Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. IZ HERE (Album Review)

Big K.R.I.T. is rocking a new look, but that hasn’t changed his passion for creating everlasting rap tunes.

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TOP 5

5. MAKE IT EASY

Big K.R.I.T. is so f**king hungry on “Make It Easy.” With the track featuring this soulful instrumental, the Mississippi native gives the world his unofficial acceptance speech, thanking GOD for making him Godly (That’s a sick ass line), acknowledging his haters for keeping him motivated on his way to success, and most importantly, proclaiming himself as better than most other rappers. While the tamed instrumental and drowsy hook that you hear on this song will cause you to dose off a bit, K.R.I.T.’s aggression, high-octane energy, word-play and punchlines will wake you right up.

4. ADDICTION

I know the so-called K.R.I.T. enthusiasts are not going to admit that “Addiction” is fire, but f**k them, this s**t is fire! I love the silky smooth club beat that powers this track, Saweetie’s sensual ass hook, K.R.I.T.’s low-key trill/tough ass verse about indulging in some good punani, and last but not least, Lil Wayne’s steady/savage/playful/tongue-twisting verse towards the end. I repeat, f**k anyone that doesn’t think this song is a hit!

For those of you that thought K.R.I.T. couldn’t make a club hit, sip on some expired Mountain Dew.

3. PROVE IT

J. Cole and Big K.R.I.T. linking up for “Prove It” is GOD’s way of giving hip-hop life again.

“Prove It” is the following: Cold, lyrical, powerful, deep and highly infectious. With the track featuring this mellow instrumental, K.R.I.T and Cole hold zero back content-wise, going back and forth on some rebellious/homage/woke s**t. While K.R.I.T. takes more of a simpler approach on his verses, Cole spits dynamically on his, hurling out bars like they were sunflower seeds.

We need more J. Cole and Big K.R.I.T. collaborations.

2. BELIEVE

“Believe” is pretty damn powerful! First and foremost, the instrumental that powers it is beyond heavy-hitting, featuring vibes that feel like it just got out of a Black Panther rally. Over this instrumental, Big K.R.I.T. spits unhinged and unraveled, touching on topics such as living dreams out, making sure our community is progressing and ensuring one is aware of systematic bulls**t. I love the passion K.R.I.T. shows throughout the track, especially how he balances heinousness with dejected emotion.

If this song doesn’t get you to finish filling out that job application you failed to complete for Target, I don’t know what would…

1. K.R.I.T. HERE

Big K.R.I.T. has emerged into one of those rappers that is more than capable of making music that is replenishing to listen to. In “K.R.I.T. HERE,” the Mississippi native follows this formula, gifting us with this soulful gem that almost feels like a theme song of-sorts. All in all, “K.R.I.T. HERE” features real ass bars about excelling, plenty of liveliness, and an energy to it that is nothing less than holy.

This is the first track off of this album, and f**k yeah that s**t woke me up!

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. K.R.I.T. HERE (5/5)

2. HIGH END COUNTRY (INTERLUDE) (N/A)

3. I BEEN WAITIN (4/5)

4. MAKE IT EASY (5/5)

5. ADDICTION (5/5)

6. ENERGY (4/5)

7. OBVIOUS (4/5)

8. I MADE (4/5)

9. EVERYTIME (4/5)

10. BELIEVE (5/5)

11. PROVE IT (5/5)

12. FAMILY MATTERS (3.5/5)

13. “BLUE FLAME” (INTERLUDE) (N/A)

14. BLUE FLAME BALLET (4.5/5)

15. LEARNED FROM TEXAS (4/5)

16. OUTER SPACE (4/5)

17. HIGH BEAMS (4.5/5)

18. LIFE IN THE SUN (5/5)

19. M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I. (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(B+)

Big K.R.I.T. will continue to be slept on even after he drops absolute gems like “K.R.I.T. IZ HERE.” Maybe that’s a good thing, because it is clear that he’s at his greatest when he’s underrated, counted out, starving and willing to do what it takes to generate interest like other rappers are able to.

If you didn’t know that Big K.R.I.T. was a phenomenal rapper, I will remind you one more time… He’s a phenomenal rapper! (The next time I remind you, I’ll have to charge you) On “”K.R.I.T. IZ HERE,” if you don’t get highly lyrical raps from K.R.I.T, you get raps that have great energy, dynamic flows and unbelievable wordplay. In both situations, K.R.I.T. infuses intriguing subject-matters that revolves around either living life freely and unhinged, or knowledge that revolves around understanding one’s worth and being a great example to your community. To me, how K.R.I.T. mixed both worlds together on this album was masterful.

Serious kudos must go to the producers featured on this album. Throughout “K.R.I.T. IZ HERE,” we are gifted to club beats, smooth beats, soulful beats, timeless beats and southern classics. This brings out a versatile version of K.R.I.T., which as a result, lets new listeners of his know that he’s more than just a hungry rapper.

The features on this album were really good! I thought Saweetie and Lil Wayne gave “Addiction” a edgy feel, Cole brought a competitive nature to “Prove It” (It doesn’t get more competitive than Cole and K.R.I.T. when it comes to rapping), and little known artists such as Baby Rose, Camper and WOLFE de MCHLS took great advantage of their lofty opportunities. You know, it’s hard to collaborate with such a dominant rapper like K.R.I.T., but these guests did and held their own.

Most rappers say they are the best thing since sliced bread, but when K.R.I.T. says it, he certainly backs it up. In “K.R.I.T. IZ HERE,” the highly underrated rapper swings for the fences several times, hitting home runs and triples a lot. But much like Mike Trout from the LA Angels, K.R.I.T. doesn’t get the respect other rappers do despite his success, and that is mainly because he’s in a group (Intelligent Southern Rappers) that gets little to no exposure. Though I find that highly egregious, I am actually excited about hearing a version of K.R.I.T. that always has to prove himself (Hopefully he stays in this mode for several years to come).