Even as I speak with him he’s supposed to be taking a couple of relaxing days off, but makes every effort to express how grateful he is for the opportunity to be interviewed. He says with a sigh that he doesn’t get to spend as much time there as he would like, living in Atlanta for the ease of being able to jump in and out of the studio, and also missing the big family Christmas and Thanksgiving this year for work reasons. Wherever the job might take him, K.R.I.T.’s hometown of Mississippi remains central to his universe. It’s one of those things, it’s happened to a lot of people that I respect as artists, and I’m talking about OutKast and Lauryn Hill y’know? So it was a humbling experience, but now being able to walk out in Queens or Harlem or wherever is exciting. “Oh yeah, for the most part I was very humbled, especially with being booed. Just two years ago, for example, he found himself getting booed in New York for performing ‘Country Shit’ a song that would later become his biggest hit to date, remixed with guest verses from Ludacris and Bun B: ![]() Not that the road to success has been without its struggles. His progress is made all the more impressive when you consider that it’s all off the back of music released entirely for free, catching the attention of Def Jam who are set to release his major label debut Live From the Underground in the summer. re-iterates that he feels “blessed” by his achievements to date. He said as much on ‘Dreamin’ from last year’s knockout mixtape Returnof4eva, but K.R.I.T. It’s an approach that has served him pretty well so far, having seen his stock grow exponentially in 2011. I don’t want to sacrifice my creative control.” I understand how poverty can push you into going into music that may not be 100% comfortable to you, but as far as I’m concerned, I really can only make music that reflects me. He explains: “I really can’t knock another man for trying to make money, or feed their families and become financially free. But while he may have his own ideals based on what hip hop means to him, he’s the last person you’d expect to find denouncing the work of others. K.R.I.T has a much defined aesthetic, from his lyrics, right down to the way he twists classic soul samples around dusty drum loops. It’s easy to sound clumsy when dropping in socio-political comment in an album full of bona fide country rap bangers, but he manages to avoid this by staying clear of brash, sweeping statements, and sticking to telling stories based on his own experiences. “If you’re lucky enough to have a voice, yeah you can rap about the parties and having fun, but it should also be a reflection of your actual life,” says K.R.I.T., whose music manages to strike this balance better than most. ![]() Like few others, K.R.I.T’s music relies on this character being genuine, so it’s a relief listening to him talk in his familiar southern drawl, sounding as humble and sincere as the voice you hear on record. ![]() by any means it’s just that he puts so much of his own personality into his records that this hardly feels like our first conversation. It’s a strange thing to go into an interview with somebody and be reasonably sure of what you’re going to get. Mixtapes aside for a moment though, let’s talk Big K.R.I.T.īig K.R.I.T. As well as those featured here, we’ve seen more than worthy free projects from heavy hitters (Raekwon, T.I., Gucci Mane), up and comers (Mr Muthafuckin eXquire, Starlito, Jackie Chain) and returning Rhymesayers (I Self Devine, Brother Ali). The January and February months are also a busy time for mixtapes, as huge volumes of releases were given away in the weeks following the festive period. With the release of 4eva N A Day just weeks away, there’s another free project to look forward to very soon, followed by K.R.I.T.’s long-awaited major label debut on Def Jam this summer. was also featured in the first ever edition of this column last June, so it’s a pleasure to bring things full circle by catching up with the Mississippi rapper/producer about a busy year ahead. The year’s first Champion Sound column picks up pretty much where it left off before Christmas, with Big K.R.I.T., whose ReturnOf4eva was my favorite rap release of 2011.
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