C Rayz Walz

For most aspiring artists, victory in the music industry means a major label record deal. C-Rayz Walz had an alternative strategy: He'd lose the war -- but win every battle. The Bronx rapper, born Waleeb Shabazz, eluded the pop radar for more than a decade but gradually earned a reputation as one of the fiercest battle rappers in New York's underground hip-hop scene.

For most aspiring artists, victory in the music industry means a major label record deal. C-Rayz Walz had an alternative strategy: He'd lose the war -- but win every battle. The Bronx rapper, born Waleeb Shabazz, eluded the pop radar for more than a decade but gradually earned a reputation as one of the fiercest battle rappers in New York's underground hip-hop scene.