The War Report
NewNewYork
Nas did more for AZ in the music biz than most people ever do for other people. AZ is his mans, so it’s deeper than music. They’re like two sides of the same coin. AZ just doesn’t have the depth that Nas has as an artist.
I think you give AZ too much credit. He is a dope rapper but doesn't have as much commercial appeal. He's one of my favorite rappers too. Also, his rhyme scheme is always the same so you know what to expect with him. He's not blowing your mind with like anything super lyrical, just great rhymes, flow, and production.
AZ just never seemed to pull it all together. That Premo remix of D'Angelo "Lady" was a huge look, but he didn't capitalize and keep that momentum going. Then there was The Firm, but that wasn't a good look for anyone involved. It had some heat, but was all over the place with too many cooks in the kitchen. AZ even had a joint with JD that appeared on the Caught Up soundtrack, which I thought was better than the original "Hey AZ". This was right before or around the time "Money Ain't A Thang" dropped.
Nas definitely didn't hold AZ back. AZ kind of put himself in Nas's shadow. He made a lot of moves that at times mimicked what Nas was doing. Then there's the fact that people anticipated their collaboration, but I'm not sure if any of them were ever pushed. "The Essence" was Grammy nominated without a video or even that song being pushed as single.