"AZ’s chillin’…Brooklyn’s chillin’…/what more can I say? We stay buildin..."

I couldn’t repress this chorus from A.W.O.L., courtesy of the Sugar Hill gangsta. When I heard that I even might have a shot to talk to S.O.S.A himself, Anthony Cruz, I consulted at the council of New York rap heads who double as friends of my broke ass. They all wanted me to ask him about his brushes with big success or about his particular (varying) collaborations.

I asked all that too – but what I mightily wanted to inquire about was about his staying power. As much as he’s deemed underrated, AZ has taken sweeping control over the distribution of his joints and kept fans like me in the loop at whatever cost. Because of his sprawling reach and his absolute niceness on mics, it confounds me that he inspires so much doubt among listeners when it’s clear to me that he signifies belief.

Words By Drew Ricketts

TSS: What up man? I’m glad to talk to you, just so you know, and I’m going to get right to it.

AZ: Aight word man. I’m here.

TSS: I’m going to bring up the dreaded word that you hear too often, ‘underrated.’ What does that word mean to you (or not mean to you)? Do you pay it any mind?

AZ: Not really, no. I pay no attention to those labels. I have no insecurities. I know who I am and what I’ve been doing. Everybody has their part to play, their role in this [rap] shit. I’m glad to play that role because I know I’m always bringing something good.

TSS: It’s safe to say that the rep you have now sprung from the classic verse you dropped on Nas’s “Life’s a Bitch.” What would you say about that verse and song when you look back on it?

AZ: (Laughs) It’s funny because…I wasn’t really meant to be on that [song]. I was a filler, that’s what I felt. The dude Nas had called me about finishing up his album. It was the last joint on there…so it’s not like he had a set idea of what he wanted it to be. I went and put it down and it wasn’t nothin at the time. Then the streets went crazy like ‘who is that kid on the track’ and things built from there. But originally, I wasn’t thinking it was gon’ be some big shit.

TSS: Talk about some of your collaborations. You’ve done work with some of the best from all around. Is there a rhyme or reason to how you end up working with an artist?

AZ: The people at Koch are good about that. They might know [a rapper] who wants to do something and will contact me. I listen to the record and decide if it works for me.

TSS: Is that how the song “Rise and Fall” with Little Brother happened? (See the previous "Making The Band" post)

AZ: Nah. I liked what they was doing and I had heard their first joint. I was feeling that. They sent me the track and the idea.

TSS: Has that been the bridge to other emcees for you? Since the beginning of your career it seems you’ve sought those quality pairings. What was it that linked you with artists from Queensbridge and Staten Island during the heyday?

AZ: Back then it was like A-alike, B-alike with me and those guys. The lyrical content was always a binding point.

TSS: What about Five Percenter culture? Did you sense that some people were talking about the same things?

AZ: Oh definitely, that played a part. But more it was that we all had an ear for good music and wanted to make it. At the end of the day, I like people who are swift with their swords, the ones really slicing it down when they bring it.

TSS: You have an entrepreneurial side that has helped your career prosper. We rarely hear about that though. What drove you to take command of your own thing and how much of a challenge is it?

AZ: How I made the decision…well, when I was with majors they had their ups and downs. I saw that certain shit would go down and I wouldn’t have control of the outcome. Doing A.W.O.L. on Koch was a learning experience, being the boss of my work. I know why more guys don’t do it…some people seek for fame and fortune. Whatever it is, at the end of the day, you still have to work hard. It’s like being a politician or a preacher to tell people that but seeing is believing. I set the example and hope niggas will follow.

TSS: Does that approach gain you more loyal fans, having to be in closer contact with the sale of your music?

AZ: It is better but it’s hard work. You gotta have love for it.

TSS: What will AZ’s legacy be from 1994 on?

AZ: They will say ‘lyrically, he held his.’ The other artists that came out around that era, a lot of them [ain’t] around. They lost that fire. I always will bring that heat on every album. I can honestly say I bring it better every time. The last album was better than the one before it and so on.

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Take A Look @ AZ's "The Format" Video

TSS: How is the current album The Format different from others like Aziatic or A.W.O.L.?

AZ: I believe everything gets greater with time. The Format is a banger and I know that. It’ll be out Nov. 7th. I’m always coming with that fire.

TSS: Thug poet, thoughtful gangster or savvy lyricist…how would you classify yourself?

AZ: All three daddy…and more. (Laughs)

TSS: Aight, word. What you been smokin’ on lately?

AZ: The purple. Strictly the purple haze.

TSS: Does that get you in that charged creative mode?

AZ: Nah it’s more laid-back. I can only fuck with that. My man brought through some of that sour diesel –shouts to all the heads smoking that sour—but I can’t fuck with it. That shit gave me a headache. The Kush is also good, high on my list.

TSS: Aight man it was great talking. Thanks for taking your time.

AZ: No doubt, peace brother.

AZ's new album, The Format, hits stores Nov. 7 via Quiet Money Records. For more info, please visit www.myspace.com/AZofficialmyspace