AZ - A.W.O.L.

Over a decade into a career that has never propelled Az into the commercial position the uniformly high quality of his music has deserved, A.w.o.l. is yet another quietly excellent slice of powerful hip-hop that deserves greater acclaim. "Never Change" alone is a small masterpiece, an evocation of the strong bonds of friendship that's set to a track that effectively uses a wailing R&B diva voice (think, believe it or not, of "The Great Gig in the Sky" by Pink Floyd!) without turning it into a cheap, distracting hook. Read More