C-Rayz Walz Albums (5)
'Freestyle vs. Written'
Release Date 10/14/2008
Tracks 12
Label Modular Moods
See Album Tracklist and Review
'1975: Return of the Beast'
Release Date 10/31/2006
Tracks 17
Label Draft
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Treading the line that MCs like MF Grimm and Jedi Mind Tricks' Vinnie Paz helped make sturdy, C-Rayz Walz blends braggadocio with social consciousness and violence, using dark and ominous RZA-inspired guitar-heavy beats to emphasize and reinforce the intensity of his rhymes. On his third full-length, 1975: Return of the Beast, written and recorded shortly after his brother's death, these themes weigh heavily and dictate the pace and direction of the album. As a lyricist, Walz is skilled and literate, able to move from the love and hate of the Addrisi Brothers-sampled "Addiction" to the angry boasting of "Lifetime" or "Classic" to the importance of hip-hop in "Drug in My Vein." Guest MCs, few of whom are credited (or identify themselves), are scattered across the album, and provide a nice contrast to Walz's nasally voice and steady delivery, and the beats, supplied by a few little-known producers, are generally simple but engaging and appropriate. Unfortunately, there are a number of problems in the mixing, with poor transitions or abrupt mid-sentence cutoffs between tracks disrupting the overall flow of 1975, and giving the record an almost mixtape feel, despite the fact that it's a proper release. The MC's intricate, witty rhymes help make up for this ("Scanning for gardening tools, rake in the dough/With the whole world watching my back like J Lo," "Smoke and suck butt, no pun intended/And I'm trying to get big in the Bronx, pun intended"), but other times, like in the corny (if anger and spite and indignation can be corny) Judgment-Day-conversation-with-God closer, "The Last Cypher," the mistakes only ring clearer, a regrettable way to end an otherwise powerful album. Still, it's clear C-Rayz Walz has a lot to say, and that can't be covered up in technical (or occasional lyrical) errors. For all its faults, 1975: Return of the Beast shows this off well. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While he touches upon the same socially conscious topics labelmate Mr. Lif does, C-Rayz Walz comes from a refreshingly more personal and humble angle. Family, home life, and the day-to-day struggle are topics that show up on Ravipops, an album title that represents Walz's status as father to the newborn Ravi and a new alias for the rapper. A corrupt and oppressive world has often been a topic for underground rap; seeing it through the less self-centered eyes of a father is what gives the album its allure and makes Walz seem all the more genuine. Don't think Walz has bought his Cosby sweater and clamped down. He boasts, sings the praises of weed, and cusses all over the album, and his distaste for the status quo is obvious. It's his appreciation of life's simple pleasures that makes him easy to relate to and an underdog worth rooting for. There's a new producer for practically every track, but the album flows well enough, keeping things more traditional than expected for a Definitive Jux release, and the freestyling ranges from biting to abstract. The ode to domestic responsibility, "Protect My Family," and the nostalgic look at one of rap's brilliant years, "'86," are highlights, with raps that are focused and inspired. Walz's developing skills may not turn every head right away, but he sounds like he's on the road to releasing underground rap's What's Going On. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
