LunaticVillage415
All Star
Not many folks claiming to be Hip Hop heads know that the real AZ, Azie Faison from Harlem who the movie Paid in Full was based on, was a rapper. AZ from East New York, Brooklyn who debuted as the only guest rapper on Nas Illmatic is widely regarded as one of the most slept on rappers of all time. But the real Azie is even more slept on. Maybe because I'm biased being from the Bay Area, California where we actually appreciate raw underground independently produced and distributed Rap called Mob music made by actual gangsters. 
If Rap music is all about authenticity, few rap groups of all time were realer than Mob Style.
What was dope about Azie was the fact that he really lived that life, but never glamorized it. I think anyone who really sold drugs to their own people and saw their friends die would ever glorify the game. That's why I look at Hov funny sometimes for lowkey glorifying his completely alleged hustling days in Marcy. Azie is like the real Gusto from CB4. But even though Azie lived the life of a ruthless drug lord, you could tell he realized the error of his ways after he was shot seven times and after his homie Rich Porter was murdered.
Azie and Mobstyle were some of the first real gangsta rappers from NYC. Yeah, KRS dropped Criminal Minded in like 87'. But Mobstyle debut was some real slick get money get fly Uptown shyt that was also socially conscious and pro-black. For example, Azie talks about the Central Park Five where teenagers in Harlem were accused of raping women in Central Park in 89' on "Uptown Harlem" on Mob Style debut album. And Mob Style message was about convincing brothers not to sell drugs. Mob Style also beefed with NWA. And NWA actually clapped back with a diss track when they toured with Public Enemy and got boo'd off stage in NYC. Azie lowkey destroyed Eazy E on "I ain't trying to Diss Nobody". Mob Style just had bars and they sampled a bunch of beats before others did on their debut (i.e. "Rough" has the same sample as "Born in Raised in Compton" by DJ Quik and "Uptown Harlem" has the same sample as "We're all in the Same Gang" by the West Coast Allstars.). Mob Style predicted the shift in New York rap towards raw street shyt years and years before Wu-Tang, Nas, Black Moon etc. etc. And Mob Style lowkey influenced those groups as well. Their debut is classic material and needs to be remastered asap.
If Rap music is all about authenticity, few rap groups of all time were realer than Mob Style.What was dope about Azie was the fact that he really lived that life, but never glamorized it. I think anyone who really sold drugs to their own people and saw their friends die would ever glorify the game. That's why I look at Hov funny sometimes for lowkey glorifying his completely alleged hustling days in Marcy. Azie is like the real Gusto from CB4. But even though Azie lived the life of a ruthless drug lord, you could tell he realized the error of his ways after he was shot seven times and after his homie Rich Porter was murdered.
Azie and Mobstyle were some of the first real gangsta rappers from NYC. Yeah, KRS dropped Criminal Minded in like 87'. But Mobstyle debut was some real slick get money get fly Uptown shyt that was also socially conscious and pro-black. For example, Azie talks about the Central Park Five where teenagers in Harlem were accused of raping women in Central Park in 89' on "Uptown Harlem" on Mob Style debut album. And Mob Style message was about convincing brothers not to sell drugs. Mob Style also beefed with NWA. And NWA actually clapped back with a diss track when they toured with Public Enemy and got boo'd off stage in NYC. Azie lowkey destroyed Eazy E on "I ain't trying to Diss Nobody". Mob Style just had bars and they sampled a bunch of beats before others did on their debut (i.e. "Rough" has the same sample as "Born in Raised in Compton" by DJ Quik and "Uptown Harlem" has the same sample as "We're all in the Same Gang" by the West Coast Allstars.). Mob Style predicted the shift in New York rap towards raw street shyt years and years before Wu-Tang, Nas, Black Moon etc. etc. And Mob Style lowkey influenced those groups as well. Their debut is classic material and needs to be remastered asap.
