As we alluded to yesterday in our post about Ozric Tentacles setting up shop in Fort Collins, C-Rayz Walz (aka Waleed Shabazz) is indeed in Denver. Following up several reported sightings of him around town, we have confirmed that the New York rapper, who was most recently hanging his hat in Indiana, is currently kicking up dust in the Mile High City. "I am in Colorado right now," Walz confirms via e-mail. "I am still fighting the court case in Indiana among other life defining lessons. A FREERayz supporter online offered to put a Colorado tour together in order to help me raise funds for my attorney fees as his contribution to the Walz Movement."
Based on what we've been able to ascertain from documents posted on FreeRayzWalz.com, the court case the rapper is referring to stems from an arrest this past January in Indianapolis. According to the report, Walz was accused of battery, resisting, public intoxication and disorderly conduct. For his part, Walz has refuted the accusations, insisting that he's a victim of racial profiling. After appearing in court over half a dozen times, in which no charges were reportedly filed, Walz missed one of his scheduled court dates, and as a result, is now facing some pretty substantial legal entanglements. The website and the subsequent tour were both established in an effort to help defer his legal fees. "I don't actually stay anywhere," says Walz in response to whether he's living here or not, before adding that he has "'folks' of positive right energy globally," with regard to whether he has friends and family here.
Right now, the rapper says he's focused on promoting a series of Colorado dates that are slated to kick off in Fort Collins at Hodi's Half-Note on Wednesday, December 17, with Likker Cats, Dent, Ricky Raw and MC Pump, followed by a show the next evening, Thursday, December 18, at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. And that weekend, Friday, December 19 through Sunday, December 21, Walz is due in Breckenridge, Crested Butte and Durango. -- Dave Herrera
