Overnight celebrities are in style these days. Tomorrow’s most about buzzed about artist could literally show up tomorrow thanks to numerous blogs, countless aggregates, and dare I say, the speed of information. Artists such as Freddie Gibbs and Yelawolf seem to come out of nowhere to attract major attention and major deals. Certainly Big K.R.I.T. can be categorized as another future star who’s rise was rapid and almost unexpected. But, as the title of his breakout project (K.R.I.T Wuz Here) suggests, the road to the public eye is often much longer than the public perceives. “For a lot of people in the industry such as A&Rs, street teams, DJ’s, producers, a lot of them have seen me grinding since 2005 to get here,” says K.R.I.T. “A lot of people treat me like, ‘you’ve been trying to get on.'”
Indeed it’s been a long road for the Meridian, Mississippi native as well as the aforementioned Gibbs and Yelawolf, who both had previous major label deals that didn’t pan out prior to their resurgence. As K.R.I.T. told me via phone, even a year ago at this time he was unsure any kind of stardom was in the cards. “A year ago I was definitely grinding. I had a couple mixtapes out that I was pushing and I was just trying to figure out if I was going to continue rapping or not.” Patience is a virtue, and after connecting with Curren$y, and the whole Creative Control movement, K.R.I.T. got the proper platform for his music, inked a deal with Def Jam, and his future’s so bright he’s gotta wear shades.
I caught up with Big K.R.I.T. for an in-depth interview in which he talks about his persistence, his humility, as well as his peers that represent a new class of Hip Hop artists. Check out the full interview below
RubyHornet: It seems like 2010 has been a pretty big year for you. Can you think back to what you were thinking or feeling a year ago at this time? How close does what’s happening match what you hoped would be happening?
Big K.R.I.T.: A year ago I was definitely grinding. I had a couple mixtapes out that I was pushing and I was just trying to figure out if I was going to continue rapping or not. The game was changing so much. Financially, trying to do this music was tough. Being where I’m from and going back home, the people around me were definitely changing. People were getting old and I was still trying to follow my dream and get the music thing popping, it just didn’t seem like it was moving. So, if you were to tell me that all of this would be happening last year, and I would be signed to Def Jam, I would have said, ‘man, stop playing.’ It’s a blessing. I feel like the last mixtape has surpassed all my expectations as far as what it has created for me, all the buzz, the opportunities and the doors it’s opened for me. I feel blessed everyday to be living this life.
RubyHornet: I want to talk about a lot of things you just mentioned. First, you talked about your mixtape. You named it K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, which I find to be an ironic name for what’s pretty much a debut project to the masses. What’s the meaning there?
Big K.R.I.T.: For a lot of people in the industry such as A&Rs, street teams, DJ’s, producers, a lot of them have seen me grinding since 2005 to get here. A lot of people treat me like, ‘you’ve been trying to get on.’ To the world it’s brand new and the platform Def Jam is putting me on, the type of audiences the mixtape has gotten me. But a lot of people in the industry have seen me doing this. It’s kind of like a double meaning like… I’ve been in the game grinding and putting in work to a lot of people. Others have not seen me, and I’ve been around, just not at this level.
RubyHornet: That goes into something you say on “No Good”… “I missed a couple blessings, wasn’t ready.” What’s changed so to speak, or what makes you ready now?
Big K.R.I.T.: I was young when I first came out, 17 or 18. I was going through a lot of different things and experiencing things in life spiritually, emotionally, business wise, all of them have made me a better person when it comes to writing my music and handling my business. I had the opportunity to work with both good and bad, positives and negatives as far as life is concerned. It’s easier to put that in my music now to showcase my humanity and how I am as an individual because I went through a lot of stuff that people can relate to. Now I’m older and have been chasing a dream that on some days seemed like it wasn’t going to work out, other days it was all good… 5 years of that.
RubyHornet: I interviewed Twista right after “Slow Jamz” came out and he finally broke out and he said that the years of underground notoriety and having a hit so late in his career kind of prepared him more to deal with the success. He felt like if everything got taken away, he could still go back and grind so to speak. I’m wondering if you feel the same way at all? Does having those lean years help you deal with this success?