“I understood that reference…” From the upcoming album The Kangol Kid.

DJ Toshi enlists members of Royal Fam, Killarmy, and Stronghold for the first video from his upcoming compilation record, dropping next year. Directed by BlueCollar Television.

Meanwhile, the first single, “Authentic”, featuring Keith Murray, BurntMD, Timbo King, and Phil Da Agony will hit iTunes on December 2nd.

Vast and company rock some Portishead samples on this cut from A Space Illiad EP, available now.

DJ Premier blog discovered this gem from Afu-Ra’s upcoming Voice Of A Brooklyn Star due in February 2012.

Download

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/11/08/afu-ra-big-boyz-feat-vinnie-paz-c-rayz-walz-guilty-simpson-nine-el-da-sensei-hannibal-stax/feed/ 1 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/04/28/oyoshe-bring-da-noise-2-official-album-trailer-video/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/04/28/oyoshe-bring-da-noise-2-official-album-trailer-video/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:00:19 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=33572

Trailer for the recently released “Bring Da Noise 2” compilation album from European beatmaker Oyoshe AKA Oyobeats. Boom Bap production with a guest list that includes; Tame One, OGC, Blaq Poet, C Rayz Walz, Donald D, Craig G, Block McCloud, Vast Aire, Chief Kamachi, Maylay Sparks and many others. Check it out.

Taken from the album, Culture Sounds, C-Rayz delivers his strangest video yet. Watch out for the last shot.

Directed by Nicolas Heller, produced by Eli Woodhall, shot by Wes Tracy, VFX by Alex Amoling, graphics by Gregory Matesich, music by Jaz Infinite. Starring C-Rayz Walz, DJ Emoh Betta, Virtue, Outwrite, and Nicky Knuckles.

Couple new tracks from Access Immortal off his new album Birth of a Dream. The first track features Vast Aire, C-Rayz Walz and Poison Pen while the second track is a solo track from Access. Birth of a Dream is in stores now.

LISTEN: Access Immortal + Vast Aire + C-Rayz Walz + Poison Pen – “I Love New York”

LISTEN: Access Immortal – “Life Is Gangsta”

Pharoah Monch @ SXSW Duck Down Showcase from AB on Vimeo.

Black Milk w/ AB & Daru “Loosing Out” @ SXSW from AB on Vimeo.

Devin The Dude – Fuck You from The Smoking Section on Vimeo.

Wiz Khalifa x Curren$y – Car Service from The Smoking Section on Vimeo.

Cool Kids @ SXSW! from Eazy on Vimeo.

Pac Div “Mayor” LIVE in Austin!! from Eazy on Vimeo.

Local Stop: SXSW “16″ C-RAYZ WALZ from MiZ MeTrO: UNLIMITED on Vimeo.

Freeway & Jake One + 6Magazine Conversation from 6Magazine on Vimeo.

Visually Heard / GLC Freestyle @ SXSW from LRG on Vimeo.

Mayer Hawthorne – I Wish It Would Rain SXSW 2010 from Dejon Shepard on Vimeo.

J.Cole – Beautiful Bliss SXSW 2010 from Dejon Shepard on Vimeo.

Kid Sister Live at SxSW from Sindre Rønningen on Vimeo.

Nicky Diamonds & Dante Ross @ SXSW from College Kid on Vimeo.

Yelawolf Live @ SXSN 2010 from Budge Rodriguez on Vimeo.

Pill x Killer Mike x SXSW from Motion Family on Vimeo.

24KMilkCrate x J.Cole @ URB SXSNext 2010 from Jan Ferrer on Vimeo. Broken Bells @ SXSW from NOW Magazine on Vimeo. Get Busy Committee My Little Razorblade live @ The Velveeta Room, Austin, TX March 17 2010 from Get Busy Committee on Vimeo. DJ Quik at Club Deville Austin, TX SXSW. from Elias the Barbarian on Vimeo. Bun B x Motion Family x SXSW from Motion Family on Vimeo. Bahamadia SXSW from gavin dahl on Vimeo.

HHS: What’s up fellas?

Sharkey:  Yo, what’s good man.

HHS: Everything is good, how about you C-Rayz?

C-Rayz:  I’m definitely sitting here, I’m sitting down.  I’m not standing I’m sitting down breathing hard.

Explain the title “Monster Maker”.

Sharkey:  I think the whole album is a marriage of two friends coming together and making an album that is right in line both mentality and creatively.  It happened to be both of us expressing our frustrations at the industry.  We both felt we a little underrated, plus we have a lot of personal things we are working out which reflect the theme of this album.  Basically, the world is a monster maker.  We both are genuinely good people who are pushed to the limits quite often.

C-Rayz:  It’s basically the beginning of the ending of the story.

Hmm…alright

C-Rayz:  (Laughs)

Sharkey:  (Laughs)

Not sure what to say to something like that, C-Rayz is on another planet right now.

C-Rayz:  Word up.

Sharkey:  The beautiful thing about this album is that it’s a concept we don’t really take that seriously.  We had a lot of fun with it.  When you ask if I can explain it, it sounds a lot deeper than it really is.  In actuality everyone is dealing with this exact thing and everyone can relate to this concept.

C-Rayz:  Exactly.

Sharkey:  We had a lot of fun making this album which is also very reflective of life.  We king of took a light hearted approach on things for this album.  It has a deep message and a lot of the tracks are up-tempo.  Bottom line is we had a lot of fun in these recording sessions and the making of this album.

C-Rayz:  (Laughs)

What makes this record unique from “Sharkey’s Machine”?

Sharkey:  One of the pros of “Sharkey’s Machine” was that stylistically from song to song the album was so different.  On the flip side it was also the downfall as far as marketing that album, because a lot of it went over a lot of peoples head.  The thing that ties “Monster Maker” with that record is it’s still a Sharkey’s vision.  I am influenced by a lot of different genres and that’s reflective with both albums.  “Monster Maker” has a consistency that flows through each song; “Sharkey’s Machine” was more of a compilation record.

C-Rayz:  Is the exact same thing I had with “Ravipops”, I tried to make a hip-hop album that showed every side.  I made the song about the girl, the battle song, the lyrical song, and so on.  But, when you show that much versatility a lot of people don’t really get it.

C-Rayz, why did you decide to make an entire record with Sharkey?

C-Rayz:  Because I’m not stupid and I love life.  I’m just down for getting down on some creative shit.  I want to do shit like when music was fresh.  You made the music because there was somebody you were vibing with.  There were no egos, you are completely open and honest with each other and you make it happen as opposed to just talking about it like most people do.  In the mist of crazy shit going on it’s like a perfect mistake.  We just got mad at everybody in public and nobody could front on it, because everybody feels that way sometime.

C-Rayz, you have been through a lot of ups and downs in the music industry and in life.  If there was one piece advice you could give an up and comer, what would that be?

C-Rayz:  You need to find your place of peace that you can always get back to.   When it’s looking real monsterish, you have to find that place.  Find that place.  Everybody isn’t meant to do music, or rhyme or make clothes.  Just find what you do and find your position or that will change your into a monster.  So you have to find it for yourself.

What you drew you to C-Rayz and made you want to work with him?

Sharkey:  C-Rayz from top to bottom is probably the most punk rock emcee on this planet and the only person I can think to come close to him would be Ol Dirty Bastard.  The difference is that C-Rayz has a style that is much more digestible than ODB.  ODB seems like he was just crazy all the time.  C-Rayz is all over the place, but his style is a lot easier to digest.  I heard about recording sessions with ODB and The Neptunes and they sounded like it was a complete nightmare, C-Rayz is very intelligent and it was a lot of fun to do these sessions with him.  We seem to be in the same place with all of our ideas, which is also a plus.

Your production has a hint of techno/dance and hip-hop, what equipment are using for your tracks?

C-Rayz: You must study ancient Chinese secret and realize the weapon is the holder of the weapon itself and the mind of an advanced monster.  Only the scientist formula is the one more powerful.  I think Sharkey’s science is so expanding it doesn’t matter.  If we did the next album all farting, a symphony of farts, that shit would be banging.

Sharkey:  (Laughs) For me I don’t even think about it.  I’m just a lover of music in general.

C-Rayz:  Yo, son you don’t even need to give them that.  Buy the album, listen to the sound.

Sharkey:  I get where he is coming from with this question.  The thing that is funny about that question is if you go back to the 1970′s and Grandmaster Flash rocking these parties.  He was going back and forth on Led Zeppelin records or whatever.  If you listen to old Beatles recordings it sounds a lot more like hip-hop than this bullshit people are shoving down your throat nowadays.  At some point people started making records that were supposed to be hip-hop but we got away from the idea of what hip-hop actually is which is a blending of culture.

C-Rayz, since this album dropped on Babygrande any chance of you signing with the label for your next solo effort?

C-Rayz:  I am C-Rayz Walz and a monster maker.  On the real, the only label I am interested in signing with is Rhymesayers or Heiro Imperium because they are real good brothers.   I have another project coming out on Angeles records.

You have been a very busy man; tell us who you have been working with other than C-Rayz?

I’m actually working on some things for Atlantic Records that I would rather not mention because it hasn’t come through yet.  I have been working and turning the music in for their artists, but I don’t want to say until something has been accepted.  That’s where I’m at right now is doing stuff for majors.

C-Rayz, what do you have coming up?

C-Rayz:  Well, I just dropped one 2 weeks ago called “Monster Maker”

(Laughs)

C-Rayz:  I also dropped one 3 weeks ago called “Chorus Rhyme:  Collectible Classics” but those are just collectible classics.  Only 3000 copies of the cd are available.  It’s a three part series that deal with hip-hop with straight samples and it’s my best material that I don’t want to deal with a label with.  I am only dropping 3000 copies for the fans.  As a result of “Monster Maker” is a good and a bad thing.  Working with a producer like Sharkey is a step up and now I feel like my old recordings I want to get rid of them.  Where I’m looking at going with Sharkey on the next “Monster Maker” and with live bands is not the same music as I was doing before.  I will continue to drop albums, but you may not even know about unless you check my myspace or whatever.

It’s been an interesting interview; I’m also scared to ask but C-Rayz any last words?

C-Rayz:  I’m saying that to those artists out there that want a Sharkey’s beat you really shouldn’t get that unless you are trying to do something else.  It’s going to affect everything else, it will taint you.  You will have a little taint in the middle of your career.  You won’t be able to get your shit off the same way.  Cop that “Monster Maker” joint because it’s good for everything, good for when you are mad, when you’re happy, making love, sexing hard, slow, you’re driving with your parents or your kids.  If you are extremely angry don’t listen to it by yourself and drive, anywhere.  In that moment of in traffic you could be the one that pops up with the AK and spray everything.  Damn, this world’s a monster maker.

(Laughs)  Sharkey, anything to add?

Sharkey:  I hope the kids get out there and support this project.  We put our heart and soul into this and I think it’s an amazing record.  I think it could change some kid’s lives listening to it.

C-Rayz:  For real.

    Considering C-Rayz’s history, it comes as no surprise that the strongest cut on the album is the Belief produced “Pink”, featuring Jean Grae on the hook, which allows C-Rayz to dismantle pseudo-gangsta rappers with battle style lyrics like “All the thugs I know is really into calmness/ While you wanna walk by and scream Onyx” and “You ain’t bout it/ But since you frontin’ ain’t got no limit/ I see your future/ You about to die in it”.  Belief also comes through on the gritty “Street Reppin”, featuring Vordul Mega, with a beat seemingly tailor made for Pretty Toney that
should keep the necks moving for the entire four minutes. 

    The producer lends his talents once more on  “Music Take Ovah” featuring Pudge where C-Rayz shows a more conscious side with lines like “80,000 dollar for a chain you sick/ It only costs 10,000 for a barbershop where you can employ your click/ Thats just sheisty selfishness” .  On “Black Soap” featuring M-1 of Dead Presidents, C-Rayz delivers gems like “Fear of a Black Planet and black economy/ I tried to get job but my sideburns was stoppin’ me/ Am I too strong? I use to wonder?/ Or is it the digits of my social security number?” and “If the noose around your neck got you moody and broke/ Then you know why we all pump peruvian coke” that aptly match M-1′s style.  Unfortunately these songs are forays for C-Rayz who
mostly reverts back to his comfort zone with one liners.

    Aside from a few stand-outs it is hard to distinguish most of the songs from each other.  Part of the problem is the similarly mediocre beats from a plethora of produces, but mostly its C-Rayz’s reliance on non-sequiturs.  Lines like “But I won’t dumb it down to double my dollars/ I’d rather piss on your lawn than leave a puddle in my boxers” from the El-P assisted “First Words Worse” and “Its getting pretty cooky in here/ You want to be my friend and buy me beer?/ Get the fuck outta here” from “Say Werd” show a lack of creativity and wit that should not plague a
tested battle rapper.

    At times its easy to see why C-Rayz could be talented enough to defeat Supernatural, but those moments are too far and few in between.  It is simply too hard to make a whole album revolving around punch lines (ask Canibus), and while he does have some polished songs
he could use some more. 

C-Rayz is compelling because there are so many aspects to his style.  On some tracks he sounds as if he just got in the booth and freestyled his verses.  While on others he gives the listener complete coherence so that they understand how much thought is put into his creative process.  His carefree approach is epitomized on his lead single “The Essence”.  Here C-Rayz makes use of clever word association, random cultural references, and a delivery that fluctuates between calm and excitable to entertain listeners.  He leverages these tools again on “Battle Me”, where C-Rayz spits humorous braggadocios rhymes over a hyper string arrangement, with a playful and childlike hook complementing his gruff voice perfectly. 

On the other end of the spectrum is the subversive “Dead Buffalos”, which juxtaposes the slaughter of wild buffalos to the plight of his ancestors and shows sarcastic appreciation to those whose despicable actions in American slavery can be traced.  Tracks such as these show C-Rayz in a more conscious mindset and fit his aggressive persona with ease. 

Unfortunately, there’s frequently a positive correlation between a high track count and filler material.  “Yeah” has a very unimaginative call and response hook that just doesn’t work.  Equally disappointing is the ubiquitous sped-up vocal sample style used on “Camouflage” that hip-hop has been suffocated with for the past couple of years. Despite these mishaps, after listening to his album most may have no idea what Ravipops are, but they will know that C-Rayz Walz is versatile and talented MC.