Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972), better known by his stage name AZ, is an American rapper. Best known for his work with fellow East Coast rapper Nas, the two formed the New York City-based hip hop group the Firm in 1996, along with Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature.
Cruz most notably guest appeared on Nas' 1994 single "Life's a Bitch," and signed with EMI to release his debut studio album, Doe or Die (1995), which was met with critical acclaim. Its lead single, "Sugar Hill" (featuring Miss Jones) peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Moreover, The Firm's sole album (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart despite unfavorable critical response; the group disbanded two years later.
Upon EMI's dissolution, he was transferred to its sister labels, Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records, through which he released his second album, Pieces of a Man (1998), to continued acclaim. Afterward, Cruz signed with Motown and Universal Records to release his third and fourth albums, 9 Lives (2001) and Aziatic (2002). The latter contained the song "The Essence" (featuring Nas), which earned a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards.
Online magazine About.com listed AZ as the "Most Underrated [Rapper] of All Time". AZ also made it onto the site's "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)", where he was named "arguably the most underrated lyricist ever".
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