Okay, let me establish my cred first: I’ve loved C-Rayz for years. Every since his Freestyle vs. Written album with Kosha Dillz, way back in 2008. And now I’ll state some cynicism: Tribute rap albums usually feel dull and derivative. But this one is fantastic.
With lyrical references to famous verses and styles, and beats obviously intended to elicit nostalgia, C-Rayz pays tributes to all the great NY rappers: Wu Tang, KRS-One, Gang Starr, Mobb Deep…This album could have been a 1990s grime record–it would have been at home on the shelf next to all of C-Rayz heroes, and it would have measured up.
“My enemies get to see my teeth ’cause I smile…”
This is easily one of the best rap records of 2016 so far–C-Rayz has gotten comfortable with this style, which may borrow from Ghostface in delivery but not in lyricism–where GFK is often silly and brutal, C-Rayz is as straightforward as Nas. He’s not trying to prove his vocab skills or pull wild analogies out of his ass, he’s just telling the truth, track after track. And the shit is deep.
“You end up like Humpty Dumpty, with your shell cracked, searching for something…”
Featuring underground rap luminaries like M-1 (of Dead Prez), Access Immortal, U-God, Sean Price, Vast Aire (of Cannibal Ox), and even Spike Lee!
Extraordinary. Stream it below.
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