AZ - Pieces Of A Man Appreciation

surv2syn

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Why did hey az get scrapped that was a big song in nyc

dont remember exactly but that song was released in the summer of 97 and The Firm was released in the fall so they delayed the release of Pieces until the following spring. this was a critical period and probably why AZ didnt have a bigger career. he signed with Noo Trybe/Virgin as opposed to Def Jam that year. after his album was released, they dropped him. the shockwaves from the Firm flop was a crazy ripple effect. if you watch the new Chronicles series featuring Ruff Ryders it details how the rise of X saved Def Jam from extinction in 98, starting just ONE month after Pieces of a Man was released.
 

Mike Wins

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Mariah Carey's Honey used the same sample:


Here's where you can tell AZ was on the right path but didn't have the right management or label to push his tracks

Hey AZ used same sample as Mariah Carey's Honey and came out a few weeks earlier but got buried by the Mariah-Bad Boy track for obvious reasons. The Mariah version hit #1

Just Because, another easy hit in the shiny suit era, was not released or pushed as a single by the label, but same sample was used 3 years later for Janet Jackson's #1 hit All For You

How Ya Livin sample was used 3 years later by Ice Cube and Bone for a moderate hit. Again, track not released or pushed as a single.

AZ knew literally zeroed in and selected two samples that were Billboard #1 hits shortly after but his label gave him zero push.

If his management or label had a clue he'd have been on the Mariah track dropping one of the Hey AZ verses and been a household name
 
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