What I Want From Big K.R.I.T.'s 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time

It's been 3 long years since Big K.R.I.T.'s last solo LP (unless you count It's Better This Way which dropped in 2016, but I certainly don't consider it an album if I can't find it on Apple Music), and fans have been frothing at the mouth at the thought of what K.R.I.T. is going to do next. And now with the release of the upcoming album's (titled 4eva Is a Might Long Time, keeping with the "4eva" theme that K.R.I.T started in 2012 with his album/mixtape 4eva N a Day) 2 lead singles, "Confetti" and "Keep the devil Off", it's harder than ever to know what to expect from the Mississippi native. Will he keep with the funk-infused, "trunk music" narrative that we've come to know and love him for?  Or will K.R.I.T. find a new calling?  4eva Is a Mighty Long Time indeed, and I think K.R.I.T is already dropping signals to the people that they should take any past information of what they THINK they know about K.R.I.T... and throw it out the window.  Regardless of what I expect (or think we'll hear) from K.R.I.T.'s album... below I'll be listing what *I* would LIKE TO HEAR on the project.


Classic, Sub-Utilizing K.R.I.T. Production



If it ain't broke, why make an attempt at fixing it?  K.R.I.T has flourished in the trunk banging sub-genre (no pun intended) since his inception in 2010 (Krit Wuz Here), and since then K.R.I.T. has been a go-to rapper/artist for people to listen to for guaranteed, quality trunk thumpers and head bobbing.  And the most impressive part of it all?  K.R.I.T. produces every. Single. Track.  He produced every track on his major label debut LP Live From The Underground, as well as 10 out of 15 songs on his sophomore effort Cadillactica, so at this point it's probably safe to say that K.R.I.T. has solidified himself as one of the most potent and underrated producers in the game.  K.R.I.T's producer prowess and love of the "wah wah" effect is what has kept his music held to the high standard that it is, and pushed him to the tier of rapper that he is considered today.  Although K.R.I.T.'s reputation as a producer is solidified, it might be safe to say that he is leaning towards more outside help on the production side of things. With Raphael Saadiq having assisted on Cadillactica, which had it's quick hits of soul and funk-infused vibes, is 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time the album in which K.R.I.T broadens his horizons into territories much larger than just hip hop?  Only time will tell.

Hip Hop Titan Responsibilities & Actions; Calling Out The Bullshit



At this stage in K.R.I.T.'s career, as multi faceted and layered as he is, people should expect nothing less than K.R.I.T. broadening his horizons and taking a completely different lane in an attempt to escape his musical comfort zone (I'm not saying he needs to go full out Kanye, of course).  But K.R.I.T also holds responsibilities in holding hip hop to a much higher standard, not to mention a much higher standard than it has been as of the "mumble rap" era.  On his emphatic response to Kendrick's now infamous "Control" verse "Mount Olympus", Big K.R.I.T claimed the crown with a song, then made his case to snatch it up, with the release of Cadillactica shortly after that in 2014.  J. Cole did it on "Everybody Dies", Kendrick (allegedly, and sort of subliminally) did it before the release of DAMN, and now it's K.R.I.T.'s turn to talk his shit again.  As little as you see or hear his name mentioned in best "current" rapper lists, and as little as people speak of K.R.I.T in general, one thing is for sure... K.R.I.T. is never NOT taken seriously as an artist, but more importantly, as an emcee. K.R.I.T raps with the best of them, and he's proven that he can time and time again.

Those are just a few of my wishes from K.R.I.T's new album, if I had listed all of them we'd probably be here for a couple more hours.  Just off of a few listens from the singles, you'd think K.R.I.T was headed in the general direction of a K.R.I.T album; real emotion and feelings mixed with smooth funk and as the kids say, "baller ass etiquette" made to sound crisper and cooler than the crack of a Sprite on a hot summer day (just kidding, the kids don't say that, probably). To the average non-conspiracy theorist, the title 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time probably wouldn't mean anything besides keeping the narrative going with K.R.I.T's history of the "4eva" story, but I believe there's more to it.  Could the album title lead to K.R.I.T's wishes of fulfilling his past claims of wanting to make "timeless music" and ultimately push him to be one of the greats?  It's no secret that K.R.I.T's goal in music is to make music that people believe can withstand the test of time (after all, K.R.I.T is an acronym for "King Remembered In Time").  Who's to say that K.R.I.T's new album isn't a play in the complete opposite direction of the "microwave era"?

Also addressing the double album track list (which is available on Apple Music and online everywhere); the intro song of the first album is titled "Big K.R.I.T".  The intro song of the second album's title?  "Justin Scott"; K.R.I.T's real name.  Is the album a representation of who Big K.R.I.T is as a rapper, but also a representation of who Justin Scott, the person, is?  I can't answer these questions until we hear the album, which is set to arrive on October 27th.  You can enjoy both of the lead singles below, and be sure to comment and connect with me about what you think the album will bring.


                

(*I do not own these songs, videos, or the rights to them*)
                












        

Oh Yes I Did: Comparing Rappers' Styles To The Beatles

Okay so before I get going on this post I feel like I should explain myself to any Beatles fan, old hard rock fan, or any old head music fan for that matter: this post is in no way comparing the accomplishments, the influence, or the threshold that the Beatles have held on music to ANY other artist of the last 50 years (even more than that, actually). There is no comparison to them even in the slightest. Their accomplishments and influence is unrivaled, no artist or band has had such a lasting impact on music for generations (and generations to come) as much as the Beatles have. John Lennon and Paul McCartney remain 2 of the top 10 greatest song writers of all time (I'd even put George Harrison up there with them, though he'd probably disagree), and numbers will never lie. However, I would like to use this post to simply point out the comparisons and concepts that may mimic the Beatles (in rap you say?  It can't be done!  Don't belee me juuuu watch). If anything, this post will show the continued influence the Beatles have on music (yes, even rap, a lot of rappers are smarter than you think and they do in fact respect their elders). So read on and enjoy the comparisons of writing styles in rap vs. the Beatles.

Quotable lyrics: "And if God was a human it'd be yours truly watching horror movies with some foreign groupies thinking this décor suits me, I do drugs get more loopy, I'm in tune to ancient jiu jitsu's spirituals it's blissful, looking out as far as eyes can see, I'm glad that me and this elevation could finally meet, I think I'm JFK's final speech, they try assassinating all of my beliefs."

The easiest choice (to me) would be easy mac with the cheesy raps. If his latest album Watching Movies With The Sound Off or his latest mix tape Faces says anything about him, it's that he has truly transformed himself as not only a rapper, but an incredibly diverse artist. It takes many drugs to reach a level where you feel making a song like "The Star Room" is acceptable to rap culture (which it's not, and that's what makes it great). The best thing about this song isn't even the quoted lyrics above: it's the fact that Mac's alternate personality Delusional Thomas takes over with crazy lyrics that you could only truly understand on drugs, and maybe not even then. Mac is known to take on many personalities in his raps, other than the usual rapping Mac Miller there is Delusional Thomas and Mac even has a producing side to him that he's named Larry Fisherman. It is said that only geniuses get bored with their lives and make up alternate personalities for themselves, and this certainly makes sense with Mac Miller given his musical history; Mac in 2010 compared to Mac in 2014 is almost a completely different artist.

The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" might be a tad for the more experimental types:  the song writing is questionable, but the picture it paints for you is incomparable to almost any other song ever written. Actually, it's probably safe to say that the only songs that could ever come close to it in terms of imaginative song writing would just be more Beatles songs. I'd say if you wanted to listen to this you certainly shouldn't do it sober, you'd have to be on something stronger than alcohol or weed to truly be amazed by this song (and probably sit there debating what the hell John is really talking about), but even sober you can't help but sit and marvel at how the hell this guy John Lennon came up with this. Mac Miller and John Lennon may not have been writing about the same concepts when you compare "The Star Room" to "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", but it'd be hard to argue that they weren't under the influence of the same thing.

Big K.R.I.T probably isn't the first guy you think of when you think "imaginative song writing" or "genre changing music" (second one is debatable), but his latest album Cadillactica is certainly one that could change your perspective on him as an artist. In case you haven't gotten the concept of Cadillactica, I'll fill you in; long story short, K.R.I.T created his own planet and the music on this planet is fucking insane. The beats on this album are almost futuristic (although it includes those bumping bangers you love K.R.I.T so much for), and it fits so well because not only did K.R.I.T evolve himself as an artist, but he stepped up his game by replying to "Control" by basically saying "fuck you, I reside on my own planet with no other artist." Game changing rap, this is, young sky walker.

The Beatles were so ahead of their time at one point in their careers that they got bored with being so good. They got so bored of being good in fact, that they wanted to make a concept album describing what it's like to be the average band (hard to describe average nowadays, at least during this time period it was average). Although the Beatles were never considered average, could it be possible that the Beatles are really the first band/artists to make a concept album?  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely considered the first "concept" album, the main reason being because the Beatles were not being themselves; they were taking on a different persona as a completely different band altogether. This "concept" album concept (mind = blown) is still used today, and is definitely what you could say K.R.I.T used to make Cadillactica, and the double personas concept is applied to Mac with Delusional Thomas, and even one of the greatest hip hop groups in history (debatably) used to describe their personas in their lyrics, D12 (Eminem as Slim Shady, Proof as Dirty Harry, etc.). Are you seeing the way the Beatles maybe paved some ways for hip hop yet?

It's pretty damn hard to observe music nowadays and not see/hear something that the Beatles didn't inspire. Like, seriously. If you're a youngin like me (the fresh, crisp age of 21, in my prime I might add), then you might not have really understood the impact that the Beatles have had on music until now. Hopefully you have too because the Beatles' fingerprint on music is in stone and it shall forever be, but the point is that their influence hits home for every genre, not just rock. The influence of the Beatles lies in all of rap music, not just the examples I shared, and some of these artists don't even realize how inspired they've been by the Beatles, which is the amazing part, because that's the impact and the altitude of which the Beatles have had on music altogether. The Beatles even rhymed in some of their work, you could practically say the Beatles were rap pioneers (not really, but in a sense)! The point here is that if you think you know music, you probably really don't know music until you've started at the roots of the ever growing tree that music is; The Beatles.      

   


         

    
      


     

Big K.R.I.T's Cadillactica Album Review

Big K.R.I.T has had expectations on him ever since his first mix tape (or album, whatever you choose to call it) K.R.I.T Wuz Here dropped way back in 2010. Mississippi born and bred, K.R.I.T has always been one to preach about how cool it is to be southern (and there's audio proof of it) and is considered a main example of why southern hip hop remains very much alive today. However, stepping out of the norm and seeing no boundaries is what a great artist does, and has done to prove greatness in the past. It's pretty safe to say that Cadillactica is K.R.I.T's way of saying, when it comes to this rap shit at least, that he is on an entirely different planet.

The album begins with the smoothest and most soothing of intros you could ask for. A better way to say it is, the intro is so "K.R.I.T". Titled "Kreation", it certainly takes no time at all to bring into K.R.I.T's world, filled with booming bass lines, huge sub woofers and pretty women. The hook sounds almost robotic, is very catchy and will almost certainly make you bob your head. The breaking point is just as good as the hook, it includes a robotic voice talking over the bass line and saying "do it like you love me" over and over. Certainly a fun introduction to the album, and I've admittedly found myself playing it over and over again. (*Note: the actual song is only 3 minutes and 20 seconds long, not sure why a YouTube user felt the need to extend the song any longer.)

You can definitely tell that K.R.I.T is aiming for a new sound on this project, though maybe not as much new as it is refreshing. The futuristic vibe is felt in the intro as well as the second track "Life", which includes a very synth heavy beat and a message that stresses that life on Cadillactica is very much evident and should get noticed.

Cadillactica is certainly a branching out for K.R.I.T from his normal heavy bass bumping music, but he shows signs of his old self on tracks like "Do You Love Me", "Mo Better Cool", "My Sub Pt. 3 (Big Bang)", and "Mind Control". "Do You Love Me" details K.R.I.T's car talking to him about loving the sub more than he does the car (which I still find hilarious, it is another planet though). "Mo Better Cool" is another very well put together track where K.R.I.T enlists frequent collaborators Bun B, Big Sant and Devin The Dude. If there's any track on the album that you can very proudly cruise to, this is it. "My Sub Pt. 3 (Big Bang)" is another great addition to the "My Sub" series, where as usual it features a head moving, house shaking type of bass line that only K.R.I.T could put together, but the second part of the song is just as moving when K.R.I.T almost adds on a couple of melodies or extra voices to his in a very good effort to sing (kind of).

"Pay Attention" of course is another fine example of an artist putting out a single that sounds very questionable at first, but then sounds great in the context of the album. There isn't much to say about "Pay Attention", but there is a lot to say about the jazz influence that K.R.I.T felt on Cadillactica. On songs like the Raphael Saadiq-assisted "Soul Food", you can feel the jazz instruments and soulful mood it creates almost effortlessly. I hadn't known much about Saadiq before Cadillactica had dropped, but from the sounds of "Soul Food", I wouldn't mind hearing more of him. Perhaps the most different, almost un-K.R.I.T like song on the album (meaning far from the normal K.R.I.T sound) has to be "Saturdays = Celebration". The hook features blues and rock musician Jamie N Commons, but on your first listen it doesn't sound like him at all, but instead reminds one of an old Eric Clapton vibe with Cream, or Mark Cohen's soulful version of  "Walking in Memphis".  Not bad comparisons at all, but you can give it a listen yourself and be the judge.

                             (*Disclaimer: I do not own any of thee songs, not the rights to them*)

One of the most notable songs on the album would have to be "King Of The South". Now there are many current rappers who could claim this title and not have anyone else argue, but nobody has really said anything about K.R.I.T's claims yet. Could this mean people see it to be true?  "Mind Control" is another bumping track, boasting features from E40 and Wiz Khalifa and focusing mostly on controlling "her mind". Yes, this is the song on the album for all of the women, and I don't want to be too brash, but I believe it's a little early to be including Wiz Khalifa on any songs talking about women (too soon?).

But before I start to ramble any more (too late), I have to say it's very clear that K.R.I.T came out on top again with his newest album. Cadillactica is the perfect example of a rapper (or artist) branching out of the comfort zone (even just a little bit) and still coming out on top and not only keeping your original fans, but building more in the process. The bumping, gripping-on-wood grain rap is what K.R.I.T's fans and southern rap fans alike are so used to hearing from him, and they got that plus a little bit more. Yes K.R.I.T's effort to prove that he is in his own lane is spectacular, and if Cadillactica is a planet, it seems that K.R.I.T is the only rapper that resides on it. 




         











     

Big K.R.I.T's See Me On Top 4 Review

Big K.R.I.T's new album campaign is officially kicking off, and what better way to excite your fans than to put out a mix tape before hand to build the anticipation?  THERE IS NONE. If that was your answer then good for you. Want a cookie?  Well too bad, I'd like one too, but we all got quite the treat when this wonderful mix of Krizzle dropped in the early afternoon yesterday. Yes ladies and gents K.R.I.T is back at it again, and thankfully enough it seems not a thing has changed for the incredibly underrated Mississippi-bred rapper.

I mean really though, I'd like to take a second and say if you're sleeping on K.R.I.T, then shame on you. BAD!  You should know better than that!  Anyways, back to this body of work. K.R.I.T has always been one to show his roots through his music, and See Me On Top 4 is no different. His southern brand of trunk banging, drum thumping music is always very pleasing to the ear for whoever takes the time to listen, and the bangers have "no chill" (as the kids say nowadays) on this project. Songs like "Ridin Dirty", "Ridin Low", and "Shook Up" bring that brand of heavy, strictlyforyocaddys type of bangers that K.R.I.T knows so, so well and really makes better than anyone else in the game right now.

But if you know K.R.I.T, you know that he certainly isn't one dimensional. He shows his range on songs for the ladies like "Mind F*ck", a cleverly-titled slow jam where K.R.I.T simply wants one thing that he establishes on the hook; "let me f@#! your brains out." He also addresses other topics, like the "broke" life and the struggle on the almost inspiring jam "Never Going Back". The talks of hustling and the struggling life in the streets take over this song and he establishes very clearly that he's "NEVER GOING BACK" on the hook of this one. I must say when I heard this I thought to myself "LETS DO IT KRIT!" The struggle is different for everybody, and I might not have grown up in the streets, but we all have our struggles no matter what our background, so don't judge me!

K.R.I.T's hustle never slows down as you know, and he shows that his producing ways haven't slowed down either having produced 13 of the 22 tracks on the tape. He even shows a little bit of "stepping outside of the comfort zone" on a freestyle on Lil Wayne's "Believe Me" instrumental. The rest of the production on the tape was handled by Jim Jonsin, Slade Da Monsta, WLPWR, Scott Storch, and more.

So this definitely turned out to be a pretty nice surprise for fans altogether. It's pretty safe to say that K.R.I.T practically never disappoints. I mean really, NEVER disappoints. The only thing I can honestly say I had to complain about on this tape was the tags and the talking over every record, but that comes with practically every mix tape. It was really sweet, and almost a blast from the past to seemingly hear this entire tape flow from song to song, almost as if the entire tape was 1 song in itself (Nate Dogg anyone?). The features on this project weren't too shabby, but we didn't see many of them. It's hard to say whether or not you expect that from K.R.I.T, although I'd like to say I enjoy solo K.R.I.T a bit more anyways. K.R.I.T handled a huge portion of the production on this one as usual, but switched up the pace a little bit by adding some help this time around. Is this a sign that his album will include more outside production?  I guess we'll find out when Cadillactica drops in November. Check out a stand out cut from the tape, "Drinkers Club" featuring Juicy J, Rittz and ASAP Ferg below.

               
                                 (*I do not own this song, or the rights to it or any of these artists)