Line for Line: AZ "Whips and Kicks"

Ba-BAH! All rise for another "Line for Line" post, where we examine the lyrical genius of a dope verse. Today we're going with east coast all-pro AZ who really is one of the best MCs out there despite a somewhat offputting catalog. We all respect AZ around here, and you should too, it's just his albums have too much fluff (I guess) so we don't spin them that often but we do fill up our mp3 players with his many dope shits (The Format especially).

So our dope AZ verse for today somehow comes courtesy of Raekwon and the fifty mixtapes and albums he's put out over the last few years. This is a 'back in the day track' called Whips & Kicks, where Raekwon and AZ spit about cars and shoes repsectively. I've made it clear in the past that these are two subjects that I could care less about. Cars? Who cares? Shoes? You're a dumbass for writing anything about shoes. But on this track the subject matter is fine because two capable MCs are spitting on it. No dumbasses here. So let's hear the track and we'll get to the review in a sec, okay?


Straight up, Raekwon is dope on this track. He kicks a decent rap about old school cars (the ones that people actually owned). He sounds like his battery is almost dead but he still comes correct. Good verse.

AZ, on the other hand, shows how hip hop is done. He takes the topic of shoes (which I absolutely hate) and kills a verse about them. Why? His flow is dead on time. DEAD ON TIME. DEADLY. Like holy shit. Young MCs should study this flow. Young MC should study his flow. Learn it. Know it. Be it. Flow on. Clear? AZ's rhymes are also densely stacked, and he owns the topic. I'll be honest, I don't even know what he's talking about half the time, probably because I don't give a rip about shoes. I don't even give half a rip. I don't even know what a rip is. But AZ's flow is deadly. Maybe we should check the lyrics and see if we can decipher any of this

Eighty-four mopeds, Blue and white Pro-Keds
Just started puff'n, Got instructions for an old head
Co-ved, Wally rock'n niggas tryna grow dreads
Back in the bush, Church Ave. on the jux
Shell toes, Black and white, No laces in em
Pat U-edition had his whole face in em
Straight leg denims, Taylor made shit
Kareem Laker colors, Low cut suede tip
Stay dipped, Stan Smith lay sick
Two-toned colors, Put the taps on the rubber
Puma rock'n nigga, Fuck a womber I was bigger
See a bitch in seconds an assumed that I could rip her
None hipper, Copped kicks with the zippers
The Filas arrived, It was Levi's and high
In V Tracks I was simply the mack
Everything I snatched had to match with the hat
Reebok rocker, Whole crew couldn't knock us
Fuck who? Only thing to do was just glock us
Valley Competitions and the Jordan's hit stores
I'm sitting reminiscing, T. La Rock it's yoursNow fast forward time nigga still on the grind
Haters everywhere, Nigga still gotta shine
Gucci's all kinds, Switch em up for the weather
Louis' in lime, Only do it for the pleasure
Come fresher, From the tech on the dresser
Fifth in the waist, Still crys'd and I'm laced

Okay! I still don't get it, but what a great verse. Great beat too. If you understand the lyrics, then good for you, the song is probably even better. Good job AZ (as always)!

WHIPS AND KICKS SCORE 9/10

AZ SCORE 10/10

A 10