S.H.A.D.O.W.

Kansas City rapper S.H.A.D.O.W. recently spent a few months in St. Louis, getting out of his comfort zone and recording his latest, Death of a Salesman. His time out of town seems to have paid off. On "To Live for So Much More," Mozaart Jones (Maryland) lays an 808 over Switchfoot's "Meant to Live," and S.H.A.D.O.W.'s verses hit hard enough to overwhelm the guitar riffs. For "Rearview," S.H.A.D.O.W. brings in two locals who deserve a lookout in '08: Smoov Confusion and A.M.N.E.Z.I.A. Bold moves such as this, plus the title track, which samples "(I Just) Died in Your Arms," show that S.H.A.D.O.W. has grown beyond his rep as a local freestyle and battle czar. I'm trying to be unique without moving to Los Angeles, he raps, and it's true — this guy's lyrical brawn is something he'll be respected for, regardless of which market he calls home.