The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: AZ on His Truth Be Told, Nas Inspiration, 50 Years Of HipHop Celebration

Episode Date: December 22, 2023

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast

Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jenny Garth, Jana Kramer, Amy Robach, and TJ Holmes bring you I Do Part 2, a one-of-a-kind experiment in podcasting to help you find love again hey i'm janna kramer i'm jenny garth hi everyone i'm amy robock and i'm tj holmes and we are well not necessarily relationship experts if you're ready to dive back into the dating pool and find lasting love we want to help listen to i do part two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Charlemagne the guy we are the breakfast club we got a special guest in the building legend the brother AZ yes sir welcome yes first time on a breakfast club to right first time yeah why are you feeling black man Oh feel rejuvenated but you put you put our music pretty frequently though it's not like you you know this your first project in forever. No. Every couple of years, it feels like you dropped something.

I'm single. I think the last album was 21, but before that, it was just singles. That's it. Okay. Yeah. Got you, got you, got you, got you, got you. I always wanted to ask you, man, why you do sincere like that in belly, man? Why you didn't warn them that you saw some trouble coming? Listen, when they give you a script, you got to follow the script.

That's it. It's a script. In reality, I wouldn't even have been on the block with the baby in reality. That's a reality, man. No way in the world. I understand that one, but, you know what I mean? Yeah. So for people that don't know AZ, don't know the history of AZ,

let's start from the beginning. Where is AZ from and what got you into music? Brooklyn. I'm a Brooklyn guy. Of course, like everybody else, the Sugar Hill Gang, you know, King Tim III, 80, 1980, that dropped and hip hop turned everybody out. You know what I mean? As far as me getting on, that wasn't by design.

It just happened. You know, just being at the right place, right time, meeting Nas on the phone and it just happened. How did you meet Nas? You from Brooklyn. He's from Queens. Right, place, right time, meeting Nas on the phone, and it just happened. How did you meet Nas? You from Brooklyn, he's from Queens. How did that connect? Because back then, you know, it was borough to borough. Brooklyn messed with Brooklyn, Queens messed with Queens,

Harlem was with Harlem, BX with BX. Right, it was a homie thing, you know what I mean? My homie knew his homie, like, yo, my people's better than your people's, so on the phone. Actually, me and Nas was on the phone for a year first, before we even bumped heads and i never asked to get on the album i came to the studio he invited me uh went a couple of times

prior to we doing life's a bitch and just you know just being supportive you know i mean um and we put on life's a bitch i started rapping to myself he knew i rap because we're going back and forth but when he heard he was like oh i, yo, I need that, man, I need that on the joint. I'm thinking he playing, because I think halftime was out already. He was already, it was crazy in the streets for him. I didn't have belief in myself at the time, you know what I mean? But that was crazy, so hopped on the joint, and did what it did. He kept it on the album. Why didn't you have belief in yourself?

Because it's like the first time we heard you on Life's a Bitch, you're like, who is that? Well, who likes their voice the first time they hear it? it i mean when you was on air for the first time you probably felt like right now yeah yeah yeah i was like yeah and then he was so critically acclaimed in the streets no streets it was like the changing of the guards at the time and i was like he's just being cool you know what i'm saying i could argue that life's a bitch is the best record on Illmatic I can argue that when you think of Illmatic you think of that record I'm thinking cause that album was such a classic album that one but then you got like you said

halftime it ain't hard to tell you got great records but I'm just talking about when you think about the quintessential Crown Jewels from that album. Rob Markman, Jr.: Here's the thing, I think that being the last song that they heard, because his tape was so revered in the streets, and everybody just had it before the album came out. So I think Life's a Bitch was the last song nobody heard or expected. So when they heard it, because you figure nobody could really out rap this guy right here. Right when you're hearing him when you first heard him, when he put me on, I figured he's being nice.

The music in that song was, I think, something different. I mean, you think about it, right? Y'all rapping and then you hear the trumpets at the end, the horns at the end, and the horns are going, and you riding through it. And it was just, that project was just an amazing project. And that hook. Yes.

I don't care where you was at in the world. Right, right, right. You felt that if you was in a certain environment. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I mean, at that time, I guess it was a lot in the streets at that time, you know what I mean? And everybody was just trying to figure it out.

So I think it hit home. Who was that hook? Me. Okay, okay. That was my joint. So he gave you the beat and you did the verse and the hook and everything? No, he didn't give me,

actually, LES was playing the beat and I was just in the studio and I heard it, I was in my own zone, you know, back in the days, well, I don't know how I go now, you know, everybody do studios different, but in the studio, everybody's in the studio, you know what I mean? So these three over there, Smokin' Weed,

them three over there, Drinking Hennessy, I'm probably over there, I'm in my own zone, cause I'm new, I'm from Brooklyn, the whole Queens crew in there, you know, I'm okay, I'm just meeting everybody, but I was in my own zone. And he heard it. He was like, yo, spit that again. I'm like, get out of here.

I told him I spit it. Nah, I spit it. And then he's like, go in the booth. You know, I spit it. I had the hook already. And then they heard it. They was like, yo, that's it. You know what I mean?

It went crazy. I was like, all right, keep it. I still wasn't really, you know, I think it was being nice. But then he kept it on the album. I salute him. Let's go. Were you there for the whole process of that album? Nah, not the... wasn't really you know but then he kept it on the album well you did that's cool we did for the whole process of that album um not not the pie have and y'all recorded that in the city or Queens or not in the city I recorded the city

chunking so now that record comes out right and people of like Charlamagne said who's that who's that who's that and now when did you get your deal cuz everybody thought you were from Harlem. Wow. Because Sugar Hill. You cover all this on one of the greatest. That was just a record, though. I know, but just.

I couldn't correlate it, right? Because I didn't know nothing. I knew about Harlem, but I didn't know about, you know what I mean? The whole situation. So Sugar Hill was taking a bit of it with the suite, right? Because L.E.S. bought the beat. You know what I'm saying? And he already kind of more or less had the hook in his head.

I'm trying to figure it out, right? Because a couple of verses i don't i'm not in album mode i'm trying to figure this whole out some people already was you know you know got the got the deals and know what it took so i had i had to start from scratch so but it's cool but yeah um what you're saying now about but now some people thought you were from harlem because of the sugar hill at first right so you did that record and then you put miss jones on the record right right how do you hook up with miss jones during that time um at that time we was we was trying to figure out who was gonna sing on the hook we had we had faith evans like a couple of people auditioned and jones she hit it hit it so me being naive to everything i was just i'm flown i'm just trying to get to it

you know i mean yeah that's crazy i thought i always thought assumed you was from queens until Me being naive to everything, I was just flown. I'm flown. I'm just trying to get to it. You know what I mean? That's crazy. I always thought, assumed you was from Queens until I read up on your history back in the day. And I'm like, oh, he's from Brooklyn. And now I think, I'm like, well, damn, how come they don't mention AZ with the great Brooklyn MCs? Whenever somebody be like, who the nicest from Brooklyn? Right, right, right.

Regardless of what borough you would be from, you'd be listed. I mean, my name come up. I mean, I hear it a few times. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. On one of the greatest, you talk about a lot of this history. Was that you just letting people know, like,

this is how I got on, this is what I've been doing, and this is why I'm one of the best that I've ever done? Yeah, well, you know what? I wanted to show another side of me, right? Because most of the time I rap, it's a lot of bravado, just really just spitting poetry. And, you know, I just wanted to show another side of me, right? Because most of the time I rap, it's a lot of varietals, just really just spitting poetry. And I just wanted to really take them on a tour of really the inception and what I've seen and what I've been through,

just to take the fans on a little journey with me. But, yeah, I feel like I'm one of the greatest now. I feel like that. I feel like I'm good. I got enough albums under the belt. I know the greats. I can dance with them. So yeah, I'm going to title myself one of the greatest.

It's a fact. One thing I would say about AZ is coming up in New York, I would see AZ. AZ was always out, right? I would see him at a function, a party, a club, whatever, or out and about. You would never with too many people. Maybe in the beginning.

In the beginning. After a while, I was like, let me figure it out, right? Because early in my career, EMI folded. That was like a slap in the face because, you know, I'm learning the game as we go along. It's a music business, right? So now I'm like the foster kid in the business, right? Because I'm going from label to label to label trying to figure it out.

So you got a lot of luggage on your back.'s hard to really figure things out makes things a little more crazier you know what i mean so yeah yeah i i was shaving the weight as i was moving on was that just the thing to do back then though because everybody had a big entourage um what you mean like as far as being with a bunch of different people you know when you first come in an unknown game you know you want to feel comfortable, right? You know, certain people do certain things that not necessarily you won't do, but that would do at the time.

Meaning like, I know he ain't going to bite his tongue. You know what I mean? Sometimes, hold that down. You know what I'm saying? Or I don't want to hop out the car to go, you know, go see if I can get in the club without standing on the line. You know what I mean? So you need people around for that.

Yeah. You know, Andre see if I get in the club without standing on the line, you know what I mean? So you need people around for that, yeah. You know, Andre 3000 recently said that at his age of 48, he feel like he has nothing to rap about. You clearly don't feel that way. No, no, I mean, for me, everybody different, right? For me, it feel like I'm representing for those that really never made it or see me made it. In my mind, this is me in my mind like, damn, you know, a lot of homies lost their their lives a lot been locked up for a long time so i'm like i'm just representing for them

carrying the torch i probably never stopped now also through your career you guys created the firm ah now how was the firm created and how did you guys decide to pick the members of the firm how was the firm i mean me and nas had that idea for a while uh from for my album for my more money more murder and then from there we fox i knew fox and and she was just at that time i think i don't i'm trying to remember how it really happened but i know kim was doing her thing and then i'm like oh i know somebody from brooklyn he was like cool so then we brought fox to the table and she was getting high I think she did the Jay-Z joint um after that it was it was Nas brought Megan to the table and and and there you have it and then all the other things

took place then y'all decided to do a project with Dre back oh yeah okay with that part with Nas messing with uh Dre and and it was written and he going double platinum made it that much easier. Made it that much easier for the firm to happen. So gave it a shot. You know, everybody was really successfully doing their own thing. You know what I mean? And it made it that easier.

But there was a lot of cooks in the kitchen. You know what I mean? Like management and labels. It became hectic on that and to really, you know, reap the fruits. I was going to ask because I felt like that project never got the light it deserved, right? Y'all stepped outside the box with Wiretap. Your firm biz, I just seen the video the other day. But I felt like with the amount of artists on there,

even when they went from Mega to Nature and you and Fox and Nas I just felt like it should have been a bigger project but it kind of felt

like it just fizzled out I mean it was so much going on it was just so so much man you know you got like I said

different labels management contracts it was just too much I think you know what I mean I guess after they invested so much they

figured like all right this is enough we ain't gonna keep burning the midnight oil on this whose idea was the wiretap i would say i would say it was it was i i say it was mine so i take that because me being in there and dre doing the beat i hopped in there got in the zone um i had i had an idea but the nines came up with the hook. Yeah. It was a good thing, man. That was good. Listen, they still talking about it. Y-Tap is amazing.

They still talking about it. Sometimes. I watch y'all Showtime at the Apollo performance pretty frequently. When y'all did Affirmative Action on Showtime at the Apollo, y'all start off sitting at the table. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you remember that night? Do I remember?

When I see it, I remember. Because when I was young, I remember seeing that on TV and I don't know why that stands out to me so much. And I was watching it recently, like in the last few months. Right, right, right.

You know, you home on a Saturday night going through YouTube. It was that firm performance up there. That was good. What were we performing? Phone tap? Y'all did affirmative action yeah y'all sitting at the table now that on the white joint with the like the cowboy hat i saw it i saw

it i'm thinking about the tour we was on tour um the bad boy tour and that came out a couple of people was on a j so i remember the tour we performed we had a nice little tour it was nice y'all on the bad boy tour back in the day? Yeah. No Way Out tour, I think, I believe. It was a lot of people in there. I know for sure Jay was on it. You remember anything, Envy? He probably was DJing for that. He was DJing. I know it was a couple of, but that was a good tour, you know what I mean?

For all of us being together and really rocking, that was good. How did you always stay out of the, your name was never mentioned in Beef. No matter what Beef happened, and since you were always cool with everybody, whether it was Hov or Nas and Kim and Fox, you were always, but you were never mentioned in the Beef and you never jumped in.

There's nothing to jump in. Like, it's rap. You know what I mean? So how many people jumped in any of the rap? Nobody jumped in Jay and Nas, Beef. Yeah, they tried to jump Nas. The whole Rockefeller jumped in on Nas. Nas is different, right?

Like, when he attacking, he won't tell you. He didn't say, yo, I need help. I need your company. He'll get low when you're on here for a moment. Then he just, ah. You know what I mean? So that was him. Kim and Fox, they, you know, they females.

They was doing what they was doing. I don't even think they went on wax, did they? Couple times. Not really. Little bars in there. Yeah, couple bars. Yeah, yeah. That ain't crazy.

You titled this album Truth Be Told. Right. What truth were you telling? My truth. Just my truth. When I did one of the greats, I felt like I was just being personal. I took the title from there and all of the other songs was just me just expressing my my perspective you know what i mean so yeah how'd you

pick your features you only got three features on the album you got moomoo fresh joe farrell much i mean fowl march stand up all day liverpool liverpool monster i actually he was on um 36 seasons that ghost did that was crazy i always wanted you know do a record with him at the end of the day um joe me and joe joe was just there joe good brother you know i mean actually from him giving me sneakers i kind of seen him back to back after that at the naza the dinner thing you know i just kept running into him I'm like okay I got Joe and Joe get busy and Mumu she was a bit on a show I supposed to been on I was like who's Mumu fresh and I looked up she was crazy she's we got to do more music our voices phenomenal yeah rap sing rap too right

yeah so she said that's her singing and rapping yes yes yes what's the show you supposed to be on excuse me you say oh you say the show you were supposed to be on? Excuse me? Oh, you said the show? They was doing a show together. I don't even know. It was a band, and they wanted me to do the show, and then they had her on it and someone else. I just looked her up.

I was like, who am I doing the show with? You know what I mean? Trying to follow up, so yeah. What do you think? Was there any disconnect with you and the industry back in the 90s? Because it feels like you were set up to like win and win big yeah but like i said when emr folded everybody has a label that pushes them i didn't have a label at that time so it's a wrap to me right so in my mind i keep on going so i'm going from from there to virgin from virgin to electro from electro the most like i kept the beauty of it i've never been

dropped and the beauty of it is they didn't try to shelf me you know what I mean that was a great thing were they making you make music that you necessarily didn't want to make nah nah

I had free will you know it was just that you know if a label not behind you at that time now that we know

the game you're not going but so far you know what I mean because it's a lot they got to put in market promotion radio

if they're not 100% behind you nothing's happening you think you get the credit they got to put in. Market, promotion, radio. If they're not 100% behind you, nothing's happening. You think you get the credit and acknowledgement that you put in and all the records that you've done that you deserve, especially this year with 50 Years of Hip Hop.

Right. You see all these celebrations and I'm thinking, I'm like, damn, I've never seen AZ mentioned in majority of them. Right. Hmm. Do I? I never really thought about that either.

I mean, I'm here. You know, I'm independent. I've been in the game, I think, in due time. about that either I mean I'm here you know I'm independent I've been in the game I think in due time you know everything has surfaced but I mean the true heads

they know what it is you know what I mean they know I'm sure but like I said this is a business let's not forget that you know and there's a lot of things

that go behind these names and things that's being done you know a lot of sponsorship a lot of people vouching for certain things and it's cool i mean i'm sure the love is there within the music business and outside like i'm kind of cool everybody got a position to play at the end of the day you know what i'm saying like i stand on it it's cool you know you got those as there you got those

is really there and you got those is right here you know i figure i'm right here you know what i mean and and and that's my position and it was always rumors that you and nas were supposed to do a couple of albums together whatever happened to that when we had we got the life's a bitch more money more problems listen that's my brother you gotta ask that man you know what i mean but i'm here whenever you ready i'm here did he inspire you you know with what he was doing with hit boy over the last few years? Yeah, yeah, facts, facts. He definitely did. I mean, to see him constantly put music out and stay relevant and as his pen gets sharper, it inspires me. Like, yeah, that's my boy.

And that's what made me just really, of course I had to put Door.12, but now just staying on it right now. Ain't no like, yo, this is my last album, yo. Nah, we ain't doing that. And where did the visualizerizer where did that come from visualizing the real isabel and you took it from there oh okay okay okay took it from there they gave me that title so they started calling people's yeah wow wow wow what what what did what did you what did you visualize for yourself that that absolutely came true in this rap game?

That's the little dream for all my peeps that never made it. And that's it? That's it. That's all. Can't ask for too much. The reason I like that mentality, man, is because you got so many people that are like, I want to be a billionaire. I want to sell 100 million records.

Sometimes just being alive is enough. Being able to represent for the people who are not here no more. Great expectations bring great disappointment. You know what being able to represent for the people who not here no more. Great expectations bring great disappointment. You know what I mean? So, yeah. So have you ever had any expectations for yourself in this game?

In this game? Yeah. Just to stay relevant. And I think I'm doing a good job, you know? And staying out the way. You know, just be a lot. I see a lot of things

are used for marketing tools. Like, you know, when I see things and I can't really understand what's going on. And you sit back and be like, oh, I see what's going on. So, it's just a game. It's a game of entertainment. I'm figuring out. And it's late in the game, but I get it now. Because sometimes I'll be like, why would you want to mess the money up?

Like, why is God? I get it now. You know what I mean? Everybody uses different tools to make their shit move you know that's why i love when people our age still make music right because i'm riding i'm listening to your album and you just had one line you was like get money give back stay out the way i'm like that's my life that's what i like that's that sums up sums up everything life. Sums up everything. Get money, get back, stay out the way. It becomes beautiful after that.

Word up. And people's, in time, a few people figure it out, and then some people regret it later. Like, damn, I could have, you know what I mean? So, yeah, I'm just enjoying the journey at the end of the day. That's it. Well, the album is out right now. Yes. Truth Be Told.

Yes, sir. And we appreciate you for joining us, brother. I appreciate you for having me. First time up here. That, sir. And we appreciate you for joining us, brother. I appreciate you for having me first time up here. That's right. And it was great to walk up the stairs. It was a good thing.

That was good. All right, it's the brother AZ. Yes, yes. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. Thank you. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka-stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-a-stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their

journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself.

You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Jenny Garth, Jana Kramer, Amy Robach, and TJ Holmes bring you I Do Part Two, a one-of-a-kind experiment in podcasting to help you find love again. Hey, I'm Jana Kramer. I'm Jenny Garth. Hi, everyone. I'm Amy Robach. And I'm TJ Holmes. And we are, well, not necessarily relationship

experts. If you're ready to dive back into the dating pool and find lasting love. We want to help. Listen to I Do Part 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks

while running errands or at the end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network,

iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.