Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. IZ HERE Album Review

Big up my bro Reece for putting me on to this album, finally got round to checking it and I can fully see why he rates it.

4 Minute Read

So the first thing I noticed about this album was Krit's voice. He kind of sounds like a mix of Big Sean and Dre (from Cool and Dre not the Doctor), but being from Mississippi he has that extra Southern twang. His voice also has a bit more authority than the aforementioned comparisons.

The production value, and the production of the beats themselves were extremely sick. Looking down the tracklist, even from the jump K.R.I.T. HERE has this cool high-pitched looping sample over a grumbling bass, with the sample changing pitch and tone to often sound more 'gospelly', not a word but you get it. He loves a brass instrument in there as well and the opening anthem does not let you down in that area. His instrumentals can sound dramatic with nice climaxes towards the end to take you into the next song. The whole album is mixed really well (leaning on the production value point), and the sequencing is also spot on - despite being just under an hour, this album never drags and it always ends sooner than you want it to.

Another dope beat was Make It Easy with another sample, this one from a 1960's soul tune, that's what I recognised it as, prepared to be proved wrong if I am. Again, the arrangement of the music made the track thick with class and quality. The listenability of the songs on this full record is through the roof. And to discuss the track Make It Easy once more, check Krit's flow at 1:30-1:40 and tell me that isn't pure filth. Another beautiful, well composed song and we are only 3 official tracks in (there's a skit).

We must talk about Addiction with Lil Wayne and Saweetie. This track, although still has beat full of varying elements and a cool bassline underneath it, did have a slightly different feel to it. I didn't like it straight away and thought Wayne could've gone harder. But on like 10+ listens I did start to enjoy. Saweetie's hook did grow on me and I did start to appreciate Weezy's quicker tempo and resilient rhyme schemes towards the end of his verse.

ENERGY FUCK OFF, this track his hard. My main takeaway from this track is of course the hook, but how amazing this would sound live. As well as the hook, the beat has this almost wind-like sound that whistles and haunts the beat and the listener. Yeah, cool track overall and would defo bang through a proper sound system.

Next we move onto maybe my favourite track on the project, I will decide officially my star track at the end of writing this review... Obvious. Rico Love, I loved this hook. A step in a new direction for the album with a catchy, inoffensive hook, and likewise for the beat and Krit's verses which came off way more chilled and laid back. It's nice to see MC's have these moments on their albums that make them super well-rounded and interesting.

J.Cole did a great job on the track Prove it, with an interesting storytelling verse about one of his original and closest fans of his. It is a very dope, intriguing verse that any storytelling hip hop fan would enjoy. The hook also goes hard on here too - as does the potential club-banger Learned From Texas. The hook comes across as not only a sick homage to his influences from Texas such as UGK, but also as a chant that the listener would join in with. Krit's cadences in his verse and the way he uses his ill-sounding accent to bend some of his words to push the rhymes is also fire.

Family Matters which is the record after the Cole feature offered another avenue for the album. With another sample heavy beat but some nice inflections on his words to really emphasise his lyrics - "that's a whole lotta drip, that's a whole lotta tired of the same oooooold shit" was my favourite. He also had some cool bits of wordplay and the hook knitted the verses together well. Another really nice song to add to the collection of tunes that this album contains.

M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I. had some cool backing vocals of "SHIIIIINNNEEE", I think done by Krit himself, and a pretty funny closing skit.

I hope from this review you have seen how much I love the album and have a flavour of how hard it is. If you have not heard this album before, I hope this inspires you to give it a listen and we can chat about which your favourite tracks are. If you already know it, do you agree, disagree, which is your favourite song, which is your least favourite?

8/10

Star Track - Obvious