The Wake

C Rayz Walz, a hip-hop torchbearer for many years now, has earned his title as a real emcee. This didn’t come easily. C Rayz is an embattled veteran of rap competition. His label, Def Jux, claims he was banned from Blaze Battle, a nationwide emcee competition, after beating every contestant he faced. In 2005, he wrote all-new material for his sophomore release, Year of the Beast. Because he uses several different producers, the tracks don’t fall victim to repetition.

“Walk Through,” produced by Rob Sonic, is a spaced-out trunk-thumper that uses drums reminiscent of Clipse’s “Grindin’.” Aesop Rock hands over a nice soul-sampled beat for his labelmate on “Knowledge.” Guest emcees are also frequent, and for the most part, make positive contributions. M-1 from Dead Prez, El-P, and Jean Grae are among the most notable. Songs like “Music Takeovah” attack the mindless hip-hop on the radio with rhymes like, “It’s like them crazy ladies in the garden, that’s right/, Im talking to the seeds, cuz they starving, it’s light.”

While most of the tracks stay true to the art form, there are a couple of disappointing songs plagued by lazy choruses. Though he’s no Talib Kweli or Big L, C Rayz is a true emcee and deserves exposure beyond being a coach on MTV’s Made.