Customer Reviews

Ravipops

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To get started, if you haven't heard or seen C Rayz then just cop the album because you trust the Def Jux label. This is one of those amazing marriages that was inevitable. C Rayz: Guiding Light of New York's Underground, Champion of Truth and Juxtice, and one of the smartest, nicest, and realest guys you'll ever meet, combines talent with the only real hip-hop label that currently desereves to skim off of what's left of the CD marketplace. Material previously released from Stronghold and C Rayz (Sun Cycle MC) has the sickest flows, but C Rayz for some unknown reason has never really been given quality beats to work off. Being in that middle ground between trying to stay true to the people he has always worked with and getting a million offers from producers worldwide, it is probably quite confusing. Either way, this album is all C Rayz, the perfectly mature C Rayz that gives you the perfect balance between streets, positivity, love, honor, respect, and good time all around fun, this is the album to get this year. Following his career is the monument on how to do your thing. He has swapped down garbage offers from sheisty labels for a century now, and is finally working with a team that can nurture this talent and keep him growing at a realistic level that will give him what he needs in pocket and what we need in our hearts and ears. The album is dope...whatever C Rayz touches is dope, so the Def Jam stamp just makes it official.

PS - (This cat has fans in countries that I've never even heard of...fans that sleep on beds of nails for 1 slice of vinyl and wipe their azzes with 50 Cent tapes because they are more accessable than toilet paper.)

El-P knew what he was doing when he picked up C-Ray Walz. This kat is nice, not only is he extremely lyrical, he can combine that with good song writing. This album has many emotions built into it reminding me of albums done when EVERYTHING was hip hop, and there was no seperation between the underground and commercial world made so blatant. The complete album, stories, lyrical displays, posse cut, all done over dope beats. Pick this up if you know the real.

C Rayz Walz has been one of my favorite emcee's in the past few years. After falling in love with this cd, i can say now that he is the best hands down. I havent enjoyed a cd this much maybe since Illmatic. Yes, its that good. What surprised me the most his how nice the beats were on this Lp, and C Rayz absolutely rips every track with rediculous metaphors and punchlines and just all out amazing flow. And don't expect just the typical underground type of songs. Tracks like "86", "battle me", and "We Live" would be enjoyed by any hip hop fan regardless it's just too bad that people these days get swamped by the commercial attack. But definetly pick this cd up, best album of the year in my opinion.

I was surprised by the lack of experimentation on "Ravipops", but it's still a solid album. I doubt the majority of the Def Jux faithful is impressed with this LP, but in my opinion, there's definitely a time and place for it. With a low retail price (around ten bucks everywhere I've seen), "'86", "Buck 80". "We Live", and "3 Card Molly" make this album worth the money. Musically, "Ravipops" doesn't break any new ground, but C-Rays is a more than capable lyricist, and it's refreshing to hear some straightforward raw tracks from a Def Jukie. Fans of El-P, Aesop Rock, Rjd2, etc, might be disappointed in "Ravipops", but in my opinion, the addition of C-Rays simply diversifies the already-solid Jux roster.

Honestly, even though i've been a C-Rayz Walz fan since the 1st time i heard the guy on some song my brother had downloaded on his computer a while back, I probably wouldn't have ever picked up any of his albums if he didn't sign a deal w/ def jux. I picked this up ENTIRELY on the strength of the djx label, and I have to say that I was really suprised w/ what I heard on the 1st listen. Mainly because of the lesser known producers he used on this effort, El-P didn't produce 1 song, matter of fact the only other guest apperance from a fellow jukie was from Vastaire on The Line Up (very ill song). Even though this release isn't groundbreaking music it definitley can be described as quality hip hop. In my opinion the standout tracks are - Dead Buffalos, The Line Up, '86, Battle Me, and Camouflage (camouflage sounds like some old RZA beat, very nice). Basicly dope album pick it up ASAP.

i've been listening to this album in my walkman for 5 days straight now and haven't gotten tired of it. [He is] off the hook, no joke. i love the way he spits his rhymes with these funny but clevah metaphors. my favorite tracks are Guns and Butter, Buck 80, Battle Me and Elephant Guns. if you're into def jux, or are looking for a unique hip-hop lyricist, with phat bass and beats, C-rayz is on point!

C Rayz micstyle is hard to define, but most probably one of those 'like it or hate it' artists. He has a very typical voice, which changes nicely with his volume.

It's on def jux, but it does not have the typical def jux feel from the cold vein or fantastic damage. There are no el-p beats. The production is handled by some other less-known cats. I believe some of the beats are quite weak and not what a top class emcee like c rayz deserves. This is mainly because of the clean drumsounds... There are enough standout tracks.
The first song has a horrible beat. The second song, the essence, is the real opener. It has a laidback thumping beat. Guns And Butter is a nice banging beat, slightly unoriginal.
Protect My Family sounds like [stuff] to me, but that's just taste.
Thug Melody is a really cool track. Heavy as hell.
The best production is from Belief.
Over the entire album C Rayz compells with wicked metaphoars (down to earth like a meteorite) and crazy flows.

C Rayz Walz new cd is one for the ages. From the first track to the last, the beats keep changing and no two tracks sound alike. I bought this without ever hearing it, and would recommend it to anyone who likes Hip-Hop. One of the best, if not the best cd I've heard in a while.

I like it more and more everytime I listen to it, the first 2 songs are the only ones I think are a little weak. I like the diversity of the album, most of the beats sound nothing alike. I found myself liking the tracks that were not the usual C-Rayz beats, like Elephant Guns, The Lineup and 86 and most of the other beats that were unusual with flutes and other instruments. If the first 2 tracks were better I would give it 4.5 stars, the only thing keeping it from 5 would be the tremendous amount of punchlines. Also his other new CD Limelite is almost equal to this, it just lacks a tad bit in diversity. Buy this and Lime Lite together, go to sandboxautomatic for the best deal.

I wasnt really sure what to think of C-Rayz Walz when this album dropped. Despite having an already impressive back catalog, this was actually the first release of his I ever checked out. I had heard his name mentioned countless times in the freestyle battle circuit, and he later caught my attention with his scorching verse on Cannibal Ox's 2001 masterpiece, 'The Cold Vein'. By the time this album's release rolled around I was completely immersed in the world of 'Def Jux', the record label was slowly and surely making me reassess what exactly it was I considered "Hip Hop" to be.

To make a long story slightly shorter....I pretty much copped this solely off the strength of it being a Def Jux release. I wish I could say I was down with Walz from the jump, but hey, better late then never right? My first few sit downs with this album didnt turn out for the best, sure it was an ok record, but I didnt really understand Walz as an mc. Was he a comical, punchline driven mc ala Eminem? Was he a social commentator and revolutionary like longtime collaborator Immortal Technique? Really I wasnt sure. Walz displayed so many different personality's all at once on this record, and to be honest it was a bit much to take in, it simply overwhelmed me and I shelved the album, not quite sure exactly what it was I had just listened to.

Revisiting the album years later though provided me with quite a shock. Coming back to this record with a more matured musical palette really opened it up for me. I finally understood the brilliance of C-Rayz's style, that being that it simply cant be fit in to any one category, his lyrics and flow evolve and change with every few bars and his mind is constantly shuffling a million different thoughts all at once. He bounces from clever punchline centered raps (see 'Battle Me': You work for who? so, I dont wanna get signed/my shadows chasing me, basically im ahead of my time), to heartbreaking revelations involving his past, on 'We Live' Walz shares...

Be Strong, the same thing I told my Mother/
With blood on her shoulder while she was holding my brother/
(We Live) where do-rags stay under the hat/
and you dont want waves, but the bandanna gotta match

Walz again touches the subject with greater detail on '3 Card Molly'

for the 5 times those dum dum's blast/
in the chest of my brother, that breath was the last one/
I dont believe it, my heart need a cast/
I told him "get out that lane cause it was too fast"/
Ain't it time to, cut these yellow lines/
the show must go on I got his younger brother on my mind/
Past tragic, wish I knew magic tricks/
I'd bring it back to the physical script/
And dreams is broke, he got smoked for coke/
in the form of rock What it made worse, he was on his own block/
At the funeral, I cried then laughed/
At the same time, my wrath, had me happy and sad

The album is littered with moments like this and every song finds us exploring a different personality of Mr. Walz. His songwriting is worth noting as well, C-Rayz proves himself to be one of the best songwriters the underground has to offer. At first I didnt think much of it, but months after my initial listen I found myself singing his choruses, something I can very, very rarely say for an underground mc. He plays with vocal inflections and melodies in such a way that you simply cant help but get his songs stuck in your head, its rather brilliant and ties his verses together to make the songs a cohesive entity, rather then random raps that were just thrown over the beats.

Speaking of which, the production is almost as brilliant as C-rayz himself. I would be lying if I said I knew who most of these dudes were, but they each turn in stunning performances. With beats ranging from absolutely haunting (the aforementioned 'We live') to light hearted and playful (Floe). 'Elephant Guns' and 'Dead Buffaloes' also stand out as utterly amazing instrumentals. Much like C-rayz's verse, every beat serves a purpose on this album and each and every one is put to use in the most effective manner. Couple all this with a classic Posse cut featuring a show stealing Verse from MF DOOM (The Line Up) and you have what is easily one of the best albums to come out of the Def Jux camp.

The only negatives I can find are the running time and the immense amount of depth that Walz displays on the mic. Firstly, at 17 full tracks, most of which clock in at over 4 minutes, the album can start to drag in the second half. Its not that the music is any less effective, its just that with such long running time it really takes a certain level of dedication to get through it all in one sitting. Walz himself can be a very hard mc to get in to, his quirky voice and flows can make him hard to understand at times, and his lyrics often take multiple listens and rewinds to decipher. People such as myself will love this, others wont bother investing the time to see the end reward, shame really.

Overall the album is simply amazing, its one thats going to take a while to grow on you, but given the chance im sure you'll fall just as deeply in love with it as I have. From the polished production to the catchy hooks, the album delivers on just about every level and is a must for underground hip hop fans.

Pro's
-Great flows and lyrics
-Very solid productions
-Well crafted hooks
-Interesting subject matter and concepts

Con's
-Album runs a bit long
-Its a pretty hard album to get in to, Walz is an acquired taste
-Walz sometimes has trouble focusing on one subject for long periods of time