Much of AZ’s rhyme and reason is concerned with paper chasing, but the New York City-based Dominican-American mic-controller less conspicuously kindles an interest in fossil relics, artifacts, and monuments.
“I’m very interested in archaeology, especially Egyptology, stuff like that,” AZ told Hip-Hop DX during a meet-and-greet reception with Chicagoland’s music industry rank and file at the Epitome restaurant in the historically African-American Bronzeville district on the city’s Near South Side. The event was part of a promotions campaign for his newest LP Nine Lives (Motown), which scheduled for release Jun. 12. “I studied it in high school. I’d might go back to school to learn about it.”
Nine Lives is the first LP of a three-album deal AZ signed with Motown in January after A&R’s at the legendary urban label caught an earful of a personal tape of his recorded rhymes that was widely bootlegged on New York City’s streets. In a slight variation on his “cheddarology, ” AZ spends much of the current album’s 14 tracks instructing heads on making and keeping money.
The guest rhyming and production appearances include Trackmasters, Timbaland, up-and-coming Dream Team, Foxxy Brown, Joe, Beanie Siegel, and Amiel. AZ has already completing filming for two music videos for the album, including one for the first single “Problems” and another with Joe for the second Everything
