 
Ever since he “got rich off of ‘Life’s a Bitch’ chorus,” Anthony Cruz has been peddling invaluable knowledge with the pen of Poe, the peace pipe of Cochise, and the posture of Prometheus…one of the Gods. Despite such, he’s been simultaneously left out of periodical annals and shat upon by labels–absent without leave as it were. With instrumental assistance from Premier, Buckwild (hidden track), Heatmakerz, Fizzy Womack (of M.O.P. and recently, G-Unit), Baby Paul, and Disco D, A.W.O.L. knocks as a testament to the heart of its author. Track one has him flexing a poly-syllabic wit over Heatmakerz fire for a thirty-two bar exercise on how to be “So Sincere”: “Young majestic, the beams from the sun reflect it / Numb before Bush’s senior son was elected…” Analyze the poeticism all you want, but it’s AZ’s raspy conviction that equates to nothing short of brilliance. “AZ’s Chillin,” and on said track, Fizzy Womack is doing anything but with a generous 808-ish kick, a gunshot snare, a synth pattern/bug zapper/time portal, and the omnipresent “Go Brooklyn” sample looped throughout. “The Come Up” pairs AZ with Premier (say no more), he gets down with Rae and Ghost on an Emile-produced “New York,” and lets it ride through the “Magic Hour,” a hidden joint with the Chocolate Boy Wonder, C.L. Aside from a questionable Bounty Killer cameo, things remain smooth as a Pete Rock track. Buy it now. - Folklore
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