I hear you but if you look at his albums, he never really got big name guests outside Nas. He had the perfect style to have guest spots on big time R&B singles 1995-1999 but his management and label never hooked him up.
Puff had The Lox on Mariah Carey #1 single that dropped like two weeks after AZ single that used the same sampleif AZ was with Puff or Chris Lighty he would have had those placements and guests.

A hit men produced AZ album in 96-98 would have been flames