Best Local Release
"So Heavy"
Perhaps it took a dreary spell in mainstream hip-hop to clear the airwaves for local talent. With Jay-Z's lukewarm cameo on Beyonce's omnipresent "Crazy In Love" making that tune rap's closest thing to a summer anthem, heads were fiending for a hot, multilayered beat and a smooth, chant-along chorus. Underrated local lyricist XTA-C delivered with "So Heavy," which paired laconic lines about cruising in style with an ever-evolving blend of squiggles and whistles, then reinforced the mix with concrete-cracking bass. Even abundant area airplay couldn't convert this gem into a "Country Grammar"-style sensation, but XTA-C is on the map now, and it won't be long before he's showing the whole nation how Kansas City rolls.
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