Even though certain tracks show AZ focusing on the finer things in living an exotic life, tracks such as the gritty “Ritual” and the soulful “Different” show AZ embracing the grimy nature of the genre or expressing the hardships of life he’s had to endure. The content that AZ provides is more mature and greatly displays his growth over the years. Almost four decades in the game and AZ is solidifying his legendary status while his rapping is aging like fine wine. “Three decades, hittin’ the fourth / A fifth of Smirnoff pour for n****s caught in the cross” is a fitting line for the lyrical content that AZ delivers on this album. The exotic and polished production compliments AZ’s slick style perfectly, allowing his lyricism to prosper throughout the project. Compared to its antecedent, Doe or Die II provides a similar atmosphere but definitively stands out in a catalog of classics. The sequel to AZ’s classic project undertakes a satisfying run time of 42 minutes and thirteen songs making up the tracklist. Over twenty-five years since the release of its predecessor, Doe or Die II provides listeners a balance of mature content and inspiring rhymes that greatly represent the fundamentals of hip-hop. Since then, AZ has put in the blood, sweat and tears into his craft and developed a lifetime’s worth of experience, enough to supply fans with a sequel to his most definitive album.
In 1994, AZ made tremendous waves in hip-hop through his classic feature on the classic Illmatic cut, “Life’s a Bitch.” This opened the flood gates for a massive anticipation towards a debut record, which he delivered with his classic album, Doe or Die, in 1995. Brooklyn legend AZ finally delivers the highly anticipated sequel to his classic debut, twenty-five years after its release, displaying his immense growth as an emcee.
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