Richard Dawkins - "By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."

HA HA, okay. This is a good idea for me.

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ANCIENT ATMOSPHERE RAP:



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C-RAYZ WALZ. I CAN RELATE!

http://artofrhyme.com/interviews/artist/C-Rayz-Walz/91/


C-Rayz Walz

What's up C-Rayz?

C-Rayz Walz: It's on.

Word has it that you just signed to a label. What can you tell us about that?

C-Rayz Walz: Word up man. I just signed to Kings Link Recordz. I got hooked up with Echo1 who is a tattoo artist and a supporter of my music. He talked to his people and they made one plus two into three. We have an understanding and after I handle the things I have to do it's going down.

What kind of deal do you have? Is it just for one album?

C-Rayz Walz: You know there's always a test run and you want to see what the label does. It's a one record deal with an option. I'm going to put out Original Recipes which is coming out in July. I'm going to let them have it for a bit, the ones whose got hot albums now. Then I'm coming to bust the whole shit.

You've dealt with a lot of different labels in the past, so what do you look for when you're getting a new deal?

C-Rayz Walz: Honesty, camaraderie, believing in my project enough to push it and belief in my ingenuous marketing ideas.

So more so than the business aspect, there has to be a true feeling of excitement for you to sign?

C-Rayz Walz: I don't care about the money. I mean money is a part of it but I can get that money myself.

What's the word on the legal problems you're having right now? Has that cleared up yet?

C-Rayz Walz: Nah man, it's going on as we speak. I haven't really started my crusade yet but I'm going to get my fans to help me out. Lawyer fees can get expensive. I got caught up in some racial profiling in Indiana. They are just trying to put a whole lot of charges on me and I've been going back and forth to court for months. Every time I go to court they just dismiss it for another date. At the end of November I had to do a show to make some money. I didn't make any money on the Monster Maker tour. The show was in California and it was three hours back so I didn't make it to my court date the next day. I tried to call my lawyer and everything but no one got back to me. They ended up putting out a warrant for my arrest after the show. There's a whole bunch of technical things but right now I'm trying to finish my album up to make sure that's all official before I deal with this system and before they lock me up. I want to make sure everything is going forward. I don't think it's going to happen though with all the support of my myspace fans, the Hip Hop world, ArtofRhyme and all the people that love me and have supported me from day one.

Are you optimistic about the case right now and has it had any effect on the tone of your music?

C-Rayz Walz: I've been kind of down and it's kind of scary. A whole lot of things have happened in my life. My marriage fell apart and another one of my best friends got killed. I suffered some other deep personal things. My mother passed last October and it's been a whirlwind of things. I think this album is a culmination of me refusing to die. I believe that it's going to be crafty and blow off the roof. It's going to have a lot of emotion. I feel people are still buying CD's online from artists they support.

You have Original Recipes dropping soon and on your myspace you said its more street than ever.

C-Rayz Walz: I probably got a few tracks that people are going to think are violent. What I meant by street level is, it's as close as I can get to making that big budget mainstream C-Rayz record that everyone knows would be crazy ill. I'd have the ill features, you know? I'd do that track with Ghost and Redman and I'll have ill features. Nas, AZ and I. Even though you know it's big budget it would be 100% C-Rayz. So this is the closet you're going to get to that with an independent label. It doesn't matter, I have an independent label with major motivation. I'm dealing with a company that respects me, my artistry and my genius. The people that oversee the company are fans and they respect my genius. It's not like a deal with Def Jux where I wanted to name my album Better Rap and was censored. The name was changed to Year of the Beast because it wasn't good for the politics of the label? Fuck that! I want motherfuckers to ride with me. If you're not going to stand next to me when it comes time to choose the name of my album which is based off of my life and my experiences? If you aren't trying to hear that - when cats are about to set it off and we have to fight and defend ourselves like samurai's, I might as well be alone in the club so that's what I've been doing for a couple of years.

Now you're going to see me in the club with some big generals with a big black head and some big white dudes. Everybody in my crew is bench pressing. We got these big link chains that can't be broken, they don't have any locks. You want to take this chain? You're going to have to take off the whole head. You want to take my bracelet? You're going to have to chop my hand off. The loyalty, the royal blood line is what connects me to the people I deal with. You're not royal because you got the freshest shit in the club or you know what the latest fashion trend is, or you got money. We're royal because we're kings. We respect each other and deal with eye contact. If I meet you 2008 and you don't have any eye contact? Unless you're not talking about basketball or a movie, I'm not fucking with you. And if you don't get away from me I might start fucking with you on an uncomfortable level. We are at the end of the world. I don't mean that everything is going to blow up and the polar caps are going to melt and we are going to drown in water. We're ending the trend that got all these motherfuckers stuck in the age of Pisces. We're moving to the Age of Aquarius and cats are going to start recognizing truth, light and energy coming from real people that do it. They respect the arts, crafts, introspects, the fashion, entertainment, commercial world. You need to respect the James Top.

James Top from the Hip Hop graffiti world is showing afros. His thing is the classic afros. All it takes is for one person from MTV Cribs to have one of his afros and he'd be a millionaire. Cause people don't follow trends cause they don't understand. These are afro artist showing what's in the heart of people that are into the Hip Hop culture, soul and music from the hood. That's what my music is about. I'm from the hood. I've seen people get punched in the face, shot, babies get aborted, babies being born. I have seen death, pain, joy and fears - Rob Base song. The thing people need to respect is the art and the love. Today there's confusion. Most people into Hip Hop understand what the artist is saying. Even if they haven't been through the struggle themselves they feel the link to it.

Confusion is a song like the Solja Boy Song. I can't understand. Nobody understands why that song is so ill because the world is based off confusion and self hatred. People hate themselves and they don't want to think. They rather go deal with something like that. This year they are going to have to respect my genius and that's what I'm rolling with. I put years into this. I can't do no more in the underground but put out timeless classic records. Make a timeless classic record that has good marketing. Not anything crazy just enough to get the right people with their ears out. People are going to hear it and I'm going to rep the people that have been repping me.

And for the listeners out there don't get it twisted. Def Jux and I are all good money. We're all good money. If you punch El-P in the face in the club I'm going to fuck your whole crew up. We might have had our issues after that but Def Jux put me on. I got on MTV being on that label, I had good videos on BET, they put budgets in my shit and the world got to know me. For the people that thought Def Jux was my first record, whatever they did well. When they tried to change me we had to split paths. Now I'm all good. I just go from a distance now. Don't get it twisted C-rayz isn't that dude. I give 150% with all my people but I need creativity. I can't be with one woman and I can't be with one record label. At the same time I can be the one woman, one label man. The woman that's trying to be with you now gravitates towards you naturally if you do what you got to do. If you're a label that's treating me right and we're being respectful and we have great communication in the relationship. Why would I want to leave?

Have you continued a relationship with MTV or any other TV networks?

C-Rayz Walz: I did the Sucka Free freestyle. Killah Priest and I are shopping something to VH1 right now called The Rap Life. We'll see what happens with that. We have a pilot and a season of thirteen shows talking about stuff like the mind of a lunatic. Talking about detailed stuff like my marriage, death of my mother and my brother failing at what he's doing in the Hip Hop game. El-P, Bloods, Crips, Blink 182, The Chop Shop, NYC, Fat Beats, L.A., Undefeated, I'm just going to cover the game and show that C-Rayz Walz is absolute Hip Hop culture. All the way down to Saigon snuffing Prodigy. I'm going to come out with books, movies, all mediums. I have been on my hustle since 99. I've been being creative but now I'm focused and on my real hustle. You'll see a lot of interaction with C-Rayz. I have gotten a lot of support over the last few years. I showed up to a lot of places, backed up fans, promoted myself heavy. You'll see me on a lot of mixtapes, a lot of sixteens, a lot of radio, a lot of press, a lot interviews and a lot of good music. Just ride with me to this next banger.

You finished up the Monster Maker tour recently and you really seemed in your element. Does performing with a live band give you more energy?

C-Rayz Walz: It's funny because the only people that were live in that band were me and the drummer. There was someone playing air guitar, that's all they were doing playing air guitar and Sharkey wasn't doing anything but pressing play on a CD. That shit was bogus. Sharkey was a dream for creating it but he was stupid for signing it to Babygrande. It stopped him from going on tour with the person he was on tour with? I'm like whatever. Fuck me? Fuck your own self in the ass. It's a win-win situation for me. My fans, the people that love my music and people that hear the album with be like, "Yo! This sounds progressive". This is the next, this is better than anything C-Rayz Walz did so far. I'm going to keep topping myself. I'm not satisfied. I'm not judging myself, I'm just doing what I like. Let other people judge me. I'm doing who I am. Ya'll are supposed to feel that shit. If ya'll wasn't I'd be confused. I'm confirmation for you - you're confirmation for me that we are one. There's no way to break it up and the energy just shifts positions.

It doesn't sound like things went well. Are you and Sharkey okay on a personal level?

C-Rayz Walz: Nah, not really. Like my wife - I love her but I won't fuck with her like that if we we're to raise a baby. But like Sharkey, that was my brother. I'm not going to split his head open or set his house on fire. It's going to hit him more when he sees me at the club and we're popping off and I have nothing to say to him. I might even shake his hand and keep it moving. I'll shake a stranger's hand, you know what I mean? "How are you doing"? I let him know I'm watching everything but I'm not looking at him. I love him to death. I love him for the history he's made.

It's not often we get such open and candid answers.

C-Rayz Walz: People are going to tell you things. They are going to speak to you from the perspective of a victim. They aren't going to take responsibility for their own actions. Like there are reasons I don't see my older son. Things that have to do with me but I'm not going to sit here and say, "Oh my older son's mother is just being an idiot." But what she's doing by keeping my son away from me? That isn't right. I don't want to go to court. I feel like going to court is snitching. I didn't have to go to court to make a baby. I mean I've been through life. I feel younger and I feel good about things.

What percentage of your songs do you think you could remember all the rhymes to on the spot?

C-Rayz Walz: At least sixty songs, but my catalogue is crazy. I'm on my fourteenth album. I don't remember the writtens so I just go to the radio station and freestyle the interviews. Because my natural gift is to get in and show them how it's done. You have people like, "Yeah son! I knocked out mad people. I fucked up mad people." But you see them in life and they aren't about none of that. Like my man James Top, he talks about it but my man lived it.

No doubt, we were blessed enough to experience an exclusive C-Rayz freestyle interview last time we spoke.

C-Rayz Walz: You know what I'm saying? Nobody knows anybody doing that. Somebody wants to bite that gimmick? Go ahead.

How'd you hook up with Socalled for "You Are Never Alone"? That video was a big hit on youtube.

C-Rayz Walz: Socalled actually did a review for The Prelude back in the day and he got it. He knew what the fuck he was talking about. Every word, even my witticism and my underlying messages. So he had a review and his review was awesome. He contacted me to come to one of his shows and just freestyle. I mean it' common knowledge so why not? I came through like a fucking Bar Mitzvah. Everyone had there reminders on and everyone was straight Jews or Orthodox, so it was a different environment and I crushed it cause I'm C-Rayz Walz. I can talk to your grandmother, I can speak to your niece, I can be in a Japanese house, I can bail hay in Indiana. Cause I'm hip hop. I'm going to go over the minds of the people transforming. And we kept going from there and he invited me on his album. I've been to Europe with him several times. I did the Jew music festival in Poland last year in front of seventeen thousand people. I'm with a Polish MC and he's spitting bars and killing it in Yiddish. I'm just freestyling and we're trading bars back and forth. We traded bars in front of seventeen thousand and with twenty-five instruments behind us. You crazy!? Come on man! Fuck ya'll shit! Fuck ya'll! I want to talk about revolution on my records, I want to talk about black economics, interracial relationships, how I like to fuck other women, I want to talk about how I'm only in love with women mentally and through communication. Not sexually. Sexually is not how I'm in love with women. I'm rich but I haven't had money in years. I like that I haven't had to pay for clothes and I look fresh and they think I'm rich. I said on my chorus, I said "My fans think I'm rich because they're seeing my wealth, you started rhyming so you didn't have to be yourself."

I'm talking about my wife, my marriage, my divorce, my seeds not seeing me, me not seeing my seeds and my girl. I give it to you all cause there is still something left. You're going to want to read the book because there's something still left in the details. You're going to want to read the book, trust me. You don't want to know what happened with me and El-P in Brazil when I first signed to him. You're going to want to read that story. It's my life and I can say whatever I want. That's the thing about a musician.

What about that book you told us that you were working on when you spent that stint in Rikers?

C-Rayz Walz: Yeah, about people thinking jail is cool and shit with my man. If I get locked up, I don't know. I might knock out my two books and walk out. I'm not trying to make mad novels, just something easy for the reader. I want to say some real shit and enclose some facts, give you notes to get research on top of what I'm saying so you can make a change. My grandfather just passed. He spent twenty five years in jail, then got out and lived for another eighteen. He passed away with four children. Then we found out he had five more children that we didn't even know about. That's legendary.

That's pretty deep.

C-Rayz Walz: I'm saying. How can I be committed to one woman? Come on man if you're in the military and all that and we have a whole other conversation, why do you think I'm going to be intrigued by this girl who's coming way far from Brazil? And she's a gypsy for the first time? Huh? I'm in love? I'm in love with her already? It's about being animalistic. They're trying to dumb it down to a one main thing love. Right now my motivation is Martin Luther King, Jim Kerry and Gandhi. My musical inspiration is Jimmy Hendrix. He said, "The power of love is greater than power." I didn't start rhyming so I could be cool and so girls would fuck me. Girls wanted to fuck me since I was eight. First time I got pussy the girl was like sixteen and I was like nine. I take care of myself, I eat well and I look younger. High school kids are looking at me on the train like, "you look good". I'm like, "Word? That's dope."

I'd rather be Miles Davis then Puff Daddy. Nobody is going back to a puff daddy record. Nobody is checking that shit. You might go back to a Mos Def record or a Common Sense record, even a Canibus record. All these fucking MC's acting like Canibus isn't nice? This is my personal moment to say "Shut the fuck up!" You aint got to like his songs or whatever; the kid is a lyrical furnace. He rhymes more than me.

Have you been in contact with him recently? I've been wondering what he's been up to.

C-Rayz Walz: No I haven't. Canibus went to the Army to learn how to be a mercenary.

What's up with the Freestyle vs. Written EP you did with Kosha Dillz?

C-Rayz Walz: It's brilliant. Kosha Dillz wrote all his verses first and laid it down, then he had me come to the studio and go through some ideas. He wrote a few punch words. For example if he did a song about being in love I wrote - "Blueberry pancakes, molasses, pain steps, broken pearl necklace, slippery shoes, empty pockets." Yup and that's it and I'll just go in the booth and go off those words. It came out crazy. Of course people are going to say it wasn't a freestyle. What you think it was B? I'm in tune with myself. I like to be naked with the lights on. I don't even have a style, my style goes with everything. I can do a track with M.O.P., then do something with Matisyahu and shine as C-Rayz Walz with new angle, style and all that. I'm in tune with everybody because I love everybody. I'm a lover not a hater. I'm a congratulator. I like when somebody is making their share, making money and keeping it going in a progressive motion.

Since working with Sharkey on the Monster Maker project you've said that you couldn't go back to beats that have less depth. Where you do see the direction of his music heading?

C-Rayz Walz: You know what it is though man? People just be closed minded and afraid to learn. I love hanging with people that know more than me. I don't really know anything and they don't know anything either. The only thing we can do is learn from each other. And that's realer than love. When I make my music I try to speak my experience without being preachy. I try to do my records without telling you what to do, I try to be funny without being a clown and I try to be serious without being thugged out. I think about the people more and more. I'm thinking about the babies that will hear it later. I'm going to be legendary. I'm already legendary. People don't know about me then you hear and it's official, like "Yo I know a dude who plays basketball who can dunk the ball and grab quarters off the top of the rim." You're like "Yeah right." Your life has changed and you've seen the legend. That's a legend dog. Legends aren't accessible. Legends aren't mainstream. You don't see legends on top. You don't care about them, you don't care about me.

Do you feel inside someway that you don't have that respect? I'm sure you have to know you're respected.

C-Rayz Walz: Not at all. Myspace saved my life. After my second brother got killed I was in a dark place. I was ready to go back to the stick up game. Like I've always been nice with rhyming and I'm from the Bronx. Ain't nothing new. You know, fuck it let me go back to my stick up game and get it popping. When I went on myspace I seen all the people on there and they had mad love for me. I'm like this dude doesn't know me from a can of paint. How does he know these songs? My music really changed their life?" Your whole family loves me? Word It's all good-ington.

That must feel good to be able to receive that love and have the opportunity to show the appreciation.

C-Rayz Walz: It's giving back. I'm the people's champ. That's what that that bracelet on my wrist symbolizes. I'm the people's champ. The days I don't remember who I am I look at that and I remember the people. They got their information from me. So it's just a reminder that I am ya'll. I'm C-Rayz Walz man, I'm ya'll. You can't differentiate me from ya'll. I'm the same person man. We all are. Everything is an illusion. Pain is your mentality and your imagination and what things you attach to.

How do you find the time to record and release so much music.

C-Rayz Walz: I just draw from everything and give it back. It's all about giving back man.

Have you ever considered building your own studio since you obviously have so much creativity to let out?

C-Rayz Walz: I might build a little recording booth together, you know? I'm about to go into a whole other calm phase in life this year. I'm about to move out to Cali and I'm going to basically do what I did with the music scene in Cali. Everybody knows me, blow every mic and move to another place. Maybe Japan next, who knows. Just hitting and feeling it to connect with the people.

What makes you pick California? Do you think you'll feel more comfortable there?

C-Rayz Walz: I think it will be perfect. I'm comfortable everywhere. Cali will be my second home cause I'm real wherever I go. Real meaning I'm authentic. I'm me. I'm going to have my same emotions and my same feelings. I'm going to just go. I'll keep going. Become a better version of me than I was before. I'm also going to be into acting so music isn't going to be my main focus. I'm going to start focusing on my acting.

Are there any roles you'd like to play or have been presented to you?

C-Rayz Walz: I've got two movies written in my mind but I see developing my acting artistry and my focal point of creativity from an acting mindset. The way I take different angles with music is what I have to do in acting. You'll see my creativity and the unique way it manifests in acting.

You'll be in the perfect spot with Hollywood.

C-Rayz Walz: Yup, basically.

How about the third part of your collectible series, The Angel & The Preacher? Is it still dropping soon?

C-Rayz Walz: We're going to see what's going on. My official record is dropping July and it's coming out on a real label. The thing about real labels is you can't just drop. I think good music is good but me personally selling three thousand records is great. If I sell three thousand records like three or four times I'm more than good. But for future records we are trying to sell fifty, one hundred thousand. We want to build it up right. The Angel and the Preacher? Who knows, maybe that might come out overseas. Drop it overseas or drop it secretly. Sell those three thousand copies and it'll be a gift for the people. I still got time till July so maybe I might go with it. If Urchin still wants to do it cool. I was only going to sign with Rhymesayers or G-unit. I've got some young brothers from my block and I'm going to take to G-Unit now because I have an open door there. I keep telling Slug I definitely want to make a record. I want that on my career, put that tattoo on my arm I want it to be a part of my legacy. If it happens to happen or not, it'll be part of my legacy for that fact that Slug is my friend.

You mentioned you had an "In" at G-unit. You also gave hints to us in Boston about dealing with them. What ever happened to that situation? Did you just not pursue it or did it not go anywhere?

C-Rayz Walz: I just didn't pursue it. I have to come with a certain type of musical format when I work with G-Unit. Even though it's still C-Rayz they have their own type of vibe over there, I can respect that. It's artistically challenging and shows how creative I can be to come out with a record on G-unit that's still C-rayz Walz. G-Unit is a different thing; it shows that the game isn't just one dimensional. I can make a G-unit record that won't be repetitive. I can get 50 on the hook and it will be dope, know what I mean? It can be a dope album, different cats do different things. It's like my wife was mad because I was loving this little fat girl who was like into Chanel bags, Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton and friendship bracelets. She's like, "How can you like this dumb girl? You're like God body, into political science, positive MC, vegetarian and all this other stuff.

I'm like, "don't judge the love in this world and the creativity." I like her cause she's funny, she doesn't really talk about nothing that's really relevant to anything. That's just a good cup of nothing to make me think of something. I can relate to all people so in my rhymes I probably have two or three lines that relate to those dumb girls that like Jessica Simpson or whatever, and it will open their minds to seek more intelligence or choose a way of life that's more productive and less destructive. That's an infinite loop to build and destroy. It's the number eight in the lessons in the lessons of the Gods and Earth. That's the balance and the balance is infinite. People might judge me by what I do or who I roll with. The fact is they are judging someone else because they can't think outside their box or past their circle. For the record this is my first non freestyle interview in years. Except for Allhiphop.com. They are good peoples over there too. So ya'll two because ya'll my peoples.

No doubt, we appreciate you man. I always wondered and wanted to ask when I would see you in a cartoon series of some sort. With your style and persona I can see that as a perfect fit.

C-Rayz Walz: Word, I can see that. I would definitely do that.

You said your next blog for us was going to be Scarface is a pussy. What makes you say that?

C-Rayz Walz: I don't want to give away the whole blog, but it will be done by the end of the week. I'm finishing my album so I want to make sure the vibe is reflective. Things I might say in track six might be continued in track twelve. I got mad shit on my mind. "Scarface is a pussy" blog is basically describing why all these heads in America mainly, just now are acting like Scarface, searching for the American dream, power, etc. Scarface wasn't even a good drug dealer; Scarface was a piece of shit. He was good for like a quarter of the movie. He lost his G-ness and this is what people idolize. There are certain things I'm going to explain more in the blog. If you identify with Scarface you know you're pussy. Scarface didn't fight if something really jumped off and violence had to go down. If you're a Scarface fan? I'll fuck you up. Even if you're a dude that can really fight. I like the movie but I'm not idolizing him. Just you idolizing him alone tells me something is fragile on you and I could probably break your limbs.

Are movies a big influence on your music? If so what are some of your favorite films?

C-Rayz Walz: Man I don't even get to watch movies, my life is a real life movie. I got to watch movies with my last son's mother when we we're doing the whole "Boyfriend, Girlfriend" thing I guess. The dating, going out to eat, movies and fucking or going out to a show and fucking. You know the shit that burns out quick? I watched a lot of movies then but mostly now its DVD's and shit. I guess my favorite movie is like American Beauty or Juno; I like those ironic life movies, you know? Like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, that movie is so crazy. It's different from the book but it's still the same principle. The movie is so crazy because it's like what the fuck is this shit about? I already get it. It's like the same with life, you're not supposed to know. If you did you wouldn't be here.

Is there anyone else you'll be working with or collabing with in 2008?

C-Rayz Walz: Sean Price and I are supposed to be doing a full album so we'll see what's going on. Shout outs to my man Rock he got some legal problems too. Send him your love so he can beat that. Last time I was in the studio with them they did this joint with their man Flood. That shit was crazy! Sean and Rock killed it. I was going to jump on it, I wrote a verse for it, but that shit was so bad I just kept the verse. So I put that verse on another project I'm working on with Culture Sound Records in Austin, Texas. They just put out Buddy Leroy's last project and they are working on my man's Cerebral Vortex's album. I'm going to come out with a joint that's going to be self titled. C-Rayz Walz Culture Sounds.

Anything else you'd like to add?

C-Rayz Walz: Nah, I guess I'll catch you on the next interview man. Hindsight is 20/20 and I have no regrets. Anything I didn't get to say is gravy. I'm about to make this record, I feel great. I'm about to beat this court case. I got so much material and creativity for the world this summer, this year and this life time. When I get my two sons to be with me at the same time I'm going to be on a whole other level. Believe me I haven't shown anything yet. I'm still growing and I'm going to crush it every time. There's an album I want to make that will really change the world but it will come when it's supposed to right?

Absolutely right, thanks bro, I want to wish you luck on everything.

C-Rayz Walz: myspace.com/crazywalz or crayzwalz.com. Go to my page and donate a dollar. If they donate a dollar they will get the Free Rayz Walz cd, seven exclusive songs. Make a donation to my court case and help me beat this situation that went on in Indiana where I got unlawfully arrested.

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AND 50 CENT GOING BUCK:



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I can't tell you how deep I'm in the shit right now.
it's SERIOUS.
love, Addi