The newest out da South
Big Krit is a rapper-producer from Mississippi. He has a typically-Southern legato and laconic delivery which makes his insights uniquely disarming. On his first major mixtape, 2010's Big Krit Wuz Here, those moments of insight were too breathless to resonate. With his words often further back in the mix - overwhelmed by the drums or the sample on the track - Krit seemed more intent on highlighting his production. Sedate tracks in the middle and at the end of the mixtape suffer as a result and, now, I rarely find myself listening beyond the bangers (particularly Adele-sampling, "Hometown Hero" and crunk-ass "Just Touched Down").
On Return of 4Eva, Krit presents an album that is a more complete portrait of himself as an artist. On the first verse of "Dreamin," Krit mentions the southern rap royalty that influenced him - a collection of legends ranging from Three-6 Mafia to 8Ball & MJG. Though this list isn't comprehensive (he doesn't mention Outkast or Organized Noize), he does a solid job of listing what you'll hear in his music. On the tracks devoted to celebrating cars ("Rotation," "My Sub," "Time Machine"), he sounds like Pimp C resurrected and more self-conscious. On "Dreamin" (particularly, that song's compelling third verse) and on "the Vent," he inhabits the doleful sentimentality of rap's original bluesman, Scarface. And most of his beats pay tribute to some amalgam of Organized Noize, Three-6 and UGK.
As an astute fan, Krit is able to distill so much of what's good about Southern rap - the bump, the funk, and the groove. He's attuned to the elemental and primordial instincts entwined in the rhythms (and in the words used to describe those rhythms). His beats are all honey-drip smooth with organic-sounding instrumentation and drums programmed bass-heavy but supple and drawling. You've heard all of these elements before but often not together and rarely this expertly.
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