AZ Album: “A.W.O.L.”

AZ has always been one of the more prolific emcees in the game. Why then is he also the one of the games most underrratted emcees? Part of this is due to the fact that he has been in the shadow of Nas for his entire career (that is until now), record politricks, be it poor promotion or record companies and radio stations incapability of recognizing real talent and skill while constantly overhypying all that garbage that gets constant spin daily, or the fact that the under 24 crowd (teenie boppers) have no real appreciation for what hip hop is supposed to be about and so they fail to support real talent. There's also the fact that those of us who really love hiphop, that is lyrics, wordplay and bangin' tracks have become so disillusioned with the hiphop genre that we have stopped buying hiphop records, thus failing to support such a talented emcee. There are several wonderful things about this lp. First off, AZ is as prolific as ever with the lyrics and wordplay (much like his mentors Rakim, G Rap and Nas) and his flow is as fresh, incredible and flawless as it was when he spit his first verse on the classic Nas joint (life's a ...). Second, much like Pete Rock's return to the boards was very much welcomed, so is Premo's return (check out "The Come Up") which has to be hands down the best joint on the lp. Third, this has that throwback feel of classic hiphop without sounding dated. In addition to "The Come Up" other stand out joints include "City of Gods" which happens to be my favorite in which AZ rides this track beautifully, even incorporating some classic lines from verses Rakim spit back in 1988. Just lovely! Rae and Ghost come through in a big way on "New York" an ode to the streets of NY. Rae and Ghost haven't sounded this good for quite some time, though AZ outshines them both. "Streetlife" featuring his fallen comrade Half-A-Mill is a phenominal joint as is the Buckwild produced "Live Wire." "Magic Hour" which features CL Smooth is a gem and is also included in the bonus material on the disc. "AZ's Chillin'" is hot, produced by MOP's Fizzy Womack-though it would have been nice to hear MOP spit on this track.

This is a complete lp, with the only forgettable joints being "Bedtime Story" and "Envious." AZ may never have a platinum record. He may never go gold, but what he has accomplished is an incredible body of work which has garnered him critical acclaim and mad respect in the underground and among hiphop purist the world over. His gifted lyrical ability, his incredible wordplay and articulation are captured here in this lp and for anyone who wants to hear what hiphop is supposed to soud like-COP THIS!!!

When NAS and AZ teamed up on Illmatic's "life's a b**ch", It seemed like everyone knew they would be forever linked to each other from that point forward. I've always actually thought of AZ as a higher pitched slightly more caffeinated version of NAS.

This record is the epitome of who AZ is. He's an elegant street virtuoso with a more uptown representation of the thug lifestyle. His counterparts are NAS and G RAP and Rakim. His impeccable timing and elegant approach to his verses remind me of an old jazz pro. As you can tell I like the guy and AWOL is him at his absolute best. Standout tracks include "Never Change" "AZ's Chillin" and the soulful "City of gods".

With all this music coming out from the likes of Bow Wow, D4L and all the other manufactured groups and "rappers" its good to see a very solid Hip-Hop album coming out. In my opinion AZ is the most underrated artist ever! This album is VERY solid from start to finish, the production is great, it has some great guests i honestly don't have a bad word to say about it

This is in my Top 3 albums of 2005 along with "Common - Be" & "Little Brother - The Minstrel Show" I recommend you get all 3, you wont be dissapointed

"[as] far as poetry, I'm Nas, Biggie, Jay, Mos Def / Rakim, Kool G. Rap, Kane, KRS / Pac, Common, and Kanye would say I'm blessed" (AZ - Still Alive)

AZ, perhaps, one of the most underrated lyricists to grace hip hop, returns back to the scene by dropping his new album entitled, A.W.O.L., on his new independent Quiet Money Records label. AZ is probably best known for his now legendary guest appearance on Life's a Bitch from Nas's classic Illmatic album. AZ has always released quality material, but he was never been able to really blow up in the music scene. Was it industry politics? Bad timing? Whatever the case is, AZ has never allowed for his lack of notoriety to effect his ability in creating quality music.

With A.W.O.L., rather than following the watered-down movement that's plagued rap for the last few years, AZ stays consistent and refuses to change up his formula. He still has that smooth flawless delivery that's been blessing listeners since the early to mid 90's. He's still that wise street poet who somehow is able to construct verses in a nearly flawless manner. Plus, to further compliment the lyrics, the production on this album is top notch including beats by DJ Premier, Buckwild, and others... The only weak spot on this album may be Envious featuring Bounty Killer, but that's only due to a clash of styles.

Top tracks include: The Come Up, Never Change, Still Alive, City Of Gods, and Magic Hour.

Guest appearances include Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Half-A-Mill (recently deceased), Begetz, Bounty Killer, and CL Smooth...

His flow is really amazing. He is defintenly the best underrated rapper is this guy. I love DOE OR DIE which might be better, but this is 2nd best though. He really needs to show everyone that he is good by advertising a little. Him and a few others are the saviors of Hip-Hop for this is the dying age of rap. Please, just buy this if you REALLY respect rap. You wont regret it.