Live From The Underground / [Explicit]

Big K.R.I.T | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 5, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Def Jam
• ASIN: B005GRF35O
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,383 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

With his first studio album, Live From The Underground, K.R.I.T. stays true to his winning formula. He does so by producing a collection of records that continues to build on the musical history of the South, while simultaneously showcasing his personal beliefs and background in an honest and open way. K.R.I.T. also called upon some of hip-hop and r&b s heavyweights to bless the album including Anthony Hamilton, Big Boi, Melanie Fiona, Bun B, and 8ball & MJG. The wide-range of collaborations add bass, but also the soulful-harmony that give Live From The Underground its dynamic and exciting feel.
I m really taking people in-depth about my relationships and the morals I gained from my Grandmother, he says. I go out and do shows and see the type of impact my songs have so it s important that I say something positive, something relatable. I m going to touch on a lot of different topics, there will be a lot of uplifting music on there and a lot of music that inspires people to do more right than wrong.
Confident with where he is as a man and an artist, Big K.R.I.T. is dedicated to creating songs for fans of the music he grew up loving. I m forever underground, he says. Underground for me is about being more for the people. I m comfortable with where I m at in my life and the music that I make. With this album, I really sat down as a producer and as an artist and constructed the best beats possible and came up with the best content possible. It just happens to be underground.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Original, Creative, Thought-Provoking, Introspective, and Conceptual June 6, 2012

By Jordan

Format:Audio CD

First off, this album is refreshingly original, creative, thought-provoking, introspective, and conceptual. People are comparing this piece of work (really a piece of art) to his first 2 classic free albums (mixtapes) 'Krit Wuz Here', and 'Return of 4eva'. Those are special in their own unique ways, presented by K.R.I.T. (King Remembered In Time) at very particular moments in his life and career. However, people need to understand that those were independent releases in which Krit had total creative control. With this album, he had to deal with the pressures of major label behind-the-scenes people telling him what he had to do. Where most rappers are ready to sell out on their debut, Big Krit has stayed true to himself, and also shows artistic growth with this album. You can tell he is very passionate about his music and puts his fans above everything else. It is very hard nowadays to find a major label, mainstream album that has an underground sound. 'Live From The Underground' is one of those exceptions.

This album is very cinematic and has some very good story-telling tracks with great background sounds and effects that make the tracks (and the overall album) larger than life and quite movie-ish. An example would be the instant classic track 'Praying Man' ft B.B. King that sucks you in and takes you on a ride, taking on the different perspectives Krit throws into that track. The start of the album, with the intro followed by the self-titled track, really sets off the album. The intro starts off with a woman's voice telling you to "not be alarmed, you have activated a pre-recording" almost as if this album is being listened to in the future. The beat then plays (which is quite ambient and chill) and Krit just preaches knowledge (as usual) over the beat, through talking rather than rapping. Which is fine because I could personally listen to the man speak for hours, especially speaking the truth. Krit also self-produced this album, which you have to show respect for. The beats are dope and the fact that Krit produced them all helps maintain the theme of the album, and his vision as well.

The second track 'Live from the Underground' has a little skit towards the end, where you hear something flying through the air (almost like an air craft or spaceship) followed by a crash into the ground. A door opens and you hear Krit running in distraught. This is a direct connection to the cover art of the album, and this blew my mind away. It turns out that it was Krit that crash landed his whip (spaceship/time machine) into the ground. This appealed to me because it shows that Krit is not from this time or planet and sets the mood for the rest of the album, which is very atmospheric. Quite a journey. It's almost as if this album is today's version of OutKast's 'ATLiens', but even then I don't want to compare it because Krit is still original and has his own style. After Krit crash lands, you hear a man's voice asking Krit, "Are you okay down there?" Krit replies, "Yea, I'm fine. But where am I?" The man tells him, "You're in the mainstream, this is A&R-ville. Where are you from?" Krit tells him, "From the underground. For short, the South." I just thought it was perfect how Krit blended all this together and acknowledged the transformation that the mainstream labels pulls on its artists.

The album then leads off into some dirty south bangers and then a mixture of some uplifting records. About half of the records is country/dirty south, and the other half is uplifting/soulful. He has something for everyone to enjoy. Some of the hooks are simple and catchy, like his lead singles, and at other times, the hooks are nothing short of blissfulness. Examples of this would be records such as 'Don't Let Me Down', 'Porchlight', 'If I fall', 'Hydroplaning', and 'Praying Man'. Dope features and I like that the project isn't flooded with unnecessary guest appearances as if it were a collaboration album. This project is simply meant to showcase Krit's natural talent. Ludacris also kills his verse on 'What U Mean', which was a surprise after all the Bieber/Ludacris collaborations out there. Also has legendary southern acts Ball & G and Bun B. Lots of the southern legends show Krit love, and he still remains humble. An OutKast feature would have added to the greatness of the album, but you can't have it all, especially for a debut. The B.B. King feature is incredible and that record alone is worth buying this album. Overall, Big Krit continues with his formula with his previous records and this is another win.

Although there are moments with this project where it is quite noticeable that its label left its mark on the album with songs like 'Yea Dats Me' and 'I Got This', Big Krit still manages to bring forth what everyone has grown to love about him: his honesty, his passion, his trials & tribulations, his soulfulness, and his ability to connect with the listener that makes for a very relatable listening experience. With all that said, this album should not be compared or rated in relation to his previous works, but to take this album for what it is - A major label debut, and not an underground independent release. And for a major label debut, this album surely stands out in it's own lane in a period of time where 95% of mainstream hip-hop is watered down, dumbed down, and overall just brainwashing to society. Krit is wise beyond his years and proves with this album that he knows how to make timeless music. One of the best new cats doing it right now and has a great future ahead of him; a future that will make him a legend when it's all said and done. He's surely on his way.

It's no secret that Krit can be very deep at times, and really requires you to listen deeply. Krit is not just a rapper, he's an artist. A poet. And he is not one dimensional like most cats in the game today. He is quite versatile actually. He has his country tunes, his dirty south tunes, his soulful tunes, a pleasant singing voice, and even mixes it up with some jazz and blues vibes in his records. There are tracks on here that you can throw on and jam to and party to, but then there are tracks that make you want to listen to them alone in peace and in dim lights, just vibing with the realness and authenticity that is Krit's presence. This album almost seems futuristic and ahead of it's time compared to the music today. With that said, my own personal opinion is that this album is a classic. I'm from Michigan and I love this album, but then again I am open-minded and aware of genuine hip-hop when I hear it. If you have never listened to Krit, give this album a chance, I'm sure it will grow on you. And go pick up his other mixtapes as well. This album is my favorite so far this year along with Ab-Soul's 'Control System'. Krit is the truth.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dignity Of Southern Hip Hop June 6, 2012

By Q. Pair

Format:Audio CD

Picture this: a shooting star comes crashing through the atmosphere of the planet Mainstream, burning through the sky until it crashes into a densely populated area called A&R-ville. A man emerges from the crater, a stranger in a new place, looking like a fish out of water.

This visual is the personification of what Big K.R.I.T. tries to get across on his debut album; The sound of the underground crash landing in the middle of the mainstream. This is a feat that has been tried and failed by countless artists trying to make that near impossible transition from unknown, underground rapper to mainstream hip hop household name. With Live From The Underground [Explicit], I believe that K.R.I.T. has topped off years of hard work and moderate recognition with a successful debut that truly shows the he has the versatility necessary to appeal to multiple audiences. In short, its really good.

I'll be the first to admit that I an not a huge fan of Southern hip hop. Ever since the era of Crunk came into being in the early 2000's, 90% of all rap music coming out of the south has been like hot garbage in the Georgia sun, making almost every newcomer coming from below the Mason Dixon a walking punchline and inevitable one-hit-wonder. But despite the overabundance of suckiness, we get the occasional gems that redeem our southern brethren with their efforts alone. Little Brother, Ludacris, Outkast, Scarface, UGK, T.I., J. Cole... and now Big K.R.I.T. joins the ranks of talented, exceptional artists that rep the south without having to become the walking joke to do it.

With three mixtapes ( Return of 4eva, 4eva Na Day [Road Less Traveled Edition] [Explicit], and Krit Wuz Here) and a bunch of guest spots under his belt, K.R.I.T. has had lots of practice to get his debut to sound the way he wanted it. Despite initial concerns that Live From The Underground would be a watered down version of his mixtapes, it manages to maintain the integrity of the sound that made us like K.R.I.T. in the first place, mixing fun riding music seamlessly with thought provoking introspective songs.

K.R.I.T. has always demonstrated he has a talent for cohesion when it comes to his music. With all of his projects, especially Live From The Underground, he arranges each track to flow right into the next regardless of topic, sound, or tempo. From the opening track "LFU300MA" that coasts in on a smooth bluesy bass lines, to the bold and flavorful horns on Cool 2 Be Southern," segueing seamlessly into a synth dominated anti-hater anthem "I Got This." However, it does seem that K.R.I.T. has more or less organized his songs into two main parts: Simply put, the first half is the fun section, the second half is the serious section.

As a whole, Big K.R.I.T. gets big ups for his artistry, and his ability to please different audiences. However, its that same versatility that kind of works against him, depending on the listeners tastes. When K.R.I.T. gets into the "fun" music, the subject matter is of the status quo of rap music; cars, money, hoes, etc. He especially loves his car. Granted, he drops some gems here and there and even has some great production with certain songs (i.e. "My Sub pt.2 The Jackin") but for the most part he stereotypes himself by sounding like EVERY other southern rapper and his momma talking about the same ol stuff.

For me, the album really picks up and becomes interesting on "Leave The Porch Light On feat. Anthony Hamilton" where K.R.I.T. struggles with maintaining a relationship while trying to provide, be it hustling or music. Anthony Hamilton on the hook really adds depth the the track, making a personal favorite. Another stand out, "Prayin Man feat. BB King" depicts encounters a slave has with a mysterious man who provides salvation in one way or another. The BB King sample was an excellent touch.

Overall, despite my personal biased against half of the tracks on here, this is a great album. Its lyrically solid, uncompromising in quality in terms of production, a modest amount of guest features, and has a hearty 16 tracks for your listening pleasure. You may not like everything he has on here, but there is enough on here to justify a purchase, especially for the price that it is.

Live From The Underground is a strong 5/5.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Live from the underground July 9, 2012

By Kinnard

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Like any other artist, the album is not the same ad his mixtape work but did an excellent job on his sample work. Krit's production skills on this album were nothing less than superior. If your a fan of southern music this album is definately for you