Big K.R.I.T. | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Justin Lewis Scott |
Born | Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. | August 26, 1986
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Discography | |
Years active | 2005–present |
Labels |
|
Website | bigkrit |
Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T. (a backronym for King Remembered in Time), [1] is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he began his musical career in 2005. He was signed to Def Jam Recordings by Sha Money XL in 2010, and first gained recognition following the release of his single "Country Shit" (remixed featuring Ludacris and Bun B) in September of that year. The following year, he guest appeared on T.I.'s promotional single "I'm Flexin'", which became Scott's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Scott's debut studio album, Live from the Underground (2012), debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, along with his second album, Cadillactica (2014). In 2017, he launched the record label Multi Alumni to release his subsequent albums: 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time (2017), K.R.I.T. Iz Here (2019), and Digital Roses Don't Die (2022). Each met with critical praise or acclaim, [2] Cadillactica was listed by Billboard and Complex as among the best albums of that year. [3] [4] Furthermore, Scott has produced for other artists, with credits on releases for Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, T.I., Slim Thug, ASAP Ferg, Freddie Gibbs, E-40, and Berner, among others. [5]
Scott previously released several mixtapes, including Hood Fame, with DJ Wally Sparks and The Last King, with DJ Breakem Off. He also made guest appearances on Pilot Talk , the third studio album and major label debut from Louisiana rapper Currensy, as well as Kush & Orange Juice , the critically acclaimed mixtape by rapper Wiz Khalifa. When he started branding himself, he went by the name of Kritikal, before shortening it to K.R.I.T. [6]
In May 2010, Scott released his mixtape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here , digitally, garnering critical acclaim. [7] That same month, former president of G-Unit Records and current Senior VP of A&R at Def Jam Records, Sha Money XL, signed him to the label as one of his first priorities in his new position. [8] [9]
In October 2010, Scott co-headlined The Smoker's Club Tour 2010 alongside fellow rappers Curren$y and Smoke DZA. [10] In November 2010, Scott opened for Wiz Khalifa in Baltimore, Maryland Sayreville, New Jersey Winston-Salem, North Carolina and in Ashland, Virginia during the Waken Baken Tour.
In early 2011, he was featured on the cover of XXL as part of their annual Top Freshmen of the year, along with the likes of other rappers including Meek Mill, Cyhi the Prynce, Lil Twist, Yelawolf, Fred the Godson, Mac Miller, YG, Lil B, Kendrick Lamar and Diggy Simmons. [11]
In March 2011, Scott released his highly anticipated and entirely self-produced mixtape, Return of 4Eva , featuring guests David Banner, Joi, Big Sant, Chamillionaire, Raheem DeVaughn, Ludacris, and Bun B. The mixtape has been acclaimed by rap critics, with William Ketchum of HipHopDX calling it "emotive, conceptual music" and saying that Scott had given fans a "free album" – the magazine's highest praise for a mixtape. [12] Meanwhile, Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine highlighted Return of 4Eva in his mixtape review column as "the best mixtape of the month," going on in a separate review to call it "the rap album to beat in 2011 ". [13] [14] Both critics praised Scott's production skills as much as his lyrics and flow, and both named Scott as a likely successor to Southern rap legends UGK, Scarface, and Outkast. On April 20, 2011, Tom Breihan reviewed the mixtape for Pitchfork, giving an 8.2 out of 10 and awarding it the site's coveted "Best New Music" tag. [15]
On July 1, 2011, Scott announced the title of his debut studio album, Live from the Underground . It was originally set to be released on September 27, 2011. [16] From October 12, 2011, until November 24, 2011, Scott co-headlined The Smoker's Club Tour 2011 with Curren$y and Method Man. [10] Scott released Live from the Underground June 5, 2012, to tremendous expectancy. It debuted at number one on the Hip Hop, R&B, and Rap Charts. He released his first single off the album titled, "I Got This" on May 7, 2012. He went on the "Live from the Underground" tour, which he headlined along with Slim Thug. In an interview on Bootleg Kev's radio show, on August 10, 2012, he confirmed that he and fellow Southern rapper Yelawolf were working on a collaborative album entitled Country Cousins. During the same interview, he was also asked about his favorite rappers, to which he responded, "Scarface. Man, I need these people in groups. Can I put the rest as a group? Outkast, UGK and 8Ball & MJG. That's what my iTunes consists of." [17] Scott along with singer Ashthon Jones collaborated with Lecrae for his single "Mayday" from Gravity . [18]
On January 10, 2013, Scott announced his next mixtape as King Remembered In Time . Also naming Mike WiLL Made It as a producer on both the mixtape and his next album. He went on to indicate this mixtape and his next album would not be entirely produced by himself like his previous works, with his album not being produced by himself at all. [19] [20] The first single off the mixtape was released on February 27, 2013, titled, "Shine On". The song features rapper Bun B and was produced by Scott [21] He has also put out songs produced by 9th Wonder. Scott (King Remembered In Time) would be released on April 10, 2013. The mixtape features primary production handled by Scott himself and guest appearances by Wiz Khalifa, Future, Smoke DZA and Trinidad James among others. [22]
On June 13, 2013, in an interview with Dead End Hip Hop, Scott hinted towards the title of his upcoming second studio album, stating that the title is featured in the opening seconds of the Intro from his debut album "Live from the Underground". [23] In August 2013, he told HipHopDX that Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, DJ Dahi and Terrace Martin will provide some of the album's soulful production. Scott also said he has refocused his energy on his rhymes and delivery, as he allows producers to craft some of the beats for him. [24] On September 30, 2013, Scott announced that his second album would be called Cadillactica. In October 2013, he told XXL that Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, DJ Toomp, and himself would also provide production on the album. [25] On April 28, 2014, he released the first single off his second album, titled "Mt. Olympus". [26] The second single from Cadillatica, "Pay Attention" released July 25, 2014. [27]
After releasing twelve freestyles in twelve hours, Scott announced through Twitter that he and Def Jam had parted ways on July 6, 2016. [28]
On October 27, 2017, Scott released his third studio album, 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time . The album marks Scott's first independent release under his Multi Alumni label, following a departure from Def Jam. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200. [29] The album was supported by four singles: "Confetti", "Keep the Devil Off", "Aux Cord" and "1999".
On July 12, 2019, Scott released his fourth studio album, K.R.I.T. Iz Here . [30]
On February 18, 2022, Scott released his fifth studio album, Digital Roses Don't Die .
I thank God I was able to come up with the acronym King Remembered In Time. It's something that I will never be able to live up to as an artist, but it allows me to keep grinding and not get complacent.
—K.R.I.T. talks his stage name in an interview with Respect. [31]
Scott's musical training began in elementary school up through junior high school playing the cello, and having the ability to read music helped him out tremendously as an artist. [31] While talking about how he started producing music, Scott said: "At the time, I was young and I didn't have no job. It wasn't like I could really afford to pay for beats. At the same time, there was this program that came out for PlayStation, MTV Music Generator, where you could make your own beats. So I started making my own beats right around that time because I just couldn't afford to pay for the other ones." [32] Scott has cited UGK, Outkast, 8Ball & MJG, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., David Banner and CeeLo Green as his influences. [33] [34] [35]
Scott is known in Birmingham, Alabama as being one of the favorite artists of the current Birmingham Mayor, Randall Woodfin. [36] "Mt. Olympus (Reprise)" and "Energy" were featured on Mayor Woodfin's Mayoral Mixtape, which was released on Spotify in the summer of 2021. [37]
Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | BET Hip Hop Awards [38] | Rookie of the Year | Himself | Nominated |
Reese's Perfect Combo Award (Best Collab) | "Country Shit" (Remix) | Nominated | ||
Best Mixtape | Return of 4Eva | Nominated | ||
LaRon Louis James, better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group, the Diplomats. He is best known for his appearances on group cohort Cam'ron's 2002 singles "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma," which peaked at numbers four and three on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. His guest appearance on Chris Brown's 2005 single, "Run It!" peaked atop the chart for five weeks and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As a lead artist, he is also known for his 2005 single "There It Go ," which peaked at number six on the chart and received platinum certification by the RIAA.
Bernard James Freeman, known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK, a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with UGK, Bun B has released five solo albums, including 2010's Trill OG, which received the rare 5-mic rating from The Source.
Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American media personality, broadcaster, cultural critic, and retired rapper. He first gained recognition in the latter occupation with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, although it served as his only major label release for Def Jam Recordings; he thereafter released seven albums independently to continued critical praise. While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.
Peter Cory Pankey, Jr., better known by his stage name Cory Gunz, is an American rapper from the Bronx, New York City. He is best known for his guest appearance on Lil Wayne's 2010 single "6 Foot 7 Foot," which peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and received septuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He signed with Wayne's Young Money Entertainment, a then-imprint of Cash Money and Universal Republic Records in August of that year, although he has released no major albums with the label as a solo act. He starred and was the subject of the 2011 documentary series Son of a Gun, which was presented by his mentor, American comedian Nick Cannon.
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2011.
Shante Scott Franklin, better known by his stage name Currensy, is an American rapper. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, he was signed to hip hop labels such as Cash Money and Young Money before founding his own label Jet Life Recordings, in 2011.
American hip hop recording artist and music producer Big K.R.I.T. has released five studio albums, five extended plays (EP), fourteen mixtapes and 45 singles and three promotional singles.
4eva N a Day is a mixtape by Mississippi rapper and producer Big K.R.I.T. It was released for free digital download on March 5, 2012 under independent record label Cinematic Music Group. The mixtape was released in anticipation of K.R.I.T.'s debut studio album Live from the Underground (2012). It was entirely produced, arranged and mixed by Big K.R.I.T., with assistance from Ralph Cacciurri, and contains 17 tracks with no vocal guest appearances. An extended play containing three songs from the mixtape, including two new songs, was released on iTunes on April 10, 2012. Upon its release, 4EvaNaDay received critical acclaim from music critics. The mixtape has been downloaded over 236,000 times on professional mixtape site Datpiff.
Live from the Underground is the debut studio album by American rapper and record producer Big K.R.I.T. It was released on June 5, 2012, by Cinematic Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. As one of the executive producers on the album, Big K.R.I.T. did the production work for the entirety of the project. The album was supported by four singles: "Money on the Floor", "I Got This", "Yeah Dat's Me" and "What U Mean".
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, known professionally as Logic, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He released his debut mixtape, Psychological: The Mixtape in December 2009 under the name Psychological, thereafter shortening his name to Logic. He gained popularity following his Young Sinatra (2011) mixtape series; its third installment, Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever (2013) received critical acclaim and led him to secure a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. Logic's first two studio albums—Under Pressure (2014) and The Incredible True Story (2015)—both peaked within the top five of the U.S. Billboard 200, while the former received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, known by his stage name as Joey Badass, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Brooklyn, New York City, he formed the regional hip-hop group Pro Era in 2011, with whom he has released three mixtapes and formed the larger collective, Beast Coast the following year.
Nicholaus Joseph Williams, better known by his stage name Trinidad James, is a Trinidadian-American rapper and songwriter. In December 2012, he signed with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut single, "All Gold Everything". The song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned a remix featuring fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I., Jeezy and 2 Chainz. He was dropped from the label in 2014 after failing to promptly record a debut album.
King Remembered In Time is the tenth mixtape by American rapper Big K.R.I.T., released on April 10, 2013, through Cinematic Music Group. The mixtape has guest appearances from fellow rappers Bun B, Future, Trinidad James, Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, and Big Sant. The production was handled almost entirely by Big K.R.I.T. himself, with producer 9th Wonder being the only other contributor.
Cadillactica is the second studio album by American rapper Big K.R.I.T. It was released on November 10, 2014, by Cinematic Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Raphael Saadiq, E-40, Wiz Khalifa, Kenneth Whalum III, Mara Hruby, Rico Love, Bun B, Devin the Dude, Big Sant, Jamie N Commons, Lupe Fiasco and ASAP Ferg.
Boss Life is the fourth studio album by American rapper Slim Thug. The album was released on November 19, 2013. The album features guest appearances from Big Sant, Big K.R.I.T., Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Kirko Bangz, Z-Ro, BeatKing, Boston George, Bun B, Yo Gotti, Kevin Gates, Muggs, JustBrittany, Lil Keke and Nipsey Hussle.
Cinematic Music Group is an American record label, management, publishing & touring company distributed by Geffen Records founded in 2007 by Jonny Shipes. Their roster as of 2020 consists of Joey Bada$$, Pro Era, T-Pain, Smoke DZA, Va$htie, Mick Jenkins, G Herbo, Caveman, Public Access TV, Flipp Dinero, and others.
Maybach Music Group is a record label founded by American rapper Rick Ross in 2008. An imprint of gamma. since 2023, the label was previously an imprint of Def Jam Recordings (2009–2011), Warner Records (2011–2012) and Atlantic Records (2012–2023). The label, having signed artists including Wale, Meek Mill, French Montana, Omarion, Rockie Fresh, and Stalley, has released a total of 29 studio albums, including three compilation albums in its Self-Made series. The "Maybach Music" vocal tag heard in many of the label's recordings is spoken by Australian model Jessica Gomes.
Cydel Charles Young, known professionally as CyHi the Prynce, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He signed a major label recording contract with Akon's Konvict Muzik, in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings in 2009. The following year, he gained mainstream attention for his guest appearance alongside Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, and RZA on Kanye West's 2010 song "So Appalled" from his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). He was then credited with extensive songwriting work on West's further releases, resulting in five Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Song, as well as one additional nomination for his work on Travis Scott's 2018 single "Sicko Mode."
David Lawrence Brewster Jr., known professionally as Dave East, is an American rapper. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 for his eighth mixtape, Black Rose. Its release caught the attention of fellow New York rapper Nas, who signed East to a recording contract with his label Mass Appeal Records in 2014, which entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings two years later.
4eva Is a Mighty Long Time is the third studio album by American rapper Big K.R.I.T., released on October 27, 2017, through Multi Alumni and BMG Rights Management. A double album, it is his first full-length release since his departure from Def Jam in 2016. The album features guest appearances from T.I., Lloyd, Bun B, Pimp C, CeeLo Green, Sleepy Brown, Joi, Jill Scott, Keyon Harrold, Bilal, Robert Glasper, Kenneth Whalum and Burniss Earl Travis II.