AZ's The Format is a fluent and complex opus from a largely underrated MC whose undeniable lyrical talent and classic perspective are often overlooked. One of New York's premier rhymesmiths since the days of Illmatic, AZ's albums are each gems in a murky sea of chaos, and The Format is no different.
AZ begins with the strong "I Am The Truth," featuring a ceaseless torrent of lyrical bravado over a Fizzy Womack horn sample. Deftly swimming through his career and personal glory, he then segues from the introductory track into the equally flamboyant "Sit 'Em Back," featuring the veteran MOP on what is a prime example of AZ's versatility, as he meshes perfectly with his partners in rhyme. The I-am-the-greatest vibe continues with the third track, "Get High," which showcases AZ's material wealth and manages to pull itself out of the rut of bling rap with its deft lines. AZ's next offering, "Make Me," features an exceptional Fresh, and while it isn't a brilliant song, does nothing to detract from the album as a whole.
The Format continues with "Games," which slips somewhat from the high standards of this LP. With a generic chorus from Sampson and somewhat lacklustre rhymes over one of the few examples of subpar production on the album, "Games" falls short of the level AZ operates on, while remaining a moderately decent song as a whole. AZ falters again on "Rise & Fall," which is a bizarre melange featuring Big Pooh, which comes off more as a disjointed cacophony than a lyrical masterpiece. The ante is upped again with "Animal," however, as he delivers a grimily beautiful track oozing lyricism and imagery in a memorable tour of ghetto life. Produced by Statik Selektah, the hook samples a booming Notorious BIG, to added effect in what is one of the highlights of The Format.
AZ fumbles again with "Doing That!," a tired club banger that obscures his lucid rhyming with the ramblings of guest Jha Jha, ostensibly for commercial purposes, although the result is hardly memorable enough to succeed. He does serve up another classic, however, with the epic and fluid "This Is What I Do," which is reminiscent of AZ's early years and his guest cut on Illmatic. One of the standout tracks, its powerful rhyming is continued in the title track, which is another flash of brilliance in the abyss of modern, commercial hip-hop.
Track eleven is the effervescent "Game Of Life," which is arguably the best track of them all. With an immaculate beat and impeccable rhyming, it is definitive of AZ's unique style, and perhaps of the entire album. In all, the album itself is, while not quite a classic, but for a few missteps, an excellent work from AZ, one of the game's greatest and most slept on. He may not have the mainstream success of compatriots like Nas, but as efforts like this prove, it doesn't matter.
Features Slim (of 112): Hi Haters What else do you want from Slim? His prolific group 112 has sold over 20 million records worldwide, and with a bevy ... full story
Editorials & Columns Scouting Report: Bambu You can refer to Bambu with various terms: rebel, revolutionist, Filipino, thug, artist. From the outside looking in, ... full story
Beyond Hip-Hop Game Review: Far Cry 2 Gone are Jack Carver, his Hawaiian shirt, and the trigens from the first installment of "Far Cry," but in comes spine ... full story
Video Bambu: Like Us (Music Video) We recently featured Filipino rapper, Bambu, in our Scouting Report column, and now, he's just dropped a new video. ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
