Sugar Hill was the most successful single off AZ’s classic debut Doe or Die. Sugar Hill peaked at #25 on the Billboard 100, and #3 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks. It was one of the hottest summer songs of 1995. The instrumental samples “Sugar Free” by Juicy. Juicy was inspired by Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” the song that is sampled in the Notorious BIG’s hit “Juicy”. The song also features Miss Jones who does the soulful chorus and background vocals. Miss Jones had also worked with other MC’s such as Doug E. Fresh and Big L.

In the song AZ maintains his mafioso persona as he does in much of Doe or Die. AZ plays a retired crack boss who is now lounging and living a very lavish lifestyle with the money he made vacationing from the Carribean to Europe (Costa Rica, St. Thomas, Paris), sipping expensive champagne (Cristal), smoking the finest cigars and marijuana, having sex with beautiful women of all races, spending time in classy hotels such as the Mariott and buying expensive homes.

AZ was sued by notorious Harlem drug boss Azie Faison for $10 Million dollars, and accused AZ of plagiarizing his life. He demanded AZ change his name. The title Sugar Hill is the section of Harlem where Faison slinged crack. Azie had also been a retired crack boss by the time of the release of this song. Faison was also a rapper creating the underground hip hop group MobStyle which dropped a debut album in ‘91.
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