Album Review: Big K.R.I.T., Live From The Underground

Big K.R.I.T.

Live From The Underground (released June 5, 2012)

Remember the days when great rap albums were a narrative? The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die was a story of a man wrestling with his own mortality in a cruel world. Nas’ Illmatic painted a picture of ghetto life through the eyes of a man facing adulthood. DMX’s It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot is about a conflicted man torn between the righteous and evil sides of his personality.

As of this posting, this “album” is the highest-charting hip hop release. What story does that travesty tell? That it’s cool to dress like a Treasure Troll?

Thank the good Lord Big K.R.I.T. is around.

K.R.I.T. has spent the last couple of years lighting the underground rap scene on fire. His 2011 mixtape, Return of 4Eva, was critically acclaimed, with many saying it was the best rap release of the year. Even I have a hard time arguing that point. Finally, K.R.I.T. bears a bit of his soul on the big stage with his debut studio album. His story? It’s all about his ascent from the underground to bonafide stardom, and all the temptations that litter that road.

The album kicks off with “LFU300MA Intro” — for new listeners, it’s the perfect introduction into the mind of K.R.I.T. The track is eerie, spacey but quite funky. Simultaneously, K.R.I.T. is a throwback and an innovator.

Current single “I Got This” conjures memories of vintage Bone Thugs N Harmony, while “Pull Up” and “Don’t Let Me Down” are directly from the playbook of fellow Southern brethren OutKast (specifically, the Southernplaylisticcadillacmusic and Aquemini albums, respectively).

But K.R.I.T. is far from an imitator. Unlike his peers who are either stuck on that euro-pop club sound or those repetitive “trap style” beats, K.R.I.T. goes for a cinematic feel. “Cool 2 Be Southern” employs mighty trumpets to celebrate Southern living while the wailing guitars on “Hydroplaning” sound like something from an ’80s movie. You won’t hear tracks like these on the radio.

Speaking of the radio, Live For The Underground only falls short when it tries too hard to be mainstream. “Money On The Floor” and “What U Mean” are the usual stripper anthems. “Yeah Dat’s Me” is 99% hook, and that hook is VERY annoying. Plus, it reminds me of that horrible Jamie Foxx song. Don’t get me wrong, K.R.I.T. has done radio-friendly tracks in the past, but those were much better than these.

K.R.I.T.’s introspective tracks are what made me a true fan and, thankfully, similar soul-wrenching songs are found here, although not in abundance. The best by far is “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” — just in time for Father’s Day. It’s a touching story about fatherhood, where true wealth has nothing to do with money. When K.R.I.T. crafts gems like this, he takes the road less traveled and truly stands on his own.

As the album wraps up, K.R.I.T. hits us with “Praying Man,” a story of a slave searching for freedom, which mirrors K.R.I.T.’s story of struggle to success. In fact, that one song paints the picture of K.R.I.T.’s debut — it begins with tons of promise, gets slightly sidetracked, but returns to its essence and triumphs.

K.R.I.T. is poised to be rap’s next great storyteller.

Best tracks: “I Got This,” “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” “Pull Up”

4 stars out of 5