S. Samuel
Rap veteran AZ has updated fans on his relationship with longtime friend/collaborator Nas and how they came back together after an extended hiatus in the 2000's.
AZ said their early mid-1990’s career decisions ultimately guided them into separate paths.
“His career took off on a whole other level at the end of the day and dealing with a lot of things, it puts people in certain zones that they need to be in to progress and sh*t,” AZ explained in an interview. “I understood that he was doing what he had to do and it was like a new role for him and he had to stay focused. I was over here trying to keep my thing alive, doing what I do and the independent thing [which] was a new thing for me because we both started off with majors and was used to that machine. Then I chose to go independent and that was a whole other monster itself. So, when I bumped back up with him, it was like we never loss a step because there wasn’t no bad blood or malice involved. It was like everyone was growing. When you grow, even as brothers, certain people got different paths in life and they gotta handle things accordingly, so it was understood.” (XXL Mag)
In early August, AZ hinted at an upcoming rap game takeover courtesy of him and Nas.
“Friends become strangers just to destroy an rebuild… Nas u think they ready? D*mn the rap game is about to get a face lift!!! I’m reloaded,” he tweeted August 4th. (AZ’s Twitter)
In December, the rapper reflected on Nas’ relevance in hip-hop.
“He’s legendary in the game, that’s my man,” AZ said in an interview with Mikey T The Movie Star. “Everything is a blessing. Like I said, just being here and doing what I’m doing is a blessing. And you know with the work that Nas put in, it’s self-explanatory, it’s my boy. I mean that’s him, you always seen he was going that route. He’s for the peoples, man. We all go through our lives and journeys and people pick different paths and I think that’s a good path. We need it out here.” (Movie Star Status DVD)
Last fall, he revealed plans to hang up the microphone for good.
“I think after [my next album] Doe or Die 2, I’ma wrap it up,” AZ revealed in an interview. “It’s been fun, it’s been fun, I did good. You gotta go out like [undefeated boxer Floyd] Mayweather. Mayweather go out, he’ll jump back in but he’s gonna go out without scars. So I’m cool, I did a good job.” (Mikey T The Movie Star)
Check out some past AZ footage below:
