For emerging artists, especially those badged with the
highest honor of being an XXL Freshman
of the year, following up an album of the grade such as Wuz Here is a daunting task, and
one that requires great risk in regards to the continuity of a career; however,
Big K.R.I.T. shows no worry under the great pressures of expectation placed
upon him during the wait for Returnof4eva,
and if anything, delivers a masterpiece transcendent of releases such as the
aforementioned Wuz Here and See Me On Top mixtape trilogy that
marked him as the south’s premier artist of the new generation of hip-hop.
As with anything K.R.I.T.’s done, the tracks are saturated
in a new flavor of southern soul, and continually manage to explore without
snagging on redundancy. His talent for placing cathartic purgings such as “Another
Native Individual Glorifying Greed and Encouraging Racism,” “Lions and Lambs,” and
the single “Dreamin’” (which is essentially the equivalent to “Hometown Hero") alongside
the southern thump hook-tracks like “Sookie Now feat. David Banner” and “My Sub” keep to his personal trend of
remodeling the southern hip-hop mode while fully celebrating the elements that
make hip-hop south of the Mason-Dixon what it is.
K.R.I.T. has proved himself as an artist beyond his words
with the quality of his production, and marks himself as a true individual in
personally tailoring his tracks for himself in an era where emcees rely heavily
on grade A producers to suit their albums for notice. His is a pure signature, and
exhibits a maturity far beyond his years in its ability to announce his artistry in
all aspects of his music. The complexities found in the instrumentals of tracks such “Players
Ballad feat. Raheem Devaughn” and “Shake It feat. Joi” put K.R.I.T.’s full
talents outside of the microphone booth on display, while the versatility seen
between the comparison of tracks like “Free My Soul” and “Time Machine feat.
Chamillionaire” exhibit the measure that his stylistic abilities can stretch.
There’s no stagnant behavior in K.R.I.T.’s sound, and the ever-present ability
for dime turns in style makes his music unpredictable throughout the tracklist.
There is never a definite tone to rely upon, no assumptions that you can make
as a listener, no anticipation, and K.R.I.T.’s ability to manage the unexpected
nature of his songs while keeping them anchored in kin displays a mastery of
his own talents, and full confidence in his blueprint to deliver to the
listener.
Capping off Returnof4eva
with the “Country Sh*t” remix is the most telling message of the mixtape, as
Ludacris and Bun B’s share of bars announces K.R.I.T.’s acceptance in the
hierarchy of their southern hip-hop company, and lauds his artistry through the
simple fact that they were drawn to association. Though he’s merely
24-years-old, I hold no regrets in saying that K.R.I.T. has already earned his
place alongside the southern hip-hop notables, and is a legend being written as
it walks, rife with story, and flowering with infinite colors without
regulation. With his anchor in Mississippi, it’s most fitting to dub K.R.I.T.
the William Faulkner of hip-hop—devoted and inspired by the vastness found in
the simplicity of his roots, purely southern, and a constant innovator in a
genre needy for creative revitalization.
Sumology: As Wuz Here was K.R.I.T.’s Sound and the Fury in terms of success, Returnof4eva is his As I Lay Dying, and doubt is absent in the assurance that his next
release will be marked as his Absolom,
Absolom!
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