December 08, 2004 @ 5:31 pm
AZ - Final Call (Koch)
AZ is, in a word, consistent.
AZ is, in a word, consistent. Throughout a decade-long career, the Brooklynite has found the middle ground between fame and flop, quietly dropping reliable albums at a workmanlike pace. With his fifth solo effort, AZ may be approaching the inevitable twilight of his rap career. But though Final Call feels more perfunctory than profound, AZ remains a top-notch lyricist, even without breaking a sweat. His elegant style is most effective on the impeccably slick “Omega” and the breezy “Seems That Way,” where he explains his appeal: “The glow’s magnificent/ My flow’s an instrument / I’m cold but intimate.” Elsewhere, he effortlessly weaves words together on the stellar “You Know,” featuring Rell, and C.L. Smooth offers an energetic cameo on Tone Mason’s Primoesque “Magic Hour.” Final Call falters with the cheesy R&B of “No Strings” and the languid “Quiet $$ Anthem,” which even AZ’s ginsu-sharp delivery can’t save. Likewise, the back-to-back BDP remakes (“I Am AZ” and “Girls R Free”) expose a lack of creativity. But even when the beats fail him, AZ is never unlistenable. It’s gotta be the flow.
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