A.W.O.L. (album)

A.W.O.L. is a studio album by the American hip hop group Leaders of the New School, released in 1993. It was the group's second and final album before their breakup. The album's title stands for "All We Owe Life" or "Another World Order Loading," depending on interpretation.

The album features a more aggressive and harder-edged sound compared to their debut, A Future Without a Past.... It explores themes of social commentary, political awareness, and the challenges faced by young Black Americans. Production was handled by various producers, including Leaders of the New School themselves, and featured a sample-heavy approach characteristic of early 1990s hip hop.

Notable tracks from A.W.O.L. include singles such as "Classic Material," which became one of their most well-known songs, and "What's Next." Despite some critical acclaim for its lyrical content and production, the album was not as commercially successful as their first, and internal tensions within the group contributed to their subsequent disbandment. A.W.O.L. is often viewed as a pivotal, though ultimately final, statement from Leaders of the New School and a representation of the changing landscape of hip hop in the early 1990s.