Pieces of a Man
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| Pieces of a Man | ||
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| Studio album by AZ | ||
| Released | April 7, 1998 | |
| Genre | Hip Hop | |
| Length | 53:53 | |
| Label | Noo Trybe Records | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| AZ chronology | ||
| Doe or Die (1995) |
Pieces of a Man (1998) |
S.O.S.A. (Save Our Streets AZ) (2000) |
Pieces of a Man is AZ's sophomore effort. The album is vastly different from his debut, Doe or Die. It contained fun, party tracks as opposed to Doe or Die's grimey, street oriented lyrics and production. Because of this, many fans were upset and quickly branded it a "sophomore slump". However, a lot of people today who look back on the album realize how impressive and unique AZ's flow, charisma, and rhyming style were on Pieces of a Man. The first single was supposed to be "Hey AZ" featuring SWV. That song had the same sample as Mariah Carey's song "Honey". Both were released in summer of 1997. The song "Hey AZ" had a video as well but for some reason when the album was released in Spring 1998, the song was not on there. The initial disappointment only showed that his fans were not ready for the change in mood. This was very similar to some Nas fans shunning his own sophomore release, It Was Written. After the album, Noo Trybe Records took AZ off of their roster.
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "New Life (Album Intro)" | Goldfinga | AZ |
| 2 | "I'm Known" | Goldfinga | AZ |
| 3 | "How Ya Livin'" | L.E.S. | AZ, Nas |
| 4 | "Trading Places" | Poke and Tone | AZ |
| 5 | "What's The Deal" | Poke and Tone | AZ |
| 6 | "Love Is Love" | Poke and Tone | AZ, Nature |
| 7 | "The Pay Back" | Gucci Jones | AZ |
| 8 | "Just Because" | L.E.S. | AZ |
| 9 | "SOSA" | Poke and Tone | AZ |
| 10 | "It's A Boy Thing" | Poke and Tone | AZ |
| 11 | "Pieces Of A (Black) Man" | Poke and Tone | AZ |
| 12 | "Last Dayz" | Kenny 'Smoove' Kornegay | AZ, Monifah |
| 13 | "Whatever Happened (The Birth)" | RZA | AZ, RZA |
| 14 | "Trial Of The Century" | Nashiem Myrick | AZ |
| 15 | "Betcha Don't Know" | Tony Dofat | AZ |
[edit] Samples
How Ya Livin'
- "Show Me" by Glenn Jones
Love Is Love
- "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" by Nina Simone
- "Happy Birthday Maggie" by Hans Zimmer
The Pay Back
- "Like A Tattoo" by Sade
Betcha Don't Know
- "Betcha Don't Know" by Najee
[edit] Album Chart Positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1998 | Pieces Of A Man | #22 | #5 |
