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Doe or Die

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Doe or Die
The cover depicts a funeral. In the center of it is a portrait of AZ, surrounded with flowers. In front of the portrait is an opened coffin, with money inside of it. At the top of the cover is the text "Doe or Die" in a blocky green font. On the right side, next to the coffin lid, is the dark red text "AZ", placed at an angle to the viewer.
Studio album by
AZ
ReleasedOctober 10, 1995 (1995-10-10)
Recorded1994–1995
Genre
Length45:24
LabelEMI
Producer
AZ chronology
Doe or Die
(1995) 		The Album
(1997)
Singles from Doe or Die
  1. "Sugar Hill"
    Released: June 27, 1995

Doe or Die is the debut studio album by rapper AZ, released October 10, 1995, by EMI Records. The album features guest appearances by artists such as Nas and Miss Jones, and production from N.O. Joe, Pete Rock, L.E.S., and Buckwild, among others. The album spawned the single "Sugar Hill" - which was certified gold by the RIAA in 1995.

Upon release, Doe or Die achieved notable critical and commercial success. The album peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200,[1] and #1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.[2] Doe or Die produced several singles, including, "Mo Money, Mo Murder," "Gimme Yours (remix)," "Doe or Die" and "Sugar Hill" - which was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1995.[3] The album went on to sell over a million copies[4] A sequel, Doe or Die II, was released on September 10, 2021.

Content

The album incorporates fictitious tales chronicling the underworld lifestyle of organized crime. These cinematic narratives often depict a mobster's ascent to fame and wealth.[citation needed] Further emphasizing these themes, the cover of Doe or Die portrays AZ as an honoree of an elaborate mob funeral. Within the cover, a portrait of AZ is surrounded by flowers, while the body of the rapper is buried in a casket that contains large amounts of dollars.[5] In addition, the liner notes and the back of the album features images of AZ counting money, drinking expensive wine, and smoking cigars.[citation needed]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
RapReviews8.5/10[9]
Richmond Times[10]
The Source[11]
Spin7/10[12]

Upon its release, Doe or Die received generally favorable reviews from most music critics. Stanton Swihart from AllMusic compared certain aspects of it to Nas' debut album Illmatic, stating "The two albums are very much the twin sides of the same double-headed coin. They are so closely connected, in fact, that it's difficult to pinpoint where Doe or Die's points of departure are located." He viewed it as "one of the strongest, most promising debut efforts of 1995" and one of the strongest rap albums of the year.[6] Christian Hoard from Rolling Stone called it a "literate, sensitive look at street life that sits comfortably, as a companion, next to Nas' masterpiece (Illmatic)."[8] Selwyn Seyfu Hinds from Spin noted the well-defined structure of the album, comparing AZ's delivery to Kool G Rap's.[12]

Although praising the album's lyricism, Los Angeles Times writer Cheo H. Coker criticized the album's production, describing some of it as "lackluster beats".[7] In a retrospective review, a critic for RapReviews labeled Doe or Die as "AZ's best album to date", with the "most replay value". The reviewer believed it deserves to be mentioned alongside albums such as Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., It Was Written, and Reasonable Doubt for popularizing the Mafioso style rap, highlighting the fact that Doe or Die preceded two of them. Simultaneously, he criticized some of the album's production and its lack of consistency. He ended the review, saying "All in all, this album is slept on and should be viewed as a gem that must be in every true head's collection".[9]

Track listing

# Title Performer(s) Producer(s) Time
1 "Intro" AZ,
Lunatic Mind 		1:18
2 "Uncut Raw"
  • AZ
 Loose 2:59
3 "Gimme Yours"
  • Intro/chorus: Nas
  • Verses: AZ
 Pete Rock 3:07
4 "Ho Happy Jackie"
  • AZ
 Buckwild 3:34
5 "Rather Unique"
  • AZ
 Pete Rock 4:49
6 "I Feel for You"
  • Verses: AZ
  • Backing vocals: Erica Scott
 Amar Pep 3:03
7 "Sugar Hill" L.E.S. 4:09
8 "Mo Money, Mo Murder"
  • AZ, Nas
 DR Period 6:32
9 "Doe or Die"
  • AZ
 N.O. Joe 4:39
10 "We Can't Win"
  • Intro/first verse/outro: Amar Pep
  • Second verse/hook: Barsham
  • Third verse: AZ
 Amar Pep 3:23
11 "Your World Don't Stop"
  • AZ
 Spunk Biggs,
Ski 		3:33
12 "Sugar Hill (Remix)"
  • AZ
 L.E.S. 4:18

Personnel

Album singles

  • "Sugar Hill"
    • Released: June 27, 1995
    • B-side: "Rather Unique"
  • "Gimme Yours (Remix)" [Non-album single]
    • Released: December 5, 1995
    • B-side: "Uncut Raw"
  • "Doe or Die"
    • Released: April 2, 1996
    • B-side: "Mo Money, Mo Murder (Homicide)"

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 15
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1

Singles

Year Song Chart positions
US
Hot 100 		US
R&B 		US
Rap 		US
Rhythm 		US Dance
Sales
1995 "Gimme Yours" 115 51 30 — 21
"Sugar Hill" 25 12 3 28 4
"Doe or Die" — 69 24 — 28

Doe or Die: 15th Anniversary

A 15th anniversary edition of Doe or Die was released on November 30, 2010, by AZ's own Quiet Money Records. Doe or Die: 15th Anniversary features production from Frank Dukes, Dave Moss, Statik Selektah, Baby Paul, Lil' Fame from M.O.P., and Roctimus Prime.[13] The album also features vocals from R&B singer June Summers.[14] All the songs from the original Doe or Die are remixed with a new beat.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  2. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  3. ^ "Riaa - Gold & Platinum - Riaa.com". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01.
  4. ^ "AZ Interview".
  5. ^ Cruz, Anthony (October 10, 2015). "AZ Remembers the History & Impact of 'Doe or Die' on Its 20th Anniversary". Billboard (Interview). Interviewed by Diep, Eric. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Swihart, Stanton. Doe or Die at AllMusic. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Coker, Cheo H. (November 5, 1995). "Calendar: Record Rack – AZ, 'Doe or Die'". Los Angeles Times. p. 68. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  9. ^ a b Mr. S (March 23, 2002). "AZ :: Doe or Die :: EMI Records". RapReviews. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  10. ^ McConico, Keith (March 1, 1996). "Review: AZ – Doe or Die". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. 73. Retrieved September 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Poluhoff, Nicholas (November 1995). "Record Report: AZ – Doe or Die". The Source. No. 74. New York. p. 91. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Hinds, Selwyn Seyfu (December 1995). "Records: AZ – Doe or Die". Spin. pp. 123–124. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "Producer Baby Paul Talks AZ's "Doe or die 2", New Projects | Get the Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales | HipHopDX". Archived from the original on 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  14. ^ "AZ- Doe or die 15th Anniversary Album Track Listing!!!!! - DOD2 - Lets go!". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  15. ^ "AZ Reveals Details of "Doe or die: 15th Anniversary Edition" | Get the Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales | HipHop DX". Archived from the original on 2012-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
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