Azz Izz

Azz Izz
Azz Izz
Studio album by MoKenStef
Released	July 4, 1995
Recorded	1994–1995
Studio	Skip Saylor Recording (Hollywood, CA); Kiva Recording (Encino, CA); Image Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA);
Genre	R&B
Length	40:45
Label	OutBurst; Def Jam;
Producer	Hami; I-Roc; Jammin' James Carter; Jiboh; Maddball Tony D; Vic C;
Singles from Azz Izz
	"He's Mine"; Released: 1995; "Sex in the Rain"; Released: 1995;

Azz Izz is the only studio album by American R&B group MoKenStef. It was released on July 4, 1995 through Outburst Records/Def Jam Music Group Inc. Recording sessions took place at Skip Saylor Recording and Image Recording Studio in Hollywood and Kiva Recording in Encino. Production was handled by Hami, I-Roc, Jammin' James Carter, Vic C, Jiboh and Maddball Tony D. In the United States, the album peaked at number 117 on the Billboard 200, number 24 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and atop the Heatseekers Albums charts. Its lead single, "He's Mine", made it to number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Hot R&B Songs in the US, number 27 in New Zealand, number 70 on the UK singles chart, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The second single off of the album, "Sex in the Rain", generated much less success, reaching number 63 on the US Hot R&B Songs chart. The song "Baby Come Close" was released as a promotional single.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine commended the trio's vocal performance but felt they lacked charisma, personality and content to make them come across more than a poor imitation of TLC's CrazySexyCool, concluding that "too much of Azz Izz is comprised of mediocre material".^[1] Vibe contributor Kara Manning also felt the group failed to deliver the "vocal ingenuity" to match that album, concluding that "[W]hile Mokenstef fall short of a fresher, sassier sensuality, Azz Izz isn't a bad first outing, just an uninspired one".^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Sex in the Rain"	Monifa Dara Bethune Kenya M. Hadley Stefanie Sinclair Marquis Dair	Big Ham	4:50
2.	"Just Be Gentle"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Dair	Big Ham	4:08
3.	"Azz Izz"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Victor Concepcion	Vic C	3:40
4.	"He's Mine"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Dair Roger Troutman Prince Rogers Nelson	Big Ham	4:13
5.	"Don't Go There"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Chris Charles James Calvin Carter	I-Roc Jammin' James Carter Eric-Cee Carter (add.)	3:14
6.	"Baby Come Close"	William Robinson Pamela Moffett-Young Marv Tarplin	Big Ham	3:56
7.	"Stop Callin' Me"	Miles Gregory	DJ Madball "Tony Dee"	1:04
8.	"It Happens"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Dair	Big Ham	3:52
9.	"Laid Back"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Concepcion	Vic C	3:38
10.	"Let Them Know"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Charles Carter	I-Roc Jammin' James Carter	3:36
11.	"It Goes On"	Bethune Hadley Sinclair Malik H. Miller	Jiboh	4:34
Total length:				40:45

Sample credits

Track 4 contains an interpolation of "Be Alright" written by Roger Troutman and an interpolation of "Do Me, Baby" written by Prince.
Track 7 contains an interpolation of "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" written by Miles Gregory.

Personnel

Monifa Bethune – vocals
Kenya Hadley – vocals
Stefanie Sinclair – vocals
Stanley "Stan the Guitar Man" Jones – guitar & bass (track 5)
George "G-One" Archie – live drums (track 6)
Robert "Fonksta" Bacon – guitar & bass (track 10)
Marquis "Hami" Dair – producer (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8)
Victor "Vic C." Concepcion – producer (tracks: 3, 9)
Chris "I-Roc" Charles – producer (tracks: 5, 10)
"Jammin'" James Carter – producer (tracks: 5, 10)
DJ Maddball "Tony Dee" – producer (track 7)
Malik "Jiboh" Miller – producer (track 11)
Eric-Cee Carter – additional producer (track 5)
Chris Puram – recording (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9), mixing (tracks: 1-10)
Howard Willing – recording (tracks: 2, 4, 7, 8)
Ben Wallach – recording (tracks: 5, 10, 11)
Wallace "Wally" Traugott – mastering
Anthony "Anti" Lewis – executive producer
Greedy Greg – executive producer
Zulema Jacome – photography

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[3]	117
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[4]	24
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[5]	1

References

^ ^a ^b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Azz Izz - MoKenStef | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
^ Manning, Kara (August 1995). "Mokenstef 'Azz Izz'". Vibe. Vol. 3, no. 6. Vibe Media. p. 140. ISSN 1070-4701.
^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 33. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 19, 1995. p. 95. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
^ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 32. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 12, 1995. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
^ "Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 33. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 19, 1995. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510.

External links

MoKenStef – Azz Izz at Discogs (list of releases)

This 1990s R&B/soul album–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[AM-1] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Azz Izz - MoKenStef | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2025.

[2] Manning, Kara (August 1995). "Mokenstef 'Azz Izz'". Vibe. Vol. 3, no. 6. Vibe Media. p. 140. ISSN 1070-4701.

[3] "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 33. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 19, 1995. p. 95. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 20, 2025.

[4] "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 32. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 12, 1995. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 20, 2025.

[5] "Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 33. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 19, 1995. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510.

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