A.W.O.L. (album)
| A.W.O.L. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop | |||
| Length | 54:33 | |||
| Label | Fast Life, Quiet Money, Koch | |||
| AZ chronology | ||||
| ||||
| alternate cover | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Cokemachineglow | (70/100)[2] |
| HipHopDX | [3] |
| IGN | (8.0/10)[4] |
| PopMatters | favorable[5] |
| Rhapsody | favorable[6] |
| Stylus | B[7] |
A.W.O.L. is the fifth studio album by rapper AZ, released on September 6, 2005. It was recorded after Final Call, which AZ declined to release because his label had pushed its release back two months—according to him, they were also the source of its early leak to the press and the internet. Garnering critical praise with production from highly regarded New York underground acts such as DJ Premier, Buckwild, and DipSet production duo the Heatmakerz, the rapper abandoned his previously money-oriented subject matter, stating that he "wanted it to be all street.[8] A.W.O.L. is the first album AZ released on his own Quiet Money Records imprint. A.W.O.L. 1.5 was released several months later, which included a bonus disc featuring a cappella and instrumental versions to the songs on A.W.O.L..
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Sincere (Intro)" | Heatmakerz | 1:57 |
| 2. | "Never Change" | Heatmakerz | 4:26 |
| 3. | "New York" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) | Emile | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Can't Stop" | Frade | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Still Alive" | Vinny Idol | 4:04 |
| 6. | "AZ's Chillin'" | Fizzy Womack | 3:55 |
| 7. | "City of Gods" | Disco D | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Street Life" (featuring Half-a-Mil and Begetz) | J-Hen | 4:33 |
| 9. | "Bedtime Story" | Baby Paul, Jimi Kendrix | 2:12 |
| 10. | "The Come Up" | DJ Premier | 3:46 |
| 11. | "Envious" (featuring Bounty Killer) | MoSS | 2:57 |
| 12. | "A.W.O.L." | Vinny Idol | 3:40 |
| 13. | "Live Wire*" | Buckwild | 10:49 |
| 14. | "Magic Hour*" (featuring CL Smooth) | Tone Mason | 3:08 |
| 15. | "The Truth*" (featuring Ralo) | DJ Absolut, Young Calvin | 4:29 |
note*:Track 13, 14 and 15 are the 3 tracks contained on track 13 which is 10:49 in length. It is one continuous track. All 3 tracks are available, separately, on his Final Call album.
Sample credits
Street Life
- "Half Moon Serenade" by Naoko Kawai
Bedtime Story
- "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" by Quincy Jones
The Come Up
- "Holdin' On" by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
- "Creepin on ah Come Up" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
A.W.O.L.
- "Wildflower" by The New Birth
Magic Hour
- "He Keeps Something Groovy Goin' On" by Gwen McCrae
Album singles
| Single information |
|---|
"The Come Up"
|
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 73 |
| US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 17 |
| US Top Rap Albums | 10 |
| US Top Independent Albums | 5 |
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Cokemachineglow review Archived February 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "HipHopDX review". Archived from the original on 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2006-11-07.
- ^ "IGN review". Archived from the original on 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ PopMatters review
- ^ Rhapsody review Archived June 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stylus review Archived August 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kayser, Brian (1 August 2005). "DJ Premier Interview". Retrieved 25 March 2011.
