C-Rayz Walz / DJ Crucial / Jia Davis

A beast on the mic who, legend has it, has been bested in competition only by rapper Immortal Technique, C-Rayz Walz has spent the past few years trying to solve the conundrum common to all great freestylers: how to make those skills work on wax. His 2005 Def Jux debut, Year of the Beast, met with mixed reviews, but the Bronx-bred emcee is back this spring with a tour that will stop at both SXSW and the STL. Here in town Walz will appear alongside DJ Crucial and former Bits N Pieces member Jia Davis.