AZ- Undeniable.... Wacksauce!

AZ's newest release may come as a disappointment to those expecting to hear a repeat of Doe or Die, or say 2006's The Format. Well, to be frank, it's a disappointment no matter what you were expecting. The album starts off with "The Game Don't Stop," which is luckily one of the albums stronger cuts (I say this because the next handful of tracks are easily dismissible.) It shows AZ's trademark sesquipedalian schema in full vitality; somewhat reminiscent of the hungry Brooklynite fans feign for, but it goes no further. It's just enough to titillate, and it sets up the listener for disappointment as the album progresses. After listening to "Superstar" and "Life on the Line," you linger in anticipation of a track that will deliver Undeniable from being another subpar release from a more than capable veteran. And then you get "Fire." The track starts off reasonably well, but it later materializes into what one would imagine to be the generic AZ song. As usual his flow is top notch, and the Soul sample spread throughout the song fits in nicely, but this just doesn't feel like the AZ most have come to know and love. The next two songs in the rotation are easily deserved of a fast forward. The Achilles heel of "What Would You Do" comes via the albums first collaborator (Jay Rush… who?) far overstaying his welcome. The adroitness of AZ's lyrics cannot be second guessed, but when paired with such subpar production (as seen on not only "What Would You Do," but also on "Dead End,") it becomes difficult to listen without second guessing the integrity of the album in its entirety. The butchered sample of "Lets Do It Again" that shows up inside of "Dead End" quickly becomes a nuisance and can distract those first hearing the song from what AZ has to say. "Parking Lot Pimpin'" was a failure from the get-go. Not only does he choose to lay his unusually lackluster vocals over one of Hip-Hop's most whored samples, he wastes Four-minutes and Twenty-four-seconds on one of rap music's most threadbare banalities. Next enters the barely mentionable "Undeniable." Ironically enough, the title track becomes important only because it serves as the informant that exposes AZ's tragic flaw as an artist: his comfort zone is very, very small. On the majority of the album's cuts, AZ's efforts sound forced and completely unlike his normal self. This is exteriorized on the Ray-J assisted "Go Getter." Not only does Brandy's brother borrow way too much from R. Kelly's rendition of pretty much the same (albeit better executed) song, AZ fails to deliver anything memorable in between Romeo's placid monotone crooning. The last few tracks on the album are all listenable, but again, they fail to deliver what listeners have come to expect of Anthony Cruz. "The Hardest" has to be the biggest disappointment on the album solely because it is the only track on Undeniable with mentionable guest spots (which in all actuality don't stand out much.) The guest line-up offers the potential for a great track, but it just doesn't deliver in the fashion most listeners would appreciate. In typical AZ fashion, an extremely average album surfaces after he delivers a gem. If he would return to his old reflective/contemplative self, or at least stick to what he knows, he could (would) get the shine he deserves. It's not a bad album per se, but it is a let down various departments. The choppy production and forgettable guest appearances in combination with AZ stepping too far out of his boundaries has led to an album that gives fans little more than a desire to see the AZ we remember from years past. Look at the bright side, if he keeps this trend up (Doe or Die…A.Z.iatic…The Format…Undeniable.) the next album should rock. Better production and everything.