| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| HipHopDX | 4.5/5[2] |
| RapReviews | 9/10[3] |
| Rolling Stone |  [4] |
| Stylus | A[5] |
| The Village Voice |  [6] |
Aziatic is the fourth solo studio album by American rapper AZ. It was released on June 11, 2002 via Motown. Recording sessions took place at Sweet Mountain Studios in Englewood and Power Station in New York. Production was handled by Chop D.I.E.S.E.L., Buckwild, Miller Time, Precison, Baby Paul, DR Period, L.E.S., Mike Risko, Portiay and Big Joe, with Damian "Deo" Blyden, Kedar Massenburg and AZ serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Animal, DJ Rogers Jr., El Shabar, Nas and Trav.
The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. Its lead single, "I'm Back", made it to number 63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song "The Essence" off of the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Outkast's "The Whole World".
Background
After two albums that received vastly differing responses —Pieces of a Man and 9 Lives— AZ's fourth solo full-length is considered the rapper's comeback album, which restored his credibility. The project features AZ's flow and style over melodic, soulful production.[7] It also marks his second and final studio album for Motown Records.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Once Again" |
| DR Period | 2:38 |
| 2. | "A-1 Performance" |
| Portiay | 3:53 |
| 3. | "Wanne Be There" |
| Chop D.I.E.S.E.L. | 3:55 |
| 4. | "Take It Off" |
| L.E.S. | 4:23 |
| 5. | "The Essence" (featuring Nas) |
|
| 3:29 |
| 6. | "Hands in the Air" (featuring D.J. Rogers Jr.) |
| Precision | 4:14 |
| 7. | "Fan Mail" |
| Miller Time | 3:36 |
| 8. | "Paradise (Life)" |
| Miller Time | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Take Care of Me" |
| Precision | 3:41 |
| 10. | "I'm Back" (featuring El Shabar) |
| Buckwild | 3:12 |
| 11. | "Hustler" (featuring Trav and Animal) |
| Chop D.I.E.S.E.L. | 4:08 |
| 12. | "Re-Birth" |
| Buckwild | 2:00 |
| 13. | "Aziatic (Outro)" |
| Chop D.I.E.S.E.L. | 1:07 |
| 14. | "Doing Me" (Bonus Track) |
| Big Joe | 3:48 |
| Total length: | 46:58 | |||
- Sample credits
- Track 1 contains elements from "Welcome Back" written and performed by John Sebastian.
- Track 2 contains elements from "She Can Wait Forever" written by Geoffrey Leib and performed by George Duke.
- Track 3 embodies portions from "I Just Want to Be There" written by Maurice Barge and Jimmie Jiles and performed by The Independents.
- Track 5 contains elements from "Musical Love" written by Rick James and performed by the Mary Jane Girls.
- Track 7 embodies portions from "Each Day I Cry a Little" written by Leonard Caston Jr. and Terri McFaddin and performed by Eddie Kendricks.
- Track 8 contains elements from "Just As Long As We Have Love" written by Vinnie Barrett and Bruce Hawes and performed by Wilbert Longmire.
- Track 10 embodies portions from "Loving You the Second Time Around" written by Frank Wilson, Leonard Caston Jr. and Pam Sawyer and performed by Eddie Kendricks.
- Track 11 embodies portions from "I'm a Bachelor" written by Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Damon Harris, Richard Street and David English and performed by The Temptations.
- Track 12 contains elements from "Important Project" written and performed by Keith Mansfield.
Personnel
- Anthony "AZ" Cruz – vocals, executive producer
- Nasir "Nas" Jones – vocals (track 5)
- D.J. Rogers, Jr. – vocals (track 6)
- Terry "El Shabar" Williford – vocals (track 9)
- Trav – vocals (track 11)
- Animal – vocals (track 11)
- Makeba Riddick – additional vocals (track 2)
- Chimere Scott – additional vocals (track 3)
- Shelene Thomas – additional vocals (track 4)
- Londell "Nikko" Smith – background vocals (track 6)
- Sherree Ford – additional vocals (track 9)
- Darryl "DR Period" Pittman – producer (track 1)
- Portiay – producer (track 2)
- Mark "Chop D.I.E.S.E.L." Curry – producer (tracks: 3, 11, 13)
- Leshan "L.E.S." Lewis – producer (track 4)
- "Baby Paul" Anthony Hendricks – producer (track 5)
- Mike Risko – producer (track 5)
- Larry "Precision" Gates – producer (tracks: 6, 9)
- Robert "Miller Time" Miller – producer (tracks: 7, 8)
- Anthony "Buckwild" Best – producer (tracks: 10, 12)
- Big Joe – producer (track 14)
- Damien "DEO" Blyden – recording, executive producer, A&R
- Mike Thomas – recording
- Chris Athens – mastering
- Kedar Massenburg – executive producer
- Annalee Valencia-Bruch – art direction, design
- Clay Patrick McBride – photography
- Sandy Brummels – creative director
- Orrin Ennis – A&R
- Liz Loblack – production management
- Monica Morrow – stylist
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[8] | 29 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 5 |
References
- ^ Mills, Brad. "Aziatic - AZ | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Williams, DeMarco (July 4, 2002). "AZ - Aziatic". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 25, 2002). "AZ :: Aziatic :: Motown". www.rapreviews.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2002. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Marriott, Rob (July 2, 2002). "Recordings". Rolling Stone. No. 901 (published July 25, 2002). pp. 72–73. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Berliner, Brett (2003). "AZ | AZiatic | Motown | 2002". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved February 1, 2010 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (February 4, 2003). "The Prelude". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on February 11, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ McIntosh, Daryl (June 11, 2022). "Rediscover AZ's 'Aziatic' (2002) | Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ "AZ Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ "AZ Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
You must be logged in to post a comment.