Steve 'Flash' JuonWhile “4eva Is a Mighty Long Time” I would have to say eight years is pretty lengthy in its own right. The best rapper to come from Meridian, Mississippi has been long overdue for another review. Sheeit, just click on the link if you think I’m wrong. We don’t hand out 9’s like candy on Halloween around here. Justin Lewis Scott is a generational talent. Now the term “generational talent” may itself be handed out too often to a lot of undeserving folks, but I don’t think it’s inaccurate for Big K.R.I.T. He is the direct descendant of what would now be called old school now — Southern rappers like Geto Boys, OutKast, Eightball & MJG or UGK (just to name a few). He’s got the accent, the swagger, plenty of bars on deck, and he’s not here to croon them either. If he sings to you it’s gon’ be the hook.
If I was going to be somewhere on the 1,500 miles of Interstate 20 that link the Dirty South together, bumping “Dedicated to Cadalee Biarritz” on the drive would be essential. I’d need more albums than K.R.I.T.’s latest since this one is only a smidge over a half hour, but this one is definitely on the list. Just by the title you should already know it’s meant for riding, but in case you don’t the “cadalee” here is a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. You’ve probably heard more people wax poetic about the Seville, but I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Everyone who has a car loves their ride, but let’s be real that it’s different in the South. It’s CULTURE. The pride of a well kept automobile that’s fully decked out and shines like a newly minted coin is ingrained into every state that interstate intersects. “You gotta love it mayne. Old school and candy paint.”
Songs like “Precious Metal” pay tribute to that vehicular love, but there’s a deeper underlying theme that’s not hard to see if you’re looking for it. Owning a fly ride is a status symbol, but driving it means you’ve told the man he can go to hell. You’re in control of the wheel and your own destiny. “All leather cockpit, nigga I’m a pilot.” Those words are from Lil’ Keke, but he’s just one of many Southern stars shining on K.R.I.T.’s self-produced “Celebrate the Line” — Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Propain & Killa Kyleon are in the mix too. Frankly my only problem with the song is that it could be twice as long given how smooth it is. I want an extended mix with even more all-stars and longer verses.
You know it’s hard to bitch about an album like “Dedicated to Cadalee Biarritz” when my top two complaints are (1.) I wish he did more and (2.) I wish it lasted longer. K.R.I.T. has proved himself a multi-faceted artist as talented behind the boards as he is on the mic, which is why he doesn’t need me to tell him how nice he is. I’m gonna tell him anyway. “The Everliving Sub Knocker” encapsulates how I feel when I turn up the music in my own car. I want to FEEL the bass. “So Far, So Good” is a summer day with a cool breeze and a full tank of petrol, knowing you have unlimited options and plenty of time to explore them. Even in the midst of the celebrating there’s time for reflection though.
“Another detour just to bang my trunk
Just to bend that corner
I can’t be the only one that ride around town
Look around like, this can’t be the place that I grew up”
That is why Big K.R.I.T. is just built different. He makes music that he’d want to listen to and by extension you will too. He’s having a good time here but he’s never so far gone that he’s forgotten the reality of the world we live in. Sometimes you just need to escape for a little bit though, and whether that’s listening to “Dedicated to Cadalee Biarritz” in your headphones or your car stereo, you can’t go wrong either way.