DOD2

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"I always like looking for something new, something different," McDaniels (Ralph McDaniels- video music box ) said. "I was familiar with J.Period's original CD mixtape. I was like, 'This is kinda dope.' That's when we started talking about it. So I'll take the visuals. Sometimes, the visuals don't match, because there might be edits and all kinds of things like that involved. I have to find something that fits for that particular scene. I have to use my imagination and think about the fans as well. What would they like to see? Because I'm a music-video person, I live for the visuals. ... We try to input some of these things in to the video mixes. Biggie don't have a lot of videos he did, maybe only like five or six videos he was in. So we had to get creative. Thankfully, the ones we put out, they were ones he had videos for. But there's some songs like 'Party and Bullsh--' that there were no videos for. But there's footage out there of him performing. That's the creative stuff we had to work on fitting it together."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rapper Creates HeyAZ.com To Celebrate Hip-Hop & It’s Fashionable Culture

New York, NY – March 29, 2010 – Anthony Cruz, better known in the hip-hop community as AZ, had an entrepreneurial vision to create a digital platform for the hip-hop culture. That vision has been realized with the launch of HeyAZ.com.

AZ, a rapper of Afro-Dominican decent, has had a long and varied career within the music industry. Hailing from Brooklyn, AZ is best known for being a rhyme partner of Nas and a member of the hip-hop super group The Firm. He first made waves when he was the only featured guest rapper on Nas’ debut album Illmatic. Noted for his multi-syllabic rhymes and lyrical content that is deep, street-smart, and philosophical, many consider AZ to be a lyrical genius. As a solo artist, AZ has released 7 albums including Aziatic, which included the Grammy-nominated track "The Essence”. AZ will release his newest album, Doe or Die 2, in the summer of 2010.

However, being one of hip-hop’s leading innovators is not enough for AZ. As AZ puts it, "There are two types of people in the world, trend-setters & trend-sweaters.” Throughout his travels and experiences, he has grown from artist to entrepreneur. Aware of the fast-paced world of modern society, AZ noticed the “here-today-gone-tomorrow” nature of the music industry. To counteract this notion, AZ envisioned a mobile/web-based archive that embraces and celebrates the past, present, and future of the hip-hop community. It is his goal to allow fans the opportunity to delve deeper into hip-hop’s ever-changing landscape of music, fashion, and technology.

HeyAZ.com is the fruition of that vision. HeyAZ acts as a hip-hop museum, social network, and as an online mobile music and media zone. When a visitor first enters the site, they will be brought to The Anthony Cruz Museum of Hip-Hop & Fashion where they will find the hottest news, blogs, and videos. From there, users can make their way to the WavyTUNES section of the site. WavyTUNES was designed by AZ to simplify international music and media distribution. Users will be able to buy music and videos from artists all across the globe. This innovative feature allows all artists, from independents to major players, to expose their music to a demographic they might not currently be reaching. WavyTUNES is a one-stop shop for fans to find the music they desperately crave. Finally, there is DOD2 (named for the upcoming Doe or Die 2 album). DOD2 is an area of the site reserved for the most ardent fans of AZ. If a fan is dying for information on the album or AZ, this is the place to be.

In Manhattan yesterday, Moises de la Renta, son of Oscar, debuted his very first collection, a limited edition T-shirt line called MDLR for a Spanish chain. Moises has been widely quoted for saying his designs meld his father's classic aesthetic with a younger, rock and roll edge. He said he went after traditional romantic themes: "from pretty patchworks with summer flowers in somber colors such as rose, violet, grey and black to graphic illusions which combine transparent effects, with shiny gems and adornments in between." For between $36 to $50, snag an MDLR T-shirt at Mango stores this month.

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