Hometown Highlights: Mae C, Stik Figa, All Blood + more

Upset about Beyoncé's Grammy loss? Listen to some local R&B about it! Need to drown out all the corny folk musicians invading Kansas City right now? Bump the new Stik Figa album! These new tracks may not solve all your problems, but they certainly should help you cope.

Stik Figa - "The Heart Wants"
Stik Figa is the pride and joy of the Topeka, Kansas hip-hop community. He has invested over a decade in the rap game and has now released one of his most well-rounded albums -- "Central Standard Time" -- on Arizona label Mello Music Group. The nine-song release is dotted with collaborations with well-known producers and rappers such as Elzhi, Black Milk, and Homeboy Sandman. "The Heart Wants" shows Stik reflecting on patterns he's observed in love, backed with rich drum textures from Kansas City producer Conductor Williams.

Mae C - "Anxious"
She's already a go-to when Kansas City rappers like Gee Watts and Aaron Alexander need a female vocalist, but Mae C's new solo track "Anxious" is her snatching the reins. Mae C's lyrics of love and yearning simultaneously flutter and soar over slow jam instrumentals provided by MaxxMarvel. If there's one R&B artist to watch locally, it's Mae C.

Aaron Cartier - "Both Hands" (3:12)
Aaron Cartier is a St. Louis rapper, but Kansas City producer Alexander Preston landed one of his most high-profile jobs yet on his song "Both Hands." Preston, a young man dedicated to building futuristic beats, teamed up again with frequent collaborators Ryan Jacob and Bijan Amir to do just that. Cartier raps of having money in both of his hands via slurred, auto-tuned boasts on this potent new track.

Joey Origami - "Inheritance"
Kansas City emcee Joey Origami is back with a new single. Origami glides across "Inheritance" with smoothly-delivered lines and traces his hustler roots like a hip-hop genealogist. "When you get the bigger picture you don't need to edit / Man, I'm too indebted and I'm too embedded / See my strive, I'm just too genetic / Got it from my father, he could use the credit."

Dom Chronicles & Lindsey Alderman - "Goin Down"
Before any details of new projects from the pair emerge, rapper Dom Chronicles and singer Lindsey Alderman have dropped a new single called "Goin Down." This young Kansas City power couple has collaborated on songs before, but nothing as sleek as this. Valentine's Day may have passed now, but this track would've been a fitting anthem for any fly couple to cuddle up to.

All Blood - "Great Barrier Grief"
"Great Barrier Grief" is a song from All Blood's 2010 album "Come, Love and Die." The long-dormant garage rock band will be releasing remastered versions of this song and 27 other "Ultimate Hits" this summer before they get to kicking out any new jams. Frontman Jonathan Brokaw has also been keeping busy with his new preservation-heavy punk band Salty, who just released their first album.

Check out past Hometown Highlights updates here.