Music
Press
"This cat's got one of the illest flows around, and one of the hottest live shows you'll see anywhere. - Toph One
“On aggressive battle track “Road Scholar,” Azeem raps, “Is it what I say? Or the beat that I say it on?” But of course it’s the equal contribution of both that makes Air Cartoons a must-have album for fans of creative, meaningful rap music."
- Thomas Quinlan
“Azeem has been a Thick favorite over the years. He's one of the illest and most slept-on lyricists to ever come out of Oakland.
“Dude is like Saul Williams, Ras Kass and Kool Keith mixed into one rapper!” “When it comes to droppin' knowledge, Azeem is next level.” - -
"This is one of the best albums of the year by one of the hottest MCs I've heard in quite a while.
This guy has the goods, and he's not afraid to show up just about every MC this side of MF Doom as the ciphers they are.
Azeem is just a wonderfully gifted MC, fully in command of his abilities and blessed with the type of consistently phat beats that most MTV rappers would kill for.
He seems to be that rare member of the hip-hop nation who understands the art and science of true lyricism - the poetry and the rhythm, the use of simple simile and metaphor to create complex effect, and the power of direct honesty to carry true sentiment.
This is as fine a rap album as you'll hear all year." - Tim O'neil
"Azeem is a very talented, diverse, creative artist that will achieve many profound feats during his musical endeavors" - -
AZEEM's "Air Cartoons" is currently at #3 on the CMJ Charts and has remained in the top 4 for 5 weeks now.
- #3 in the country on College Radio
"AIR CARTOONS brings the street-famed poet to trunk subs and iPod buds with bent-over-the-knee authority, spirit spewing from belly to the “Tip of the tongue, the teeth & the lips”.
If progression is the name, Azeem's production team brings big game. With heavy hitters like Z-Trip and DJ Quest, the album ditches played bass and snare mediocrity and shimmers in its unconventional metallic threads"
- Ryan E. Rodriguez
“California Bay Area emcee Azeem is undoubtedly one of the most gifted writers in music, and especially in hip-hop.”
- Quentin B. Huff
“This album is another great example of the diverse music being churned out in the Bay.”
- Jason Kordich
"Every time a new Azeem album comes out it's fantastic. It makes me think he qualifies as one of the most slept on emcees in the game. When I first discovered Azeem back in the Craft Classic days I dug his style. When some of the things he said on that album came true I really started to develop a new level of respect for his mind. Air Cartoons works to reinforce both of those ideas in my mind as it's an impressive statement on both Hip-Hop and the world we're living in. Azeem manages to work some really important themes into his music without sounding preachy, which is a testament to how skilful he really is." - Adam Bernard
Discography
* Lollapalooza--Winner of SF Slam 1994 First Publishing First Tour
* United States of Poetry--PBS Special and Book Produced by Marc Pellington
* Afro Mystic--1999 Om Records Compilation Featured as Azeem titles-"Shoplift The Future" and "Trivia Terrorist"
* Cups Magazine--4th Annual National Poetry slam Competition-3rd Place National Winner
* Spearhead--1997 Capitol Records Writer and Performer. Featured as Azeem Titles--"Keep Me Lifted", "Food for the Masses" and "Madness in the Hood"
* Groove Active CD--1997 Om Records Compilation. Featured as Telefunken Title--"The Message"
* Grand Slam CD--Featured Artist - Azeem the Invisible Man
* Featured in Interview Magazine 1998
* Garage Opera- Heratik Records EP 2000
* Craft Classic - Stray Records 2001
* Funky Precedent vol.2 - NoMayo Records 2001
* Handbook For the Apocalypse - Wide Hive 2003
* Mayhem Mystics Wide Hive -2004
* Sunset Scavenger Dj Zeph -Wide Hive Records 2005
* The Dollar Hip Hop Show - Pensive Monkey Records 2005
* Show Business - Bomb Hip Hop Records 2005
* RUDE BOY 2005- 2007
* RISE UP (Dj Zeph and Azeem) - Om Records May 2007
* Independent Music Awards "Best Hip Hop / Rap Album Of The Year" 2007
[DJ Zeph and Azeem's "Rise Up" on OM Records]
* HBO TV Series "Entourage" episode 50 -- Featured "Play The Drum"
[from DJ Zeph and Azeem's "Rise Up" on OM Records]
* Adidas ad campaign fetaured two Azeem songs "Ay Mami" and "Come One Come All"
("RISE UP" on OM Records)
* AIR CARTOONS - Oaklyn Records 2008
Photos
Bio
Azeem's parents hail from one of the most musically influential countries on the globe - Jamaica- so consciousness, music, and poetry are in his blood. Born in New Jersey and having lived in Miami and later Oakland, all the while spending each summer in Jamaica, Azeem had to constantly adjust to new places and make new friends. And while he learned to adapt to new environments quickly, he was also left alone with his thoughts and imagination. Crediting Dub Poets like Mutabaruka and Linton Kwesi Johnson for his love of spoken word, Azeem says, "I could just close my eyes and imagine a story to their lyrics. Later, when groups like Public Enemy and Poor Righteous Teachers came out, I knew I wanted to be an emcee."
In 1994, his first band Telefunken was featured on the compilation Groove Collective on OM Records. However Azeem's real break came in 1996 at an open mic reading where he would test his mettle against fifty of the best poets in the country. To his own surprise, he won the contest and was invited to perform on the world famous Lollapalooza Tour, sharing the stage with George Clinton, A Tribe Called Quest, and The Beastie Boys, to name a few.
Later that year, Azeem caught the eye of Bay Area artist Michael Franti, who hired the Oakland emcee to compose songs for the second Spearhead album. After writing six songs, Azeem traveled the world with the band as a writer and performer for two years, before resigning to further his career.
In 2000, Azeem released his first solo EP Garage Opera (Heratik) as well as contributing a track on Afro-Mystik's Future Tropic. Azeem followed up with the full-length album Craft Classic (Stray). The album's single "Rubber Glue" earned the No.1 spot on the CMJ Radio Rap Chart.
In early 2004, Azeem was the front man for Mayhemystics (Wide Hive), a mixture of live music and spiritually charged lyrics, which was nominated for a California Music Award. The following year he released his LP Show Business on Bomb Hip Hop.
Then In 2006 Azeem wrote, directed and starred in the highly acclaimed one man play Rude Boy, where Azeem plays a young man from Jamaica who ends up working as a janitor at a cardboard box factory in America.
2007 OM HipHop Releases the album RISE UP by DJ Zeph and Azeem with the hit single "Play the Drum" which topped the charts in Europe and Australia. This led to touring Australia with Talib Kweli, along with numerous shows in the US and Canada.
Following this Azeem’s “Play The Drum” was featured on the HBO hit series “Entourage”, along with having several tracks placed in an Adidas ad campaign.
Then 2008 began with Azeem and DJ Zeph winning the Independent Music Award for "Best Hip Hop / Rap". Later that year Azeem returned with another full length solo album "Air Cartoons" on Oaklyn Records.
"Air Cartoons" earned the No.3 spot on the CMJ Radio Rap Chart and had two very succesful videos "Open Em Up" and "Latin Revenge" get major air play on channels like MTV, BET, and CMC, to name a few.
Then get ready for a new Azeem and DJ Zeph album "Sound Proof" expected to be released Summer 2009…
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