James Christos

Underground purists may write off Kansas City's James Christos as having a mainstream sound. Indeed, Christos' brand of epic hip-hop and guerrilla-style industry insurgency should make the nice-guy indie rappers a bit uncomfortable. His latest, The Coup: A 21 Day Revolution Within, pairs his seething, calculated flow with his self-produced style of high-octane, aneurism-inducing beats — many of which might prompt your favorite local rapper to lock his doors at night. On "Opus Four" he writes from an ex-gang members' perspective, detailing his frustration with his peers who are "knocking on hell's door." He spits: Turf politics, is that what we're fighting for? We don't even own the land that we're standing on. These mutinous messages, mixed with Christos' own heat-rock instrumentals, add up to an album that sounds best when you're feeling pissed off and revolutionary. The Coup is what they call "heat" in the hip-hop world. Baby-kissing rappers should get out the kitchen.