XTA-C

XTA-C's 2003 track "So Heavy" rivals Tech N9ne's "It's Alive" as the best single ever to emerge from Kansas City's rap scene. The laid-back lyricist stocks Tha Warning!, a generously portioned mix, with would-be hits of every stripe. He flows "2 M.P.H." over a syrup-thick synth backdrop, lays down club-rocking crunk, pairs an R&B hook with a minimalist thump, and rocks old-school bells-and-boom beats. On the short, untitled bonus cuts that follow the official program, he gets even more experimental, dedicating a tropical-flavored tune (steel drums, slack-key guitar) to Troost nightspot G's Jamaican Cuisine. Usually hip-hop hooks this catchy arrive either slathered in candy-pop sheen or dripping with outlandishly offensive content, but XTA-C proves it's possible to produce guilt-free radio rap. He calls himself a gangsta by nature/Nice guy by choice, and the description fits. He chronicles his criminal history, but he ain't bragging/Just warning. When not waving his gun or describing the drug game, he drops dough at the mall and lovingly cleans his car, pastimes to which even the squarest suburbanites can relate.