Class[sickz] Out the Dark: A Dedication to Hip Hop is the newest mix-tape from Chris Barz, an up-and-coming MC with an uncanny talent for storytelling, unique wordplay, and a flow you’d expect from a seasoned vet.

With influences including Eminem, Andre 3000, Lupe Fiasco, and most recently J. Cole and Drake, Barz always strives to bring the total package, and vibes with MCs who can incorporate metaphors, motifs and similes in their songs.

“Since there aren’t too many artists that impress me lyrically, I always have to impress myself,” says Barz, who believes you can inspire the whole world with a tight song.

Though he grew up idolizing the spoken-word artists on Def Poetry Jam, the popular live poetry showcase hosted by “Mighty” Mos Def, Barz has always been a musician and started rapping and playing piano at a young age. Motivated by the “oohs” and “ahhs” of an entertained crowd, the young MC quickly found his niche as a lyricist and never looked back.

Do You Know Him?, his first solo EP, dropped when he was only 18, and includes the Rocky Radio-produced track, “Regular Day” – the chilled-out jam that eventually led to his relationship with Craig B. and Tone P. of Best Kept Secret (BKS).

On Class[sickz] Out The Dark, BKS comes with a jazzier, more laid back sound that compliments the young MC’s more cerebral approach to rhyming. And while a slight departure from the go-go heavy beats you’d hear on a Wale record, BKS proved their metal by cultivating a signature sound for Barz.

“I respect Craig’s opinion so much because he has such a good ear for music,” says Barz, who holds a high opinion of his two collaborators.

“Dreamers” (Parts I and II) may be the strongest tracks on Class[sickz] Out the Dark. As Barz waxes poetic about Melody, his metaphorical mistress, BKS offers cool Bohemian beats that make these thought-provoking compositions truly unique.

“Anyone who has a dream, anyone who’s chasing a dream can relate to it,” says Barz, who apparently made a friend of his cry after hearing the song for the first time. “That’s the reason this song is so powerful.”

Chris Barz is a dope artist who isn’t even old enough to play in the clubs. But with a new mix-tape featuring Tabi Bonney and soulful hooks from Jesse Boykins, Class[sickz] Out the Dark offers a song for every occasion, and is a must-cop when it drops on Christmas Day.

As for 2010, the young MC is looking forward to replicating the music on Class[sickz] Out the Dark with his new band, Chris Barz and The Constellation. Comprised of drums, two guitars, a bass player, three pianists, two soul singers, and horn players, Chris Barz truly is “cooler than a ski slope.”