"You know the come up, stack get right, put the gun up Laugh get nice, split the blunt up Pray blue and whites dont run up, remain humble You see the change when the range come through When all the fame ups ya game, cause ya names mumbled The chicks notice, jewels is like hyptnosis Its furosious, when broke niggaz get focused, the cars come out, bottles at the bar run out..." A.W.O.L. is the fifth studio album by rapper AZ, released on September 6, 2005. It was recorded after Final Call, which AZ declined to release because his label had pushed its release back two months—according to him, they were also the source of its early leak to the press and the internet. Garnering critical praise with production from highly-regarded New York underground acts such as DJ Premier, Buckwild, and DipSet production duo the Heatmakerz, the rapper abandoned his previously money-oriented subject matter, stating that he "wanted it to be all street. A.W.O.L. is the first AZ album which was released on his own Quiet Money Records imprint. In a couple of months after the release, A.W.O.L. 1.5, which included a bonus disc featuring a cappella and instrumental versions to the songs on A.W.O.L., was released.
"I'm ready You know the chronicles the shit that if momma knew the stress the drama dude the techs phenominal rapid fire, pecs thru the adominal you bastard liars, it's me whos the honorable bathed and clothed up, shaved and close cut restraint from temptation was drained from both nuts..." The Format is the sixth studio album by rapper AZ, released on November 7, 2006. The album features production from Fizzy Womack (better known as Lil' Fame of M.O.P.), Face Defeat, Emile, J. Cardim, Phonte, Statik Selektah and DJ Premier. Guest appearances are provided by M.O.P., Little Brother, as well as artists on AZ's new label, Quiet Money Records. The album's lead single is its title track, "The Format", produced by DJ Premier, with "Vendetta" as its B-Side. The Format also features the bonus track "Royal Salute", a retaliation to 50 Cent's song "What If", which included a line aimed at AZ. On October 7, 2007, Quiet Money released The Format (Special Edition) adding six bonus tracks including "Royal Salute."
"You wanna sip Mo' on my living room flo' Play Nintendo with Cease a Leo Pick up my phone say "Poppa not home" Sex all night mad head in the morn' Spin my V, smoke all my weed Tattoo on tit-tie sayin B-I-G, now check it..."
"Get Money" was the third and final single released from the Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s debut album, Conspiracy. The original version, which sampled Sylvia Striplin's "You Can't Turn Me Away", was produced by EZ Elpee with verses done by The Notorious B.I.G. and Lil' Kim. The official remix entitled "Gettin' Money (The Get Money Remix)" was produced by DJ Enuff, Lance 'Un' Rivera and The Notorious B.I.G. This version used a different instrumental, sampling Dennis Edwards' 1984 track, "Don't Look Any Further" featuring new verses by Lil' Kim and B.I.G. as well as a verse from Lil' Cease. "Get Money" became the group's biggest hit, peaking at 17 on the Billboard 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 9, 1996 for sales of over 1 million copies. It ranked 89th in Billboard's Top Hot 100 Hits of 1996, reached 17th in the Hot 100 and number 1 for Hot Rap Singles.
"Yo in she came with the same type game The type of girl givin out the fake cell phone and name Big fame, she like cats with big thangs Jewels chip, money clip, phone flip, the six range I seen her on the ave, spotted her more than once Ass so fat that you could see it from the front..."
"Ms. Fat Booty" is the first single from Mos Def's 1999 album, Black On Both Sides. It is produced by Ayotollah. The song and its chorus are both driven by multiple samples of Aretha Franklin's "One Step Ahead," a rare Columbia single released in 1965. The song was placed at #144 on Pitchfork Media's Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
"Keep my eyes open and the case closed No eyewitnesses no names I explode Just the heavy set one with the big gun And the sweet tongue shaking down everyone Loot like micheal Jackson Kicks like bo Jackson Bitches like freddy Jackson No need to action The crew ooh no frontin’ no faking moves Fighting and fucking the same thing we stick and move..." Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He would entertain people on the streets as well as perform with local groups, the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques. After being released from prison, Wallace made a demo tape under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to his childhood nickname and to his stature; he stood at 6' 3" (1.91 m) and weighed as much as 300 to 380 pounds according to differing accounts. The tape was reportedly made with no serious intent of getting a recording deal, but was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane, and was heard by the editor of The Source.
"I walk through the valley of death 600 deep,waking up dead from the sleep Just like a diamond watch me shine,bright like the sun,make you want to pull a gun and buck 2 shots for the Peckerwood rockin' Put down your glock or your block I'll be knockin' dead off your shoulders,heads'll roll,the Peckerwood P-funk assasin of soul is in control so have no fear,I'm in this for real,make it crystal clear..."
Legend is an EP by American hip hop group House of Pain. It was released in 1994, shortly before the release of the full-length album Same As It Ever Was. Two songs that appeared on this EP, "Word is Bond" and "It Ain't A Crime," would appear on Same as it Ever Was. However, the song "Legend" was, and it remains exclusive to the EP.
"But it seems, y'all would rather See me hit than, see my rich Get bagged over some bullshit and see me snitch Hopin' some AIDS ho bitch'll leave me sick like I'm a sucker for love wit some easy dick I did dirt through my days but hid my work Even then I still made sure no kids got hurt..."
Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972, in Brooklyn), better known as AZ is a Grammy-nominated American rapper of Dominican & African American descent. He is known for being a long time and frequent rhyme partner of Nas, and also a member of hip-hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature. 9 Lives is the third studio album by AZ, released under the Motown imprint. The single "Problems" featured a sample from the DeBarge song "All This Love".
"I keep it realer than most I know your feelin it Cristal on ice I like to toast I keep from spillin it Bone crushers I keep real close I got the skill for this On my back the fliest clothes lookin ill as shit Transactions illegitimate cause life is still a bitch And then you die but for now life close your eyes and feel this dick..."
"Feelin' It" is the fourth and final single from rapper Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt. The song features a chorus sung by Mecca and a beat produced by Ski. The song's beat contains a sample from "Pastures" by jazz musician Ahmad Jamal. The track was originally meant to be a Camp Lo song, but producer Ski gave it to Jay at the last minute. He describes the situation in an XXL Magazine article:
"It was me and Geechi Suede from Camp Lo, it was my hook and everything. Jay heard it and was like, "I want that record. I don’t care what you do, I want that record." I didn’t want to give it to him, but I had to because I knew he was going to be the man at the time. So I said, "Fuck it, take the record." It really was me and Suede from Camp Lo, the flow and everything, the way he was flowing on it. That’s the way we was flowing on it. So he just took the whole thing. But you know, he killed it in his own way."
"Straight to the track my lyrics is phat I rip it the hell down More than a fluke I'm regularly wreckin this joint so what now With so many niggas that's biting it's harder to detect who I be Well check out the J, check out the A, check out the Y, Z Original rap, I'm makin it slap, I'm hemmin it up like that Stingin it, strikin it, swingin it fat, bring it back..."
Royce da 5'9" and Fredro Starr of Onyx both describe Jay-Z's emphasis on flow in the book How to Rap – Starr says that Jay-Z is "a master of the flow—he can flow fast, he can flow slow". The book describes how Jay-Z uses 'rests' to provide structure to a verse and how he uses 'partial linking' to add more rhymes to a verse. Jay-Z's early style is described by Vibe as "a distinctly Das EFX-type, stiggety style" on his 12" single "Can't Get With That", referring to the fast rhythms and vocal delivery of the group Das EFX. He is also known to write lyrics in his head, as described by Pusha T of Clipse in How to Rap, a style popular with many MCs such as The Notorious B.I.G., Everlast, Bobby Creekwater and Guerilla Black. Shock G of Digital Underground describes Jay-Z's performance style, saying he "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained".
"Dear Lord, why do I feel how I feel? I could move a thousand bundles of krills I could hit the lottery for a mil Money no longer make me smile, it's wild Stress hurt like burying your first child..."
Joell Ortiz is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. Joell Ortiz was born to a Afro-American father and Puerto Rican mother. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label. He was featured in the Unsigned Hype column of the March 2004 issue of The Source Magazine and was also selected as Chairman's Choice in XXL Magazine. During the same time Joell also went on to win the 2004 EA Sports Battle which earned his song Mean Business a spot on the NBA Live 2005 soundtrack. The same year he was offered a contract to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label. The deal quickly went sour which caused Joell to start beef with Jermaine. Joell has since collaborated with KRS-One and Kool G. Rap. Joell released his street album called "The Brick: Bodega Chronicles" April 24, 2007 on Koch Records. The album was recorded while Joell was trying to get signed and going through some tough times personally. Even though he was signed to Aftermath Entertainment, Dr. Dre allowed him to release the street album on Koch Records. The Brick features productions from Showbiz, The Alchemist, Domingo, Ho Chi from Killahertz Productions, Lil’ Fame of M.O.P., Novel, and Moss, among others. Guest spots include Big Daddy Kane, Styles P, Big Noyd, M.O.P, Akon, Immortal Technique, Grafh, Ras Kass, Stimuli, and Novel. Joell Ortiz is 1/4 of Super Group Slaughterhouse who drop their highly anticipated EP entitled, Slaughterhouse EP on February 08, 2011.
"Let me just hit you off (HIT 'EM!) with the real My steel sing like opera, and open your fuckin head like a doctor (DO WHATCHA GOT-TA) Holdin it down for (NEW YORK CITY) We'll blow back your whole rap comittee My Squad knock, make you wannabe hardrocks smoother and move ya, with itchy trigger finger maneuvers..."
M.O.P., short for Mash Out Posse, is an American hip hop duo. The duo, composed of Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, is known for the aggressive delivery typically employed by both emcees. The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premier. Fame sometimes produces under the moniker Fizzy Womack, and has produced a significant amount of tracks on all M.O.P. releases since 1996's Firing Squad, as well as work for other artists including Big Noyd, Teflon and Wu-Tang Clan.
"Sleepin' on persians We used to wear turbins Daughters the virgins gold slippers Now they gon be strippers Can't hold they liquor They fight and bicker God sent blew out the projects No life left jobless..."
Sunz of Man is a Wu-Tang Clan affiliated group that currently consists of Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin, Shabazz the Disciple and Killah Priest. The group's first incarnation also included 7th Ambassador and Supreme. Along with Gravediggaz and Killarmy, Sunz of Man is one of the most popular acts affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. The Last Shall Be First is the debut album by Sunz of Man, one of the most heralded early releases by Wu-Tang affiliates. Unlike the follow-up, Saviorz Day, The Last Shall Be First features all four members of the group, although Killah Priest only appears on five of the album's songs because he was recording his solo debut Heavy Mental at the same time. Production on the album was handled by the Wu-Elements (The RZA, True Master and 4th Disciple) with additional contributions coming from Supreme Kourt and Wyclef Jean. The album itself is becoming very rare because Red Ant ceased operations, and it sold 350,000 units. Some pressings of the album are black and some pressings are orange with the text visible on the disc.
"Take it back to two A.M. fill in the 3D outline in the park A year later drug raiders set off black and silver sparks Somehow it just changed the culture ripped the whole movement apart from it's origins, begin that gave the four elements its start..."
Company Flow was an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/producer El-P and DJ/producer Mr. Len founded the group in 1992 in Queens, New York and rapper/producer Bigg Jus later joined. El-P had gone through a disastrous experience with a record label in an attempt at a solo deal, and founded the group after serving as an intern for an entertainment lawyer. With DJ Mr. Len, Company Flow released their debut single "Juvenile Techniques" in 1993. The follow-up, "8 Steps to Perfection", and their debut EP, Funcrusher (1996), were underground hits. Subject to a major label bidding war on Libra records, Company Flow waited until they could get a contract on their own terms. They eventually signed to Rawkus, and helped revitalize underground rap with labelmates like Mos Def. Their full-length debut album Funcrusher Plus, released in 1997 on Rawkus, is widely recognized as one of the most important and ground-breaking hiphop albums of the late 1990s. After two years of pushing the album and touring, group member Bigg Jus decided to strike out on his own and the group amicably dissolved. El-P and Mr. Len followed up their debut with the instrumental album Little Johnny From the Hospitul (Rawkus).
"Last seen out of state where I drop my slang I'm deep in the south kicking up top game bouncing on the highway switching 4 lanes screaming through the sun roof money ain't a thang your worst fear confirmed, me and my fam roll tight like the firm..."
Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, Jay-Z was abandoned by his father and, at age 12, he shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn, which fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes also attended, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate. In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine. Jay-Z can briefly be heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie". Jay-Z was also involved in and won several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 90's as part of a plan to get a sought-after record deal. He first became known to a wide audience by being featured on the posse cut "Show and Prove" on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy's Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period, though Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role, instead Jay-Z “basically made cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage”. He made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard", and on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build", which also featured early appearances by DMX, and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called "I Can't Get With That", for which he released a music video. "Can't Knock the Hustle" marked Knobody's first foray into outside production after the rap group he was in disbanded. Knobody had been very pleased with the last track he had produced for the band and, together with Sean C, had taken it to the nearby home of Roc-A-Fella's Damon Dash. Dash then showed it to Jay-Z, who was suitably impressed and encouraged the young producer to contribute beats. Knobody then gave Jay-Z the backing track to what would become "Can't Knock The Hustle". The rapper then wrote to the track. A space was left for the hook, which the Latin singer Veronica was originally supposed to sing, but for which Mary J. Blige stepped in after Roc-A-Fella had contacted her and she heard the track and immediately wanted to get involved. The appearance of Blige was considered a major coup because the label was an independent and Jay-Z was unknown at the time. Blige came up with the idea for the chorus, which is a vocal interpolation of a verse from "Fool's Paradise" by Meli'sa Morgan, with slightly modified lyrics. Before the song begins, Pain in da Ass delivers a monologue from the 1983 gangster film Scarface. Jay-Z then proceeds to deliver mafioso lyrics about drug dealing and street life.
"Gon' blast squeeze first ask questions last That's how most of these so-called gangsters pass At last, a nigga rappin bout blunts and broads Tits and bras, menage-a-tois, sex in expensive cars..."
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997) was an American rapper. He was popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again), Big Poppa, Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York), and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G.. Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during the peak years of the 1980s United States crack epidemic; he started dealing drugs at an early age. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the scene at the time. On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of only 3 hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time. He has sold 17 million albums in the United States.
