creating this album?

For one, I did it for these that actually fk with me and I did it for me honest appropriate to cease the cipher, honest appropriate to seize that I can open something and I’ma quit it. That feels real and self-reassuring. Love, yo, I started this sh*t in ‘95 and I’m ending this sh*t in ’21. I carried out the cipher. Then honest appropriate let the fans know like, “Yo, the laborious-hitters are peaceable round,” you perceive what I imply? deal of brothers from that generation ain’t round, they ain’t doing it, nonetheless it completely’s peaceable motherfkers round peaceable preserving the torch and carrying the torch.

Final Twelve months, The Agency reunited on Nas’ King’s Disease album for the most predominant time in over twenty years. What changed into once which own like?

Oh, yeah, that’s repeatedly a blessing, man. If you fk with the day ones, you consider that. That’s in any element. If you fk with day ones, it’s a real vibe and we received it in. And we went a total one other route and peaceable received that love. We changed into once talking about the broads on that and honest appropriate dialoguing with the girls and we peaceable made a word with that. So that honest appropriate reveals we’re timeless and we lag wherever with it.

Originate you gaze you and the members working together over again, whether personally or as a total?

Yeah, yeah, I fk with all people. Every person be so busy, man. Every person actually be in their absorb zone doing sh*t. Nonetheless yeah, I’d love to fk with the body of workers, just like the teams the body of workers ’trigger all people stands on their absorb and when they occasion, we originate like Voltron. Nonetheless I’m here, man. Each time the time offers [itself], I’m here. I’m on deck.

You kept pointing out a beefy circle factor with Doe or Die II. This isn’t the final album is it?

No longer necessarily. Nah, it ain’t the final album, nonetheless I carried out my cipher, for clear. I actually feel real in spite of how it goes. I carried out my cipher, so despite the indisputable truth that I carry out roll something else out, I’m real. I honest appropriate actually feel real, like I acknowledged, to myself.

Originate you imagine that fans might well well query one other mission from you sooner than later? Are you lend a hand and active, what’s real?

You respect what, I don’t know. I might well well withhold that on a hush because we’re peaceable taking part in chess, you heard. So if I carry out a soar out on ’em, I desire it to be a sneak assault on ’em, you perceive what I’m announcing? (laughs). Nonetheless I’m here, though.

What’s subsequent for AZ transferring forward?

I received my SOSA Wine popping out this Twelve months, I’m having a address up for that. The vibrant rosé, the merlot. It’s a exquisite factor, I’ve received that popping out. I’ve received a documentary. I honest appropriate done, I’m on the level of tumble that. Some other sneaker popping out ’trigger I put that Ewing sneaker out final Twelve months and this Twelve months. They bought out, so I received my absorb sneaker popping out referred to as Diamond Edition. I’m honest appropriate attempting to withhold out it all, man. I’m attempting to shoot a chunk of movie and all. I’m attempting to withhold out all form of sh*t appropriate now.

How did the Ewing sneaker deal come about?

They reached out to me. We fked with Ewing lend a hand in the days. I don’t know the plot ragged you is in all likelihood, nonetheless I’m surely a historian with the kicks and all that. They reached out and I’m like, “Yeah, fk it.” You might well well create your absorb sh*t and all that, so I designed my colors, designed my sneaker and we threw it out and it bought out in two weeks. Then we re-upped a number of months later and that bought out in two weeks. That’s why I’m coming with my absorb sh*t referred to as Diamond Edition. That’s popping out and I’ma tumble that, hopefully, in like three months, by Christmas time or some sh*t like that.

What’s the documentary about?

The documentary is good on the general from me starting up out in Brooklyn and where I’m at, up-to-date., like where I’m at with it and what I’m doing. So it went from how I received on, what I’ve been through when I changed into once getting on, the total up and downs in the game, the labels I changed into once fking with. I’ve by no formula been dropped from my word, nonetheless I’ve been on infected various labels. I absorb all my publishing, I absorb the majority of my masters, you dig what I’m announcing? And now, I’m independent and the zones that I changed into once in with every album the general plot up to this factor, talking about this album appropriate here. It’s legit.