AZ: Aziatic : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

With sixteen scant bars on Nas' first album, 1994's Illmatic, AZ became one of the premier lyricists of his era. His style, a combination of righteousness and reality, insight and aspiration, made a deep impression on the hip-hop world. But he lacked follow-through. His next two albums did not live up to the quality and potential of those verses, and by the end of the decade, AZ was nearly forgotten. Redemption is sweet: Aziatic is his best album yet. He's more focused, and ready, finally, to receive his due as one of his generation's true voices. On tracks such as "Paradise (Life)" and "Wanna Be There" he soul-searches with pep, bringing the listener along on a volatile journey through his struggles. Over arresting, Seventies-style grooves, he stutter-steps through memory, philosophy, dreams deferred and realities confronted with the ease and confidence of a veteran. Songs such as "Once Again" -- which features a sample of the theme from Welcome Back, Kotter that somehow works - are a mix of street wisdom and undeniable hooks, the kind of stuff that both he and Nas should have been making right after the release of Illmatic. After eight years, this is AZ at full power.

ROB MARRIOTT
(RS # 901 - July 2, 2002)