1. 8:04 A.M.
Intro...
2. Wake Up ft. Willie B
I'm not going to lie, the "wake up" shit in the background was not a good first impression as it annoyed the fuck out of me. Krit sounds good on the hook and the saxophone is a nice complement, but he just sounds too sleepy on this to even make out half of what he's saying. "Rise and Shine" was far superior to this opener.
3. Yesterday
Using a sample of 2pac's "Bury Me A G", Krit does a solid job behind the boards to make this a heartfelt and smooth track. Delivery wise, Krit sounds much more awake than in the first track and that's a good thing, as his lyrics are pretty well written. Make note though: Krit uses "Yesterday" as a metaphor for multiple things, not just someone he loves. His first verse actually refers to his childhood and life before starting to make it as a musician, which is new to me, considering every rap artist seems to fucking hate their life before seeing green. My only surprise with this is that it was placed so early in the mixtape. I'd have expected this much, much later, and it is kind a mood dampener. Just saying.
4. Boobie Miles
Wasn't crazy about transitioning into this particular track, but then again, this is a piece of work that Krit gave us for free, so he probably doesn't give a shit about what sounds good to transition to (or maybe he does, who the fuck knows). Of course, if you're any sort of a fan of Krit, you would have heard this one already, and not much else needs to be said except that it still sounds great and that it's just another showcase of Krit's incredible abilities as a producer. (Which I think, at this point, is obvious that this is where his true talent lies in and I think most would agree as well)
5. 4EvaNaDay (Theme)
"Theme Song 2.0"? That was my first thought as soon as I heard this one. Both tracks are extremely similar production wise, with this being slightly more up tempo than the first one. While this was something that I didn't like, I couldn't help but still like this song because this is where I truly love listening to this dude. This is the kind of U.G.K. or Outkast shit that I hope to hear anytime I hear new material. It also was a track that grew on me the more that I listened to it. So while it is no "Theme Song" (seriously, that shit is one of the highest played songs of his on my iTunes), I can deal. Can't wait to bump this when it gets warmer, I can tell you that.
6. Me and My Old School
YES. This, this made the entire tape worth the 10 minutes it took to download. I can't express how much I wanted to just drop everything I was doing and listen to this for a solid hour when I first heard it. While Krit isn't really rapping about anything groundbreaking, this is the kinda shit that makes me think of Southernplayalistic or that famous 90's sound that came out of the south. The beat here is fantastic and the hook is excellent. I love that Krit consistently keeps the legends that influenced him in his mind, even after he's started to get hype. I also could have completely seen this on his previous tape, but I'm glad I he saved it so that I could blast the shit out of it now. The skit with "MJ, that boy set the record for the most points in the playoff, 63," also gave me a laugh at the end.
7. 1986
Just as things were really picking up, Krit drops this. Is it horrible? No, but after I just heard what Krit is capable of, it's disappointing. The beat wasn't as smooth or catchy as previous ones and while I like a guitar riff sample here and there, this didn't seem like the song for it to work. Two tracks in six that are a miss? This early in the tape? I'm a little surprised (and that shows how high Krit sets the bar for his listeners, most of the time I'd be fucking thrilled with 2/3 of a tape being that good).
8. Country Rap Tunes
Krit makes sure that, while there are bumps in the road, he never steers off of it and this is a perfect song to bring things back to where they should be. A more laid back and lyrically based track than "Me and My Old School", but it still sounds great. I just complained about the guitar sampling, yet here, it fits much better and it didn't take away from the beat, but enhanced it. Krit also sounds good on the mic here, which is always a plus. Overall, I walked away wanting to play it again, always a good sign. (and what the fuck is this with rappers using phone ring tones during a skit? Pac Div did the same thing on "High Five")
9. Sky Club
It's been a while since Krit made a song for his smoking buddies, as this was one thing missing from ReturnOf4Eva, and he comes back to the green scene with this. Stoner songs can be hit or miss, but this one has still kept my attention after multiple listens and I think his fans will really appreciate this one. A good song, but I couldn't help but ask: is this low tempo the theme of this tape? Did Krit want to tone things down after Returnof4Eva?
10. Red Eye
I fucking love this song. Plain and simple. Krit lays down just one verse, but it's one of the best I've seen him write in any of the music he's put out so far.
I settle for less so when I'm tired of stress
I go through with the motions pretending I'm at my best
Fall victim to flesh, I live to be fresh
But this ain't what I expect because my life is a wreck
It's hard to listen to a lot of love songs because half the time I don't take them seriously. Krit has also not made a song to this point that evoke these types of emotions either. Yes, you had "The Vent", but this feels deeper on a different level. Krit also flows so damn well on this and he will keep your attention. I feel that he wrote this one while he was also recording with The Roots for Undun, as the tone and sampling fits closely with something you'd hear on Undun.11. Down & Out
It really does blow my mind how this guy can be so fucking consistent. I was worried after "1986" but again, Krit pulls together a string of stellar songs, capped with this. Another more laid back, slow moving song, but that takes nothing away from how great it sounds. Possibly my favorite beat of the entire tape (actually it pretty much is) and while the hook isn't spectacular, nothing could really sound that bad with the production behind it. It also showcases a track that I can't see any other southern MC doing but Krit. Every time I tried to picture Andre 3K, Big Boi, Big Bun, or really any other rapper related closely to Krit, it just didn't come out as natural as it does with Krit. The bass makes owners of subwoofers proud and it's got a great southern feel to it. The tape could end here and I'd be satisfied.
12. Package Store
Using a more up tempo sample from the same one he used for "Dreamin'", Krit has some good messages on this (mainly being the bad influences that kids in the south are around). However, I really could never get into this one, mostly because the entire time I listened to it, I just wanted to pop "Dreamin" back on. It also is the second song on here that sampled a song from Returnof4Eva, something that I got frustrated with (being that most of the beats on that tape were dope as fuck and it's hard to listen to them reformed when the original always sounded the best).
13. Temptation
You can tell by this point that Krit is fully aware he won't make shit on this tape (obviously indirectly he will, idiots). I liked that I finally got to hear something a little more up beat and the hook was catchy as fuck, but the song was just boring for the most part. Wasn't really too much of a fan for this.
14. Handwriting
Ahh, a song that was properly placed. To me, this is right around where K.R.I.T. would have placed "Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Encouraging Racism", so while the subject matter isn't nearly as in depth, the sampling is similar, although this one is considerably better. This one talks more about all the shit Krit has to deal with on a daily basis, and surprisingly, it's refreshing to listen to. Seriously, I always hear about rappers on the good days, the good life, you know that bullshit. Can't a man bitch once in a while? Good track overall, though.
15. Insomnia
The "help me sleep" sounds kind of ridiculous, but again, this is another home run on the production end. It's got more of an 80's hair metal background and it complements Krit's delivery nicely. Krit basically describes how getting laid is how he is able to sleep, so subject wise, it's close to Krit's message on "Money on the Floor". I gotta admit, I wouldn't have given this another chance if it weren't for the production being so damn good (and playing this one in front of everyone may not be your best move once it hits the 3:00 mark).
16. 5:04 A.M.
Outro.
17. The Alarm
OK, so some people have already jumped on this song as being "one of the mixtapes best". I'm not one of those people. The "do you believe?" sample gets repetitive as fuck for one and the entire time, I waited for a bass to drop and I never got one. So what if Krit's message is good? His beats are really what attracts me to his music and Krit hasn't gotten good enough behind the mic for me to warrant my full attention to his lyrics or delivery. The "WAKE UP!" shit also pissed me off. I would have just ended it with "5:04 A.M.", but that's just me.
Closing Statement: First thing's first, before I express my complaints with this tape, let me make this clear: this mixtape is still very, very good. However, with expectations so high from his previous two tapes, it's no wonder that Krit's latest effort was bound to disappoint me in some way. Krit, for one, made the mistake on this tape on not putting his up tempo tracks to lead off the tape (although there weren't many to begin with) and it didn't build the anticipation for the rest of the work like "Theme Song" or "Country Shit" did. Krit also had a couple missteps due to re-sampling work he's already done. I enjoyed "4EvaNaDay" as much as the next guy, but I couldn't help but think every time I listen to it that I'm just hearing a reincarnation of "Theme Song".
That being said, there was much more good on this tape than bad. "Down & Out" and "Me and My Old School" are fucking fantastic and I'd argue they're two of the best tracks I've heard from Krit yet. I also loved "Red Eye" and "Handwriting" which were much more serious in tone. As artists release new material, I look for them to evolve, and "Red Eye" is a perfect example of that. I just don't think Krit could've released that two years ago (and I could be wrong, but that's just not the feeling I took away from it). I felt this tape was also a little more laid back than the first two and it seemed more deep as well, which separates itself as being a different work of art than either of his first two tapes. So while I wished that I could have got more like "Time Machine" or "My Sub", this will do just fine.
The Verdict: Are you kidding me? There's absolutely no reason you can't take 10 minutes to go and download this. Krit has not only established himself as one of the best young rappers in the game, but he's beginning to make a case at being one of the best period. If Live From the Underground is a culmination of this and his previous two tapes, I'll die happy.
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