Download: C-RAYZ WALZ – RED & BLVCK

On chilly days in my neighborhood (Uptown Minneapolis, for anyone interested in stalking me), it’s not uncommon to see hipsters sporting the “Red & Blvck” lumberjack, with the hat to match (unkempt beard optional, but encouraged). Lest we forget, though, a certain emcee by the the name of Christopher Wallace was rocking flannel way,”way back,” in hip-hop’s formative years. On his latest single (a Booth-exclusive world premiere!), Bronx vet C-Rayz Walz takes a Biggie-sampled beat by 9th Wonder as an excuse to take longtime hip-hop lovers on a trip down Memory Lane. Backed by the Little Brother affiliate’s boom-bap percussion and gritty soul samples, the artist affirms his devotion to rap’s roots, delivering shotgun-blasts of pop-referential lyrical freshness: “Got that Wild Style foul that the Furious forged, and I relate to Black & Yellow like Curious George / Big red dog like Clifford but I think different / Like Dwayne Wade with shades on, pimpin.” Need more C-Rayz Walz in your life? Then keep it locked—neither ALL BLVCK EVERYTHING: The Prelude nor the forthcoming album have received a drop date, but you’ll be first to know when that changes.