BIG K.R.I.T. at Tattoo on Friday, October 10. Rating: NNN
Not only is Mississippi MC Big K.R.I.T.’s sound heavily (and proudly) indebted to the earthy, southern funk of rap groups like UGK and Outkast, but his well-rehearsed stage show is clearly aiming for the emotional breadth that Big Boi and Andre 3000 brought to the Molson Amphitheatre two months ago.
As he frequently pointed out to the packed house at Tattoo, K.R.I.T. has amassed a sizeable catalogue in four years, releasing three mixtapes and a debut album. His second major label effort, Cadillactica, comes out in November.
Many rappers are content to do no-brainer banger sets at late-night club gigs, so Big K.R.I.T. deserves credit for being able to switch up the mood without losing the crowd. This was possible thanks to his unwavering professionalism and smartly devised set list top-loaded with hits such as King Without A Crown and Country Shit.
The audience enthusiastically rapped along with K.R.I.T.’s slippery, double-time rhymes as the DJ – stationed behind a glowing Cadillac grill – briskly cycled through songs mostly intermingling sex and driving metaphors such as Talkin’ Bout Nothin’, Riding Dirty and Rotation.
Just when the show started to feel one-note, K.R.I.T. cooled the mood with a freestyle to Lil Wayne and Drake’s Believe Me and recent R&B-tinged single Pay Attention before bringing out Big Sant, his partner in the duo The Alumni. Their chemistry refreshed the energy level but eventually devolved into unnecessary pandering with I Got This and its “Fuck these haters/fuck these hoes” chorus.
K.R.I.T. positions himself as a rapper with more to offer than mainstream radio but it wasn’t until the show’s final act that the subject matter really caught up with the slickness and skill on display.
He ended the show on an introspective tone, performing the The Vent, which he dedicated to the family of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen fatally shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri this summer and Mt. Olympus, his voracious and wide-ranging response to Kendrick Lamar’s Control verse.
Finally, the fury and emotion felt more palpable than professional. If Big K.R.I.T. can maintain that kind of energy, he will truly transcend his influences.
