Over a decade into a career that has never propelled {$AZ} into the commercial position the uniformly high quality of his music has deserved, {^A.W.O.L.} is yet another quietly excellent slice of powerful {\hip-hop} that deserves greater acclaim. {&"Never Change"} alone is a small masterpiece, an evocation of the strong bonds of friendship that's set to a track that effectively uses a wailing {\R&B} diva voice (think, believe it or not, of {&"The Great Gig in the Sky"} by {$Pink Floyd}!) without turning it into a cheap, distracting hook. Although several producers contribute to {^A.W.O.L.}, {$AZ} (born {$Anthony Cruz}) is commanding enough a focal point that the album hangs together as a whole. Tough without being thuggish, and clear-eyed and un-glamorizing about the gritty topics of songs like {&"Still Alive"} and {&"Envious,"} {$AZ} is at least the equal of better-known contemporaries like {$Nas}, and {^A.W.O.L.} is further proof of his talents. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide