| Pieces of a Man | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by AZ | |
|
Released |
April 7, 1998 |
|
Recorded |
June 1997 - February 1998 |
|
Studio |
The Hit Factory |
|
Genre |
East Coast hip hop, Mafioso rap, Hardcore hip hop, Conscious hip hop |
|
Length |
51:23 |
|
Label |
Noo Trybe Records |
|
Producer |
AZ (exec.), Goldfinga, Gucci Jones, L.E.S., Nashiem Myrick, RZA, Kenny "Smoove" Kornegay, Tony Dofat, Trackmasters (exec.), Damien "Deo" Blyden (also exec.), Big Jon Platt (also exec.), |
| AZ chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Doe or Die (1995) |
|
Next |
9 Lives (2001) |
Pieces of a Man is the second studio album by American rapper AZ, released in April 7, 1998 on Noo Trybe Records. Recording sessions took place at The Hit Factory, Electric Lady Studios, House of Sound, Right Track Recording, Daddy's House and Funhouse Recording in New York City from June 1997 to February 1998. Production was handled by Trackmasters, Tony Dofat, RZA, Nashiem Myrick, Kenny "Smoove" Kornegay, L.E.S. and Goldfinga & Gucci Jones. It features guest appearances from Nas, RZA, Monifah, Half-A-Mil, Kenny Greene, Nature, Foxy Brown, Panama P.I. and Keanna Henson.
The album peaked at #22 on the US Billboard 200 and #5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Pieces of a Man sold 438,000 copies in the United States. Pieces of a Man released the singles: "What the Deal" and "Hey AZ". The album was highly praised for its complex and insightful lyricism.
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "New Life (Album Intro)" | AZ | Goldfinga | 1:22 |
| 2. | "I'm Known" | AZ | Goldfinga | 2:11 |
| 3. | "How Ya Livin'" | AZ, Nas | L.E.S. | 4:30 |
| 4. | "Trading Places" | AZ | Trackmasters | 3:43 |
| 5. | "What's the Deal" | AZ | Trackmasters | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Love Is Love" | AZ, Half-a-Mil, Nature | Goldfinga, Gucci Jones, AZ | 5:14 |
| 7. | "The Pay Back" | AZ | Goldfinga, Gucci Jones | 3:06 |
| 8. | "Just Because" | AZ | L.E.S. | 2:53 |
| 9. | "SOSA" | AZ | Trackmasters | 2:05 |
| 10. | "It's a Boy Thing" | AZ, Nature | Trackmasters | 4:02 |
| 11. | "Pieces of a (Black) Man" | AZ | Trackmasters | 3:44 |
| 12. | "Last Dayz" | AZ, Monifah | Smoove | 5:19 |
| 13. | "Whatever Happened (The Birth)" | AZ, RZA | RZA | 3:37 |
| 14. | "Trial of the Century" | AZ | Nashiem Myrick | 4:27 |
| 15. | "Betcha Don't Know" | AZ | Tony Dofat | 3:54 |