By Odeisel
AZ is joining the long trail of 90s acts that have decided to return to the scene of their greatest triumphs with part 2’s of their best albums. On his path to Doe or Die 2 he’s been a bit hit or miss, not packing the compelling wallop of the original, but he hasn’t sucked, and in this market, between weak competition and rosy lensed nostalgia, that’s enough to get by for now. His latest track, “The Calm” produced by Statik Selektahm and designated for the 15th anniversary rerelease of the original Doe or Die is a mellow mix of a solid melody and smooth delivery from “The Visualizer.”
There is soulful brass undercurrent that lives beneath the drums of the track. Soft singing and faint strings add an airy angelic yet melancholic feel to the track. Cymbals add a bit of subtle drama and intermittent keys add character. The scratched in samples add boom-bap to the track.
AZ’s charismatic flow is the same as it ever was and his tales of the street light no glorify the hood but make you aware of the danger without creating dystopia. He never overdoes it by trying to create a nightmare vision of urban America but conversely there is no romance to how AZ describes life out there. Everything is a hustle. People are willing to scratch and fight for survival and if you’re going to live with the wolves, be prepared to bare your fangs. The track is one verse long with no breaks although longer than a traditional 16 bars and ends up short and sweet.
Everyone else has met varying degrees of success returning to their “essence.” This track does not veer away from who AZ is but doesn’t shed light on how far he has progressed. Perhaps it’s “The Calm” before the storm. Enjoy.
AZ-“The Calm”
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