The Scene

There aren't many rappers who can genuinely lay claim to the title of 'King Of The South', especially in the current hip hop landscape. Big K.R.I.T reckons he's the King Of The South and it's hard to argue when listening to the work KRIT has put out in recent times. Last year we were graced with 'Cadillactica' which took the listener on a journey through a fictional planet which was painted with KRIT's typically soulful touch along with the angst of a man with a chip on his shoulder.

'It's Better This Way' is the latest mixtape from KRIT and it serves as a nice dose of typical KRIT without the vivid journey that Cadilliactica had. This mixtape has the quality of an album with KRIT dishing out his signature production which perfectly matches what KRIT has to say and how he says it.

The Songs

Intro - When you come to the fork in the road, which way are you going?
King Pt.4 - You can't ignore the chip on the shoulder, plus some sassy saxophone
86 - A modern slab tune/the essence of the South
No Static ft. Warren G - South x West, it's a thing of beauty
Piece On Chain - Absolute jam, KRIT on the boards flexing
Shakem Off ft. K Camp & Ludacris - LUDA!
How Bout That Money ft. Young Dolph - Street jam
In The Darkness ft. Wolfe de MCHLS - Conflicted love tune
Vanilla Sky - If a song has ever sounded Outkastish, this it it
Got Me Thru ft. DeLorean, Big SANT & Scar - Prime example of that soul
Can't Be Stil ft. BJ The Chicago Kid - Mellow vibe, strong message
Keep It Boomin - King Of The South
Party Tonight - It's 2am, the party's still going and it won't stop
It's Better This Way - Fuck the radio, really.

The Vibe

To describe KRIT's music and not mention soul would be rude and It's Better This Way oozes the soul that you would expect from a Mississippi hip hopper. While the title of this mixtape immediately highlights KRIT's position in the music industry where he exists without radio play and as an outlier as opposed to a sheep, the musical vibe of It's Better This Way stands out the most.

Describing the KRIT vibe or sound on display here is difficult as there aren't too many comparisons that can be made in modern hip hop. I've come to settle on an Outkast vibe as KRIT perfect mixes the bass of the South with intergalactic sounds and ideas, with a touch of mellowness thrown in for good measure.

DJ Drama, who hosts the mixtape drops inspirational quotes throughout the mixtape and with KRIT outlining his path, there's a big motivational component on It's Better This Way. KRIT has experienced the different sides to the music business and he's come up through the ranks largely thanks to himself, which gives his storytelling an interesting edge.

The Music

KRIT produces a lot of his own music and is responsible for all but two tracks as KRIT reinforces his standing as one of the best rapper/producers in the game. As always there's plenty of bass and if you're listening to this in your Toyota Corolla, the oversized sub in your booth will be knocking. The soul, which comes through loud and clear throughout the mixtape is heard in the instrumentation used with 'King Pt.4' being the best example, which is produced by Kenneth Whalum. Saxophone combined with a simple drum pattern is a good way to my hip hop heart and it gives this track, along with a few other songs an organic touch.

Whalum is joined by Wolfe de MCHLS (indie Houston artist who KRIT must fuck with) as the only other producers on the mixtape while features include BJ The Chicago Kid, K Camp, Ludacris, Big SANT and Warren G add some spice to the mixtape ... the Warren G collabo is my favourite.

"So I'm only up early morning putting plans in motion
I can't let this go to waste, nigga out here been losing focus
Chasing after hoes and acceptance from the non-believers
How the fuck you judge the South if you never ever seen it?" Keep It Boomin

"Art is art no matter how you sculpt it
Mold it, grow it, only to go unnoticed
Cause nowadays we just focus on them thots
And niggas selling kool aid on a soapbox
I'm imprisoned to my mission, screaming listen" King Pt.4

"I didn't beef with none your favorite rappers
Or drop a sex tape after
Claiming it leaked off of my cellphone
When really I’m tryin' to sell more
And I wouldn’t just say anything
On the radio just to get fame
Or trap it out, gangster rap it out
Knowin' I ain’t never sold a thang
Bust a dime on the coffee table
Really shorty I went to school
I wasn’t friends with the son
Of the executive that ran the label
I had to pay dues
Wasn’t no blueprint where I come from
I couldn’t blow up in the backyard
Couldn’t walk the streets with my Cd
Give it to a DJ, like that's hard
And he play it everyday 'till I got a deal" It's Better This Way

Eureka!

KRIT certainly has a chip on his shoulder, which can be weird at times if used in the wrong way. It's not overbearing on this mixtape though and It's Better This Way actually feels like it's been made with KRIT comfortable with where he's at in the game.

Ludacris is still a beast.

DJ Drama keeps the mixtape game going and it's actually going surprisingly strong given the re-emergence of complete albums.

Finale

The calibre of KRIT's work so far has been high enough to have me eagerly anticipating his next album as KRIT is one of a bunch of rappers in the game right now who creates throwback albums. My thirst to hear KRIT come up with a new concept, new beats and new things to say on a new album has been somewhat quenched by this surprise mixtape which serves as a nice bridge between albums. You get the best of KRIT on the mix and behind the boards and you get it without the boundaries of a strict theme of an album.

As with most of the better musical projects that I come across, It's Better This Way goes hard in any situation. You can ride to it, you can use it as motivation and there's enough songs that get you aggressively nodding your head that you'll be keen to get your mates listening as well. If you haven't come across KRIT before, this mixtape can also be a nice introduction to KRIT and you'll probably find that KRIT fills a void in your hip hop catalog.