ALBUM REVIEW: Big K.R.I.T.- King Remembered In Time
Big K.R.I.T. has a lot of things going for him. He has 3 amazing mixtapes under his belt, a pretty stellar (albeit incredibly underrated) debut album, several great guest verses (Including the best verse on 1Train)…plus he’s easily one of the best producers around. He produces all of his own music, which is probably what makes all of his projects so aesthetically cohesive. While 2012 was a very busy year for K.R.I.T., he has already come back in 2013 to drop yet another mixtape. And, in my opinion, it’s his best project yet.
Big K.R.I.T. has really revitalized southern Hip-Hop as a creative area. Associated with Lil Wayne and bad ring tones, Southern rap suffered in the late 00’s, but K.R.I.T.’s first mixtape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here dropped in 2010, and things seemed to change. While Waka and Gucci and 2 Chainz still control the South, K.R.I.T. shows that generalizing all Southern rap as mediocre is a bit misguided. K.R.I.T. has gotten bigger with every release, with bigger names on his tracks (Bun B, Ludacris), and King Remembered In Time feels like his most grandiose project yet.
After the relatively guest-free 4Eva N a Day and the more “Summary/Generalization” feeling of Live From the Underground, K.R.I.T. delivers bigger samples, more interesting instrumentals, and a different aesthetic. The projects from last year felt very dreamy and dark, inducing a feeling of nighttime (Even though 4 Eva N a Day is about the whole day). This album brings more wild production, making everything a bit more lively. Even tracks like the gorgeously introspective R.E.M. have a sense of energy to them. Plus, there are changes in the production (Those organs on King Without a Crown, the M83 sample on Multi Til the Sun Die) that integrate well, and don’t feel tacked on.
The attitude K.R.I.T. gives off in his delivery and lyrics is also a change. There seems to be some new self-awareness in the music, with K.R.I.T. worrying less about being the South’s underdog, and more about being the top dog. Of course, it doesn’t actually come across as egotistical, but the awareness shown, both in the production and lyrics, gives the tape a sense of credibility. In fact, I hate calling this (and his other mixtapes) mixtapes, because the execution of ideas, production, and delivery here is better than half of the Hip-Hop albums I hear every year.
His lyrics, as usual, range from intense, bragging bangers to introspective ballads. On both, he displays an equal talent of writing great lyrics. Plus, his hooks here are actually pretty nice, something that’s hard to find in a lot of Hip-Hop releases. K.R.I.T. never comes across as bored either, since he bring a passion to every song that feels unchallenged everywhere else in Hip-Hop.
Even the guests work here. Trinidad James gives a surprisingly solid verse on My Trunk, Wiz Khalifa also delivers a nice verse on Only One. The only guest here that I think takes away from any of the album is Future on that odd interlude that feels more like an unfinished song. Really, everything falls into place, regardless of how odd it sounds on paper. The M83-sampling finale is a weirdly powerful moment, one that feels like a massive mountain, which gives the album a huge (and pleasing) ending.
I’ve enjoyed all of Big K.R.I.T.’s tapes so far, and this is no different. In fact, this is probably my favorite project of his thus far. While it doesn’t have that concept-album feeling that he nailed on 4 Eva N a Day, it brings some stellar songs to the table, and there is basically no filler. A fantastic mixtape, and even a fantastic album.
Summary: Stellar production, great songs, and a fantastic MC- Big K.R.I.T. delivers again in one of his best projects to date.
Choice Cuts: R.E.M., Meditate, Shine On, Multi Til the Sun Die
Leftovers: Just Last Week
5/5
You can download the mixtape here.
MIXTAPE REVIEW: Yelawolf- Trunk Muzik Returns
Yelawolf is a rapper that I, until recently, wrote off. I used to lump him in the same group as MGK (Inadvertent Racial Stereotyping? Probably); I considered it testosterone-laden music made for college girls. Of course, being the idiot I am, I didn’t realize that Yelawolf is actually a talented MC with a lot of technical (and some lyrical) skills. Last year I finally checked out Radioactive, which while I didn’t find it nearly as bad as the rest of the world, I still thought it was fatally flawed. It felt like a neutered version of something much better. Turns out, it was! I then listened to his pre-Radioactive mixtapes, which were pretty good.
Then, this year, he dropped a fiery verse on A$AP Rocky’s 1 Train, which made me gain a whole new level of respect for Yelawolf. I mean, it’s pretty damn impressive to sound good on a track with A$AP, Kendrick, Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Big K.R.I.T. (Especially when you sound better than a few of the MCs you’re rapping with). So, I met the arrival of Trunk Muzik Returns with both enthusiasm and skepticism. Luckily, this project is pretty satisfying.
The first three tracks alone exert an energetic confidence that was missing on Radioactive. Each track has a drive to it that makes it feel far more natural than much of the big-label BS from Radioactive. Whether the tracks have intensely sparse percussion beats like on F.A.S.T. Ride or a more laid back and spacious beat on Fire Starter, Yelawolf’s delivery and flow injects a kind of stimulant into each track. Sometimes, he brings an intensity verging on insanity to a track like Catfish Billy that takes it to a new level (THAT SCREAM).
Trunk Muzik Returns also does a great job at showing precisely what was wrong with Radioactive, specifically by doing what that album did in a more concise, more enjoyable manner. The hooks, while still really stupid, are infectious and fun. Catfish Billy and F.A.S.T. Ride, have stupid hooks, but they’re still incredibly enjoyable (F.A.S.T. Ride’s hook especially). There also seems to be a more concerted effort to intelligently integrate guest verses. On Radioactive, many of the guests felt tacked on to make tracks more…”Accessible”? Here, guests are used in a way that actually makes sense with the tracks. And none of them take away from Yelawolf himself. The only one who feels somewhat out of place is Raekwon on Rhyme Boom, and that’s only because he is blown out of the water by Killer Mike’s fantastic verse (Seriously, this man can do no wrong). Plus, Tennessee Love takes the middle part of Radioactive and makes it tolerable.
The production here is nothing to get excited about. Other than Box Chevy Part 4, none of the beats are bad. But none of them really have a punch to match Yelawolf. Tracks like Catfish Billy sound great, but it’s mainly due to Yela’s delivery, not the production. Save Tennessee Love (Which has some really nice slide guitars), there isn’t a single beat that really sticks out, since they all feel somewhat generic. Except Box Chevy Part 4. And that one only sticks out because it’s awful.
Whether or not this mixtape will translate to his upcoming efforts (Which includes a collaborative album with Big K.R.I.T.) is yet to be seen. However, this mixtape does give a whole lot of evidence against writing Yelawolf off. It cements the fact that he’s a solid MC, and more proof that good Hip-Hop can indeed come out of the South.
Summary: Feeling like an apology for Radioactive, Trunk Muzik Returns gives Yelawolf a chance to show off some absolutely explosive delivery, proving that we can’t write him off just yet.
Choice Cuts- F.A.S.T. Ride, Rhyme Boom, Tennessee Love
Leftovers- Box Chevy Part 4
3.5/5
You can download Trunk Muzik Returns right here.
Vantage Point Music 