AZ- Undeniable

By: Matt Kelly

Released: ((4.1.2008))

Props to AZ. Thirteen years after his debut and never having made a wack record, he's still not gotten any significant mainstream attention, despite arguably doing the same thing Nas and Jay Z did. Only they've both made wack records. It would be enough to make most people lose their shit or walk away but far from being bitter, AZ just keeps at it, popping up reliably every couple of years with a fresh disc of New York flavour.

And that's what's going on here with his seventh offering- well sort of. Though it's mostly his usual routine, there seems to be a bigger emphasis on "Bitch I'm a boss playa, number one stunner" type stuff. This may disappoint fans who want AZ to stay literate and lyrical and could judge this element to be an eleventh hour grasp at commercial appeal. There seems to be some schizophrenia going on, with most of the real hip-hop in the first half and poppier tracks in the second.

The opener The Game Don't Stop may sound like it came out ten years ago (like most of the stuff here) but that's probably exactly what a lot of his fan base wants. Gunshots and screams usher us into an old school East Coast beat (love those dizzying piano runs courtesy of Lil' Fame), and of course AZ gets rhyming with that mix of shit talking, advice giving, bragging and autobiography that most of the great rappers know how to handle.

There are some suspect hooks- didn't really dig that high faint voice on Life On The Line for example- but the opening six see AZ himself doing a good job. The production on Dead End is fantastically entertaining and coupled with AZ's witty reflection on fairweather friends, it's one I had on repeat. I also really dug What Would You Do where Jay Rush lends his wonderfully soulful vocals to Emile's upbeat horns while AZ handles that street shit:

"You know the story, how the thugs live in worry
Duck down in car seats, heat mandatory
Doggie, since a shorty, I was speaking like I'm forty
With a Lil' Wayne frame, big chains, all gaudy
Boarding airplanes, cocaine all on me
Had a no care stare, momma begged, tryin' to warn me
Whoever woulda thought escapin' court would transform me
I was facin' up north, nothin' short, shit was corny
Born again thug, had that corner kid spunk
All I seen was a yacht and me rocking swim trunks
Was a fiend for the guap, whole team blinged up
Had a thing for them blocks, kept them sub machines tucked
Then my man got merked and the fam went beserk
A few motherfuckers just vanished from the earth
Then some new motherfuckers started handling nigga's work
And from there all you heard about was niggas getting hurt"
-What Would You Do

In the second half, things get a little less thorough. First we have the thick and fruity (and disposable) backseat loving anthem Parking Lot Pimping and then come the two singles. The title track is pretty enjoyable- yeah the hook's cheesy as hell but it's nice to see AZ having fun like he does with this song. Go Getta however, does not make me smile. Guest Ray J gets way too much of the track and the "I do bitches and get riches" rhymes are beneath AZ.

By the time we get to the trashy sounding A Game I'm ready to pronounce Undeniable AZ's worst album. "What? Where did that come from?" I hear you say. "You weren't really thumping it that hard and suddenly you're calling it his worst?" Yes. Because while Undeniable is decent, AZ's first six records were all more than than mediocre to me or higher. Previously, he's been a hero for his consistency and his refusal to follow trends. He doesn't sell-out entirely here but when that A Game hook comes by you can almost literally feel his resolve cracking.

AZ's talent certainly hasn't left him but he looks like he's headed for Keith Murray land- nice as hell on the mic but doomed to never make that breakthrough record. You should definitely have some AZ in your collection if you don't already but if you're going to just get a couple, Undeniable doesn't need to be one of them.

Favorite Tracks: What Would You Do, Dead End and Superstar
What to do (Buy/Try/Frisbee): Try.
Digits: 7.0 // 10