Z burst onto the scene with his memorable guest appearance on Nas' classic Illmatic album. Besides being the only guest on the album, AZ distinguished himself with an innovative and unpredictable rhyme scheme backed by a lightning quick flow. Fans agreed that AZ had the potential to be better than Nas, and were extremely anxious for his debut. Now, a few years down the road, those unfamiliar with AZ may ask where he is now- why he isn't approaching the level of success that Nas has attained on the strength of lackluster albums and a general decline in quality (exlcuding Stillmatic). The answer will surprise many. While AZ hasn't reached the sales peak that Nas has, he is one of the few artists that surpasses Nas in pure lyrical ability.

While AZ has had a string of catchy singles that have met with a fair amount of success, he has been unable to match the selling power of Nas' album sales. His first single, "Sugar Hill", was a nostalgic trip down hip-hop's memory lane that propelled Doe or Die to gold status. 9 Lives' "Problems" was an interesting reworking of an overused El Debarge sample that found an audience with hip-hop and pop fans alike. But this illustrated AZ's problem. While people were buying the singles that he appeared on, few people found their way to his albums. Those who did may have been unpleasantly surprised. 9 Lives had two very commercial and pop-sensible songs that didn't fit with the dark tone AZ adhered to for the rest of the LP. In fact, AZiatic is the first album that succeeds greatly at capturing the CD's mood with the single. "I'm Back" features the vocal-sample heavy production that Roc The World popularized on Jay-Z's The Blueprint and Cam'Ron's Come With Me with a more laid back feeling. The horn accentuated beat supports AZ's lyrics like "Spirit of Marcus Garvey, Farad Muhammad, Medgar Evars and Bob Marley -- I'm God-Body / The scripture says Allah's inside me, show love / I was hugged by the arms of Gandhi, gave me my strength / You could tell somebody raised me with sense / We all need somethin' to help us through our daily events" and provides a good example of what a single in hip-hop should be. The irony of this production style is that AZ is more animated and energized when he raps than the Roc-A-Fella stars, but the production on AZiatic is much more relaxed and subdued overall. Listeners who enjoy lyrics more should be able to appreciate AZ's approach and talent, while the production provides excellent contrast, which, in turn, brings out the best in him.

The lyrics on AZiatic are the best mainstream rap has heard since his last release, Nine Lives. Nas is the only competition AZ has in terms of depth and concepts, and while Stillmatic's concepts may be the best hip-hop has seen in years, AZ has his own set of tricks. "Fanmail", a sort of equally poignant sibling to Eminem's "Stan", shows AZ reading letters from fans. Obviously pulling the heartstrings here, AZ causes an emotional reaction in the listener, nonetheless. "I seen division, breakdown of the population / It's either submit, death or incarceration I felt the combination / Torn between reality rap and the fakes / Some do it for the salary cap few relate / And been thru what I been thru at least in fraction / So when they spit you could feel the passion I see you maxin'". His voice on the track is neither annoying nor particularly exciting, he just goes right to the grindstone and rhymes. AZ hearkens back to an older time when production was secondary, the talent of an MC was based purely on the rhymes that he came up with. He reminds of Big Daddy Kane or Rakim in the way that he doesn't seem to be bothered with the beat- merely rapping in a way that seemingly is both unconsciously aware of the rhythm and, at once, blatantly ignorant (only to amaze you a few seconds later when his rhyme pattern makes itself apparent).

AZ really should be more famous. Hip-hop fans who love lyrics have always appreciated him, and what more does an artist need than good production, great flow, and great lyrics? Some would say he needs to make more songs designed for clubs, which he does on AZiatic. "Take It Off" is a disguised plea to strippers to find a different profession, and features a salsa flavored backbeat that inspires dancing. Songs like this and "Put It In The Air" succeed along the same lines of The Blueprint, using soulful production and lyrics designed to get people to dance. The whole album is packed with songs that thrive equally well in a dance club or at home.

AZ will not receive the recognition he deserves with this album. The only chance he has of this, is if "The Essence", featuring his rhyme partner Nas, is released as the second single. The hypnotic piano loop that lies within "The Essence" is the perfect setting for the lyrical heavyweights trading lines. If "The Essence" is chosen, it could reach beyond normal AZ fans, much like "One Mic" did for Nas. In fact, every track on AZiatic has this same capacity. Underground fans often look for lyrics over beats, and AZ is certainly one of the top lyricists in the game. Mainstream fans often look for beats that are catchy, and with the exception of "Paradise", the deepest and most introspective track currently out right now, every beat on the LP does this. The Blueprint comparisons are inevitable, but this album is what The Blueprint should have been. This is truly the blueprint for what hip-hop should be, soulful, lyrical, and just plain outstanding.