1. 216thetakeover.com Interview Big K.R.I.T.
By Kristy Steele
Posted 01 October 2010
“Superhero in the flesh/Even at my worst I’m the best/For the finish I stretch. When they
advance me the check/Could’ve bought my way to heaven, but I blew it on my neck./Instead,
what you expect when you ain’t have sh*t,/And they ain’t paying half of what you asking/…”
The opening lines to Big. K.R.I.T.’s “Hometown Hero”. Lyrics that ultimately landed on repeat
for days, until I discovered “Country Sh*t”.

2. Being quite new to the Mississippi native, I dug through the Internets deep archive of music
looking for more. Later stumbling up “The Last King” mixtape from 2009, I combed through the
26 tracks with my ears at attention, fearing that like many other artists, the quality would
diminish after time. Surprisingly, I was hooked on “Send Me An Angel”, taking a sample from
70’s rock band, the Scorpion’s. Not many artists can successfully sample a classic, and do the
track proper justice, thus earning my respect. After the release of ”K.R.I.T. Wuz Here”, I quickly
became a dedicated supporter of Big K.R.I.T’s movement.
Currently on the Smokers Club Tour with Wiz Khalifa, and Smoke DZA, Big K.R.I.T. speaks
with 216thetakeover.com about what’s currently happening. Big K.R.I.T. is working on a
collaboration project with Yelawolf, and also preparing the release of another free album in
November. Be sure to get familiar with another member of the new school hip-hop movement.
216thetakeover.com: What’s good, how’s the tour going so far?
Big K.R.I.T.: The tour is crazy so far, I just got a couple days off. I did the first leg of it with Wiz
Khalifa. Its crazy being out there with sold out shows, and 2,000 people really just coming to see
you perform, do your thing, and have fun. It’s just an amazing experience.
216thetakeover.com: For those unfamiliar with you, and your music, can you give them a little
information about what you stand for as an artist, and a man?
Big K.R.I.T.: Really it’s just about timeless music. We’re just trying to put out quality music
over quantity. It’s important that there is always subject matter in my content, and that you can
always take something from my tunes. I do produce all my music too, so at the end of the day it’s
almost like the songs stick together more because I’m really taking a lot of time to make it
perfect for the listener. Especially if I only have one time to grab your ear, I really want to make
sure every things all the way right. You can always expect me to be country, to be myself, be
real. Because at the end of the day I’m a human being, I just want to take people on my journey
as far as my life’s concerned.
216thetakeover.com: What do you want people to take from your music?
Big K.R.I.T.: Really, that they can accomplish anything… dream big. God is real. As long as you
try to give your best to succeed, you’re bound to succeed at it any way. It’s just who’s willing to
go the longest, and really rush it.

3. 216thetakeover.com: You’re multitalented, not just an artist but, a producer… Not many artists
can say they’ve produced their own track, such as “Hometown Hero”. Which craft came first
rapping, or producing?
Big K.R.I.T.: Rapping came first, just from the lunchroom to the corner store, freestyling kind of
thing. People were like “you’re really good, that’s what’s up, you should keep doing this”. Then
trying to get folks to take you serious, like in the studio it’s an honor to get somebody to produce
for you. I started when I was mad young so I couldn’t afford beats. So, I started making beats on
MTV Music Generator, a game on PlayStation where you can make beats. It was just it for me. I
can make my own beats, I can rap, record myself, and mix my own songs. It made really kind of
made me self-sufficient; sometimes you don’t want to depend on other people as far as your
creative mind frame. You got to get in there, and do it all on your own. Normally I make the
beat, come up with the idea, then put the lyrics down. The beat tells me what I should say; I want
it all to build together. Like if it’s a real playa laid back track, I want my voice and my vocals,
my content, and my lyrics to be like real laid back, and playa too. I think that’s what really
makes a good song, when it all goes together, and flows perfectly.
216thetakeover.com: Let’s talk about your most recent project “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here”. The project
was years in the making. How did you know it was time?
Big K.R.I.T.: It was really going to be my last project. I had dropped five mixtapes before that,
four of them I had produced all by myself, anyway. So, “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here” was like a last
hurrah for me. I was a little fed up with the game, and I didn’t feel like trying to reach, or make a
hit. I just wanted to do music that meant something to me. Jonny Shipes reached out to me at the
end of 2009, and was like “Yo, rock out with me for, four months, and let’s do something”. With
him it was just kind of like goin’ hard, getting my footage, making sure my youtube was poppin’,
and trying to get the marketing scheme down right. We were able to drop “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here”
on a platform were people really got the opportunity to listen, and get a good grasp for who I am
as an artists. It’s just came out great.
216thetakeover.com: What tracks get the most play from you? What was the thought process
behind those tracks?

4. Big K.R.I.T.: Wow, probably “Hometown Hero”, “Country Sh!t”, and “Small As A Giant”. The
thought process was really on just making quality music, that really reflected where I was from,
and who I am as an individual. I wanted to take people to Mississippi. Being country, and being
proud of it but, also having a lot of lyrical content. People were really trying to put just thirteen
or fourteen songs on there. I was like nah, I really have to give them my all. I want to really
capture their attention so, 19 records is what we put on there. I just really went in, and gave it
everything I had at the time.
216thetakeover.com: With the market being flooded with talent, you branded yourself, and
created a buzz on you own, later to be picked up by one of the hottest labels in the industry. How
did your deal with Def Jam come together?
Big K.R.I.T.: Basically it was hard work. Sha Money he heard the music, really just kind of
wanted to go hard. He brought me into the office, and believed in what was going. Shout out to
Sha, he definitely has helped broker this situation, and has made sure as an artists, they let me do
me.
216thetakeover.com: You have a project coming out with Yelawolf entitled “Trunk Muzik Wuz
Here”. Can you elaborate on some of the details? Who are some of the producers working on the
project with you, and Yelawolf?
Big K.R.I.T.: We trying to work on it. For me, and him stuff is poppin’ off real tough for both of
us, as far as tours, and having to grind on the road. So we haven’t had the opportunity to be in the
studio as much we’d like to be. We really need to just get it finished up but, when it does come
out it’s going to be something amazing, I promise. I know Will Power is definitely going to be
one of the producers on it, he is an in-house producer for Yelawolf as well. I’ll probably be able
to produce on it here, and there as well. I know it’s going to be jammin’ though.
216thetakeover.com: What other projects are you currently working on?
Big K.R.I.T.: Good Talk 9 will be coming out soon with Jonny Shipes. I’m also going to drop
another album called “Return Forever”, probably in November. We’re going to give it away just
like “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here”. Me, and my partner Big Sant, who also is on “Return Of Forever” the
first track on “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here”. Me, and him are a group together called the Alumni, and we
are in the works constructing our project now.
216thetakeover.com: Who are some of the artists you’re looking to work with in the near future?

5. Big K.R.I.T.: Yea man, definitely all the legends. Off top… Bun B, Scareface, Andre 3000, Cee-
Lo, Goodie Mobb, Dirty Family, 8Ball & MJG. Taking it back to the people I really look up to
as an artist. Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, people like that.
216thetakeover.com: Any words of encouragement or inspiration for upcoming young artists?
Big K.R.I.T.: Ya, keep grindin’! Take all criticism, and really use it as motivation in order to
push your music out there. You also have to believe in yourself as an individual. A lot of people
ask me about my name (K.R.I.T.) King Remembered In Time. Meaning you have to think you’re
a king or, queen at everything you do. Having that kind of mind frame will push you to go a
hundred percent harder all the time, at whatever you put your mind to. It’s important to have
your business mind together, have your lawyer to keep your taxes right, and understand what’s
going on when it comes to contracts, and business. It is a business at the end of the day, it’s
nothing personal, it’s a business, and they have to keep that in mind.
216thetakeover.com: How can the viewers be in touch with you, and find more of your music?
Big K.R.I.T.: Hit me up on twitter @BigKrit, I do try to answer everyone. You can see all of my
footage, and videos on YouTube – BIGKRITtv’s Channel. Just get at me. We’re on myspace,
facebook, so I’m on all of them. Any feedback you do give, I try to answer back to.