June 2nd, 2009 
Brandon Artist: AZ
Album: Legendary
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Label: Real Talk
1. Da Truth
2. Before It’s All Said & Done
3. Livin’ The Life
4. Boy Meets Girl
5. Bottom Line
6. Refuse To Die
7. Dreams Come True
8. Good For Nothin’
9. Supply & Deman
10. Money Makes The World Go Round
11. What Up (featuring Sheek Louch & Hell Rell)
12. Poli With The Villians
13. Get Money
14. I Told You
It has been exactly one year, one month and one day since we have last seen an AZ record hit the shelves, with the last album being Undeniable. This year around AZ gives us his, in my opinion, self-titled, album Legendary during a time where hip-hop has been highly neglected.
Pop-Rap has been selling out the (online) stores and if a track can’t be heard on the radio or be danced to…then it probably won’t sell. Hip-Hop has forgotten it’s roots, and the Queensbridge (QB) native helps us remember those roots that were almost escaping our beloved art form. Chill sampled beats, charismatic flow and delivery and well thought-provoked lyrics are what Legendary has to offer all AZ fans around the world.
AZ is among other veterans like Nas, Prodigy and Havoc that have been holding it down for QB since the early 90’s and he has since been heralded, by many, as the most underrated rapper alive.
The two strongest attributes about Legendary are AZ’s flow and AZ’s lyrics. If you haven’t heard an AZ album yet, then you are in for some multi-syllabic-madness because Sosa loves showing off his diamond cut like flow. The lyrics AZ croons absolutely surpass any album I’ve heard yet from a mainstream artist. However, AZ’s dexterity is very comparable to the highest caliber of underground releases this year from the likes of Betrayl and DOOM.
There are also two weaknesses this album had. There was really no earth shattering, groundbreaking material that we haven’t already heard from AZ, but to Sosa’s defense that isn’t even a knock to his game because all of his albums become street classics anyway. The other weakness I saw was his album features. I was ecstatic when I saw that there were only two other rappers on the album…but I wanted to cringe when I saw Sheek Louch on this drop. Sheek Louch is far below level of lyric intricacy that AZ has proven to show over the years. It was almost like AZ was racing a foot-less Army veteran in 100-meter sprint…not even a close contest.
The overall production of the album can be summarized in one word, “smooth.” There’s no surprises or gimmicks with Legendary’s beats, just all business…which is exactly how AZ handles his raps. The wide variety of New York sampled flavor carries the album and helps provide Legendary with much replay value. The farthest AZ ventures away from the “street” mentality theme of the beats is in the track, “What Up,” which features the likes of Sheek Louch and Hell Rell.
The bangers on this release are as follow: Boy Meets Girl, Refuse 2 Die, Dreams Come True, Good For Nothin’, and What Up.
Overall, I was impressed with this new product AZ delivered to us. It is hard to expect much from rap music anymore because it seems sloppy and rushed, but you can really appreciate when a “true” emcee hands us a diamond among fool’s gold. I beg you…PLEASE pick this album up and support the TRUE rappers still making it happen for hip-hop. I am so sick of T-Pain topping the charts with a hook layered over some Joe Schmo The Rapper’s single. I doubt Legendary will sell 500K the first year, but here’s hoping.
I’ll give him one less he has to sell to get to that number.
Written By: Brandon “Venamis” Folsom – www.twitter.com/venamis
Score: 8.5/10
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AZ is not from the QB… he’s from East New York, Brooklyn.
I AGREE WITH THIS MAN 100%
only problem is.
AZ IS FROM BROOKLYN
but i bought 2 copies of this cd
one CD, and i bought it on ITUNES
SUPPORT THE ARTISTS
AZ BABY.
AZ IM SEEIING HIM LIVE IN CONCERT in 16 DAYS. CANNOT WAIT!
Great album, great review. AZ really surprised me with this album. Maybe Undeniable made me expect nothing good of his next album, but Legendary really caught me off guard. I love it!
YEA I GOT 2 COPPIES AS WELL.MP3 FROM AMAZON AND THE CD CAME TODAY. REAL HIPHOP AT ITS BEST RIGHT HERE. NO SLEEPER.. OH AND AZ AINT FROM QUEENS. HES FROM BKLYN
Great album…Lexxus the main problem with Undeniable was like 9 Lives..It was more of a commercial album. Thats something we all don’t expect AZ to do, but they were ok…But he bounced back with N4L and with this Album
Great review also…Lol yeah he aint from QB but from East NY/Brownsville
Yes reviewer, please get his Borough right. Ive followed AZ from Lifes a B to Undeniable and this album is like a breath of fresh air.
Just heard the new album and it is a classic for Hip Hop Heads.
I too was Blindsided but he Definitely came thru.
it sounds like he really took his time with his beats and production.
Here’s the thing. This is probably one of his worst albums thus far, right down there with Undeniable, Final Call and 9 Lives. Although this album does have a couple decent tracks, it is also remarkably short. 10 tracks with 4 filler tracks/skits.
The song “What Up” featuring Sheek Louch and Hell Rell was awful. Sheek uses the same verse as in the song “It’s On” (Ft. Bully) on his recently released album ‘Life on D Block’. Once you hear that song it will ruin ‘What Up’ for good.
Overall compared to other recent releases this ranks somewhere near the top but no doubt this release was overshadowed by Ecstatic (by Mos Def). Overall it was the same old same old, I was not impressed — this album was very forgettable.
wut a idiot this nigga said he frum q b
and look at tha “bangers” he wrote this nigga 4got money makes tha world go round livin tha lyfe poly wit tha villians fuck it i think every track was a banger that he spit on az tha visualiza aka sos tha god best 2 eva do it hatas
your review sucks read the following First off I’d like to show much luv all the hip hop headz on here who actually know who the fuc A.Z. is (nothing to do with the mega famous Jay Z ok you mass market ignorant radio listeners) and much props for checking for him to listen to his latest album. It is all of YOU who assure that creative rap music will always have a audience.
Now with that out of the way let’s get into this album. No, it is not A.Z.’s finest work. But, yes, even a average or bad A.Z. album is better than most of what you will find on a store shelf or on an I-pod nowadays. A.Z. doesn’t have a real stand out banger on this LP but Livin the Life, Money Makes the World Go Round and Poli With the Villains come close. I mean at least Undeniable had the banger Dead End which in-of-itself made the whole LP worth while.
I think my main man S.O.S.A is just a little damn tired. I mean think of it, he has been in this game (to his credit) since 1994! With no real commercial success since his debut may explain his lack of taking a chance of this album to try and break through with a real show stopper. But nonetheless he has and always will have a great razor sharp delivery of superb lyrics delivered effort-less with no end in site. This alone (cuz you won‘t find great production on most of his works) is worth the price of admission which is why I am giving him a 4.5. Think of A.Z. and rap’s version of brain food. While the club friendly hook heavy radio shit may taste good, A.Z. is food for rap’s soul. Take a listen and remember what this music was like before it was on MTV and VH1. Like the man say’s himself “I ain’t go nowhere. I’m gonna be doing this till 2030.” Lets all hope so. ONE!
AZ’s from Brooklyn dude, not QB.