The last time I checked on Big K.R.I.T. was not that long ago. It was actually December, when I reviewed his 2011 mixtape Return of 4Eva, which was my final review of the year. I claimed that mixtape as his best work, praising it for its content and improved sound on the mixtape. But now, the saga continues as I go through his 2 efforts released in 2012: his mixtape 4EvaNaDay and his long-awaited debut album, Live from the Underground...
4EvaNaDay was first announced early December 2011, with K.R.I.T. saying that he was working on a "free album" based off his experience of touring in the past year. 2 months later, he released the first single "Boobie Miles", before releasing the whole tape in March in anticipation of his long-awaited debut Live from the Underground. Entirely written and composed by Krizzle himself, the mixtape is known as his most conscious album yet, with inspiring and dark content (and also his signature bangers) and features 17 tracks, with no guest appearances as he goes solo throughout the whole project.
The mixtape received favorable reviews from music critics, having a 78/100 on Metacritic, based on 17 reviews. It is even known as his best work arguably in front or behind Return of 4Eva, and has been downloaded over 236k times on DatPiff. A month later, a retail EP version of the mixtape, dubbed as the Road Less Traveled Edition, was released, featuring 3 songs from the tape, and 2 new songs.
Anyway, let's get into the tape and check it out!
1. 8:04 AM
Just a little intro that sets the mood for the whole mixtape, as K.R.I.T. asks everyday life questions. It only runs for 30 seconds and is a good lead-up to the next track...
2. Wake Up
A very inspiring and motivating track that you can actually wake your ass up to. Over this smooth ass instrumental, Krizzle creates a thought-provoking and inspiring rap about being grateful for life and staying positive as he goes through every day of his life. It's very relatable, something laidback to brighten up your day. One of my favourite songs!
3. Yesterday
K.R.I.T. dedicates this song to his late grandmother, dealing with her unfortunate death and his memories of her. He brings up his teenage days, and how his grandma was there for him. It's a heartfelt and sombre track that is just straight to the point and amazing!
4. Boobie Miles
The first single off the mixtape is here as the fourth track as he makes a motivating song about overcoming the obstacles that block your dreams and ambitions; with this line in the chorus really sticking to me, "The only difference between a winner and a loser is a winner plays until he wins", and even the video is self-explanatory. Krizzle really sounds comfortable over the smooth and jazzy instrumental, bringing a motivational and inspirational vibe to the track. A standout on the mixtape!
5. 4EvaNaDay (Theme)
Just like his previous mixtape, Return of 4Eva, 4EvaNaDay also has a theme song and it's a freaking BANGER!!! It's something to blast out in your whip, with the bass, sample, the catchy hook and of course, Krizzle's country ass flow. I mean, what else is there to say, this is just amazing!!!
6. Me and My Old School
You know I love a song when you find me completely vibing out to the track in public. This track right here is a prime example of that shit! This. Shit. BANGS!!! The screwed hook, the beat, the content, there's so much I love about it. This is one of those songs I go to on my phone whenever I have time, and God damn, it never gets old. Krizzle rides through the laidback instrumental in a way that makes me speechless. He sounds so comfortable on that track, as he raps about his car with the old-school, candy paint and them flakes. Another one of my favourites.
7. 1986
In this banger, Krizzle reminisces about 1986 and the highlights of that year, going through the cars, the prime of Randy Savage, the pimps & playas, and of course, the fact that he was born in that year. It's another standout that has a lot of replay value on the album, and the subject matter sounds a lot refreshing and nostalgic. A fire song!!!
8. Country Rap Tunes
This is another track, dedicated to the country folks and the culture & tradition, as K.R.I.T. bares his Southern soul and heritage for this laidback standout! Krizzle provides his 2 verses, which focus on cultural appreciation, but at the same time, get a little personal, talking about poverty, and how the South has been disrespected and not taken seriously by the hip-hop community. It's a nice track and Krizzle doesn't disappoint.
9. Sky Club
Oh my gosh, I freaking love this track! Krizzle uses a lot of piloting and plane imagery, as he makes a tribute to the fly/high life, sampling a classic Sade track. The beat is laidback and too chill, as K.R.I.T talks about how fresh and fly he is. Once again, another one of my favourites!
10. Red Eye
This song is a little different. This ain't a banger about cars, and there's any catchy hook on here . Instead, K.R.I.T. does a verse on how his career and life as an artist clashes with his relationship with his girl, touching on how she's like with him, and how she wants to change him into someone he's not. It's a very touching and personal track, and the content is very interesting and can be relatable to a lot of people. What really stood out to me on this song is the fact that this shows how diverse Krizzle can be on his projects, especially when he hasn't really touched on his relationships in his music. He manages to still give the same vibe, while doing something different from his usual style. I love this track!
11. Down & Out
I can't be the only one that thinks this sounds like something on Return of 4Eva. But anyway, here, Krizzle touches on the problems that are on his mind, such as society, this generation and the lack of actual "queens" at the moment, and how drinking and smoking won't ease the pain. It's a very touching and inspirational track, and the last few lines about K.R.I.T. finding a good woman who was abused in a relationship really touched me. Another great track!
12. Package Store
In once again another standout, which is also one of my favourite songs from him, Krizzle tells a story about his times at the package/liquor store, finding 2 people, who are not what they seem to actually be. In the first verse, he explains how his preacher also sins, trying to bang a hoe, and the second verse takes a look at a thief, who is also a philosopher, trying to do anything he can to survive. The third pretty much touches on the alcohol there is, going through many references. This song is just amazing. The storytelling is just on point, and so interesting. And as for the beat, I just love it! One of my favourites!
13. Temptation
This track is more of a celebratory banger, which touches on what Krizzle likes, such as his cars, girls and partying. It really has a nice vibe to it, and I can see the concept behind it, to be honest. And even if it's a banger, it's kinda one of the weakest tracks on here. Anyway, on to the next one!
14. Handwriting
When I first heard this track, I instantly loved it. This is a very dark and personal track, touching on his career, such as the label wanting him to make hits instead of albums, the acclaim he has had ever since releasing his mixtapes, and the BS that has been on his mind. The beat is just sombre and amazing, and hearing Krizzle on the beat, venting out his thoughts sounded so great. The last lines really got to me: "Imagine how you'd feel to know you work hard, and you educated/And they treat you like you never made it"; it was really a standout bar for me. And that guitar was a damn good touch to the song. Freaking love this track.
15. Insomnia
This song is alright, I guess. This one is about how a girl helps Krizzle sleeps. And while the guitar was actually light, I didn't like this song overall. Like, I don't know, but it didn't have that effect that most of the tracks on here did. Now, let's move on!
16. 5:04 AM
A skit that has K.R.I.T. talking to himself about how he needs to rest after having a long day, and is a very good transition into this concluding standout...
17. The Alarm
This one is a lot more jazzy, sad and emotional, as Krizzle asks a lot of different everyday life questions, that many could relate to, but mostly himself. He uses a vocal sample saying "Do you believe" to ask his questions, such as how white people will still be racist, even if you're doing good for yourself, or the loyalty of your friends. It's something emotional, angry and very relatable, and it really shook me. It's that touching. The way he uses that vocal sample was just too much and got to me like MAUUUDD!!! Forget all the other tracks, this has to be the best song not only on the tape, but of his career!!!
4EvaNaDay is just a freakin' beautiful piece of work. Like, that mixtape really shook me the first time I heard it, and my thoughts still haven't changed on it. It's a project where Krizzle really REALLY shows his diversity, and holds his own. No guest appearances like Ludacris, Bun B or Wiz Khalifa, just a full-on solo project which delivers like never before. From start to finish, K.R.I.T. really impresses me with his subject matter and the ability to make good music, whether it's bangers you can play in your whip ("Me and My Old School", "1986", "4EvaNaDay (Theme)"), shit you can vibe to ("Country Rap Tunes", "Sky Club"), personal ("Down & Out", "Handwriting", "Yesterday", "The Alarm"), inspirational and relatable tracks ("Wake Up", "Boobie Miles"). I mean, there's just so much about it that makes me love this mixtape. Every track on here is just amazing. His flow is on point, and the ear for samples has really stepped up on here. The transition from one song to another is great. And Krizzle really improved a lot on his subject matter and production, and he came through with an interesting concept, showing a day in the life for him. This mixtape is just wonderful, one of my favourite tapes to listen to. Download this shit! If you think Return of 4Eva was great, this one is 10x better. Easily his best work!
Recommended Tracks
The Alarm
Me and My Old School
Handwriting
Boobie Miles
Package Store
Wake Up
Sky Club
1986
Country Rap Tunes
Every track on here is a standout!
Now, on to the next one...
Big K.R.I.T.'s debut, Live from the Underground has been in the works for some time, even around the release of his 2010 breakthrough K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. The anticipation didn't really spark up until late 2011, when he released the album's first single "Money on the Floor" with 8Ball & MJG and 2 Chainz. Fast-forward a few months and he released 4EvaNaDay (which I just reviewed earlier) as a prelude to the album, with favourable reviews from critics and fans. And the anticipation even got better when the second single "I Got This" dropped a few weeks after 4EvaNaDay's release. The wait was finally over in June, when LFTU was finally released, after the third single "Yeah Dat's Me" dropped in May.
Live from the Underground was released on June 5, exactly 3 months after 4EvaNaDay, via Cinematic/Def Jam. Like nearly all of his projects, it was produced by Krizzle himself and featured 16 tracks, which, unlike 4EvaNaDay, had a big line up of guest features from Ludacris, Bun B, Big SANT, Melanie Fiona, Devin the Dude, B.B. King and more. The album has been recorded for over 2 years, but didn't really start anticipation until 2011, with 4 singles being released, in promotion of the album.
LFTU is actually regarded by fans as Krizzle's weakest effort, seeing it as decent, but not as good as his other projects. In its first week, the album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, selling 41k copies. It received generally favourable reviews, with critics giving it a 78/100 (the same rating as 4EvaNaDay) on Metacritic, and Spin ranking the album at #11 on the best rap albums of 2012.
I remember listening to this album back when it first came out, and I was 11. But, now I'm 14, with an older and better mind. So let's really see if the album was really weaker than what people said...
1. LFU300MA (Intro)
Krizzle uses this opening track as an opportunity to set the tone of the album. Here, he advises the listener to listen to what he has to say, as he provides motivational and inspirational words to the listener. It sets the album's mood very well, but you're very most likely to play this just once.
2. Live from the Underground
I never cared about this song, to be honest. The first few times I heard it, I found it boring and forgettable. But, God damn, is this smooth AF! This is just too chill and funky, having a very nice concept to the track of partying and smoking, and is a good opening song to the album. The skit at the end is pretty interesting too.
3. Cool 2 Be Southern
Krizzle embraces his Southern culture in this celebratory and bright track, touching on its cuisine, cars, weed and of course, grills! It's a very good song, as it brings in the trumpets and some catchy ad-libs. K.R.I.T. comes through with the verses and really impresses me with the way he's appreciates his Southern country style. One of my favourites!
4. I Got This
This is an ultimate BANGER!!!! This shit really bumps in the whip, and get me bumping my head like MAAAUD! Krizzle samples a Willie Hutch track, and flips it very well. Like his signature slappers, it praises his whips, touches on his haters and all that. It's just your normal Southern celebratory song, what else is there to say?
5. Money on the Floor (feat. 8Ball & MJG and 2 Chainz)
This song, which was the first single off the album is actually pretty good. Tity Boi & the legendary duo 8Ball & MJG come on this, and they do a great job at providing fire verses. It's your typical slow Southern track, with a chopped-and-screwed hook that you can play in the strip club or bang in the whip. All 4 do their thing, especially MJG & 2 Chainz. I don't know, but Tity really impressed me on this one, and he ain't even lyrical. Another great track.
6. What U Mean (feat. Ludacris)
The song's hook actually originates from a Wiz Khalifa song with Curren$y and Krizzle himself on Kush & Orange Juice called "Glass House", interpolating one of his lines ("What you mean you ain't nasty, why the f*** you came"). Anyway, Krizzle teams up with Ludacris for another slapper, which has them rapping about getting a female to get with them, along with some other random shit. Obviously, K.R.I.T. does his thing, but Luda killed his verse on this, talking about a girl called Mandy, who lied about not being a freak. Anyway, this song is another banger, and it's pretty good.
7. My Sub, Pt. 2 (The Jackin')
Out of all the parts of My Sub (1 being on Return of 4Eva and 3 being on his later album, Cadillactica), this has to be the weakest. It's a decent banger, but doesn't bring that vibe that I had with the others, especially the original part. The interlude at the end was tight though!
8. Don't Let Me Down
I normally like Krizzle's personal tracks, and they're mostly my favourites or I even regarded them as some of his best songs. But this one didn't do that much for me. I don't know if it was the drums or how the beat came out. It's decent, I guess, but I wouldn't call it that great like his others.
9. Porchlight (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
A smooth track which tells the ladies to wait for the man, who are doing important stuff, like going to work, doing music etc. And Anthony Hamilton really comes through on the hook. Krizzle delivered on the boards, digging a nice and smooth sample for the song. It's a pretty good track.
10. Pull Up (feat. Big Sant & Bun B)
OOOOOOOO!!!! This is actually one of the best songs on here, and I freakin' love it. Big Sant and the legendary Bun B of... you know what rap group, teams up with Krizzle for this smooth ass banger, and is much brighter than his other old-school bangers. K.R.I.T. starts off very well, with Sant doing a great job continuing with a fire verse, and a nice flow. As for Bun, he just snaps on the track, and has the most monotone flow out of the three. That's how you know he's a legend in the South. One of my favourites.
11. Yeah Dat's Me
One thing about K.R.I.T. is that he never disappoints with the old-school Southern slappers. He always delivers with them bangers. And this is a prime example, once again getting me to bump my head. It's one of the more upbeat and fun tracks on the album and his verses get me hyped AF. He once again kills the beat, digging a Bobby Womack track, flipping it so well. FUEGO!!!
12. Hydroplaning (feat. Devin the Dude)
Meh. Never really cared about it that much. It's smooth as hell tho.
13. If I Fall (feat. Melanie Fiona)
Now this is what I call a signature personal track from Krizzle. With the beautiful Melanie Fiona on hook duties, K.R.I.T. provides 3 verses, each with a different story, over a sombre piano-led instrumental. The first is about him not affording to rap and instead working a job to take care of himself. The second is about his parents being worried about him and what he does, with the third is my favourite, as he explains a relationship that he used to be in, and his girl picked up bad habits, because of how Krizzle was drinking heavily. This song is really one of my favourites from K.R.I.T. and doesn't disappoint.
14. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
The title is a reference to the book of the same name, and is dedicated to Krizzle's father, who wasn't rich financially, but rich in mind. He touches on how his dad would teach him a lot of life lessons and give him advice, for him to be a better man. It's a very VERY touching song, and the fact there was no banging or sombre drums on here made a very big effect on this song, and the way Krizzle explained it can relate to a lot of listeners. Arguably the best song on here.
15. Praying Man (feat. B.B. King)
The late B.B. King gets on the hook as K.R.I.T. touches on the evils of the infamous Jim Crow era and slavery, which happened frequently in his hometown, Mississippi, back in the day, and also uses the evils of Jim Crow as a metaphor for the evils on record labels. Each verse creates a different scenario, with the "Praying Man" delivering them from their oppressor; with the first being the perspective of a lynched man, the second being about a man being taken away from the motherland (and can be seen as a metaphor for his time at Def Jam when he first started), and the third touching on how he wants to run from the field (or his label, as it could be seen). B.B. does well on the hook, and gives a very interesting and peaceful vibe, and the beat is just too chill and sombre. Another standout.
16. Live from the Underground (Reprise) [feat. Ms. Linnie]
To conclude the album, Krizzle finds his beloved late grandmother's acapella records (credited as Ms. Linnie), and put it on the album to complement with his singing on this track. According to Krizzle himself, this song is more like 6 different hooks put together into one song, and the way this song came across was just amazing. It's just smooth, sombre and laidback; and is also such a way to end the album.
You know, Live from the Underground isn't as bad as everybody said it was. A lot said that it was a boring and mega-forgettable, but to be honest, the more I listened to it, the more standout tracks I managed to find. The album is a lot more commercial and there are more jams that you can play in your whip rather than the personal tracks that you can just play to yourself. The production is very good, and there's a great line-up of features that really do good with their verses. 2 Chainz actually surprised me with his verse on "Money on the Floor", B.B. King delivered with the hook for "Praying Man", Big Sant & Bun B snapped on "Pull Up" and Melanie Fiona really did her thing on "If I Fall". There was a lot of beats I really liked on here too. "Pull Up" is a banger, "Praying Man" is just way too chill and I just love "If I Fall". However, I think there wasn't enough consistency with the content, there was a lot more bangers than actual personal and inspirational tracks on the album. It wasn't like his previous mixtapes where Krizzle would keep a balance on the vibes. And it was kinda disappointing, compared to 4EvaNaDay, considering that wasn't his real album and this was. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just sayin'. Then again, this was his long-awaited debut with Def Jam, so obviously he might have needed to switch it up a lil bit. Anyway, overall, this album was pretty good. You can choose whether you wanna buy it or just check out the recommended tracks down below. Yeah, it was disappointing, considering his previous efforts, but it was worth the wait at the end, and Krizzle did a pretty good job with the production, content and lyricism!
Recommended Tracks
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Praying Man
If I Fall
Pull Up
Yeah Dat's Me
I Got This
Cool 2 Be Southern
No comments:
Post a Comment