Big K.R.I.T. | |
|---|---|
.jpg) K.R.I.T. performing in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Justin Lewis Scott |
| Born | (1986-08-26)August 26, 1986 (age 38) Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Discography | |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
|
| Producer(s) | Sha Money XL |
| Website | bigkrit |
Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), better known by his stage nameBig K.R.I.T. (abackronym forKing Remembered in Time),[1] is an American rapper and record producer. Born inMeridian, Mississippi, he began his musical career in 2005. He was signed toDef Jam Recordings bySha Money XL in 2010, and first gained recognition following the release of his single "Country Shit" (remixed featuringLudacris andBun B) in September of that year. The following year, he guest appeared onT.I.'s promotional single "I'm Flexin'", which became Scott's first entry on theBillboard Hot 100.
Scott's first two studio albums,Live from the Underground (2012) andCadillactica (2014), both debuted at number five on theBillboard 200. After parting ways with Def Jam, he launched the record label Multi Alumni in 2017 to release his subsequent albums:4eva Is a Mighty Long Time (2017),K.R.I.T. Iz Here (2019), andDigital Roses Don't Die (2022). Each met with critical praise,[2]Cadillactica was listed byBillboard andComplex as among the best albums of that year.[3][4] Furthermore, Scott has produced for other artists, with credits on releases forLil Wayne,2 Chainz, T.I.,Slim Thug,ASAP Ferg,Freddie Gibbs,E-40, andBerner, among others.[5]
Scott previously released several mixtapes, includingHood Fame, with DJ Wally Sparks andThe Last King, with DJ Breakem Off. He also made guest appearances onPilot Talk, the third studio album and major label debut from Louisiana rapperCurrensy, as well asKush & Orange Juice, the critically acclaimed mixtape by rapperWiz 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 ofG-Unit Records and current Senior VP of A&R atDef 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 rappersCurren$y andSmoke DZA.[10] In November 2010, Scottopened forWiz Khalifa in Baltimore, Maryland Sayreville, New Jersey Winston-Salem, North Carolina and in Ashland, Virginia during the Waken Baken Tour.
In early 2011, he was featured on the cover ofXXL as part of their annual Top Freshmen of the year, along with the likes of other rappers includingMeek Mill,Cyhi the Prynce,Lil Twist,Yelawolf,Fred the Godson,Mac Miller,YG,Lil B,Kendrick Lamar andDiggy Simmons.[11]
In March 2011, Scott released his highly anticipated and entirely self-produced mixtape,Return of 4Eva, featuring guestsDavid Banner,Joi, Big Sant,Chamillionaire,Raheem DeVaughn,Ludacris, andBun B. The mixtape has been acclaimed by rap critics, with William Ketchum ofHipHopDX calling it "emotive, conceptual music" and saying that Scott had given fans a "free album" – the magazine's highest praise for a mixtape.[12] Meanwhile, Matthew Cole ofSlant Magazine highlightedReturn of 4Eva in his mixtape review column as "the best mixtape of the month," going on in a separate review to call it "the rap album to beat in 2011 ".[13][14] Both critics praised Scott's production skills as much as his lyrics and flow, and both named Scott as a likely successor toSouthern rap legendsUGK,Scarface, andOutkast. On April 20, 2011, Tom Breihan reviewed the mixtape for Pitchfork, giving an 8.2 out of 10 and awarding it the site's coveted "Best New Music" tag.[15]
On July 1, 2011, Scott announced the title of his debut studio album,Live from the Underground. It was originally set to be released on September 27, 2011.[16] From October 12, 2011, until November 24, 2011, Scott co-headlined The Smoker's Club Tour 2011 withCurren$y andMethod Man.[10] Scott releasedLive 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 withSlim Thug. In an interview on Bootleg Kev's radio show, on August 10, 2012, he confirmed that he and fellow Southern rapperYelawolf were working on a collaborative album entitledCountry 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 and8Ball & MJG. That's what myiTunes consists of."[17] Scott along with singerAshthon Jones collaborated withLecrae for his single "Mayday" fromGravity.[18]
On January 10, 2013, Scott announced his next mixtape asKing Remembered In Time. Also namingMike 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 rapperBun B and was produced by Scott[21] He has also put out songs produced by9th 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 byWiz Khalifa,Future,Smoke DZA andTrinidad 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 thatChad Hugo ofThe Neptunes,DJ Dahi andTerrace 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 calledCadillactica. In October 2013, he toldXXL thatJim 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 throughTwitter 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 theBillboard 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.
Scott's musical training began in elementary school up through junior high school playing thecello, 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 forPlayStation, 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 citedUGK,Outkast,8Ball & MJG,Tupac Shakur,The Notorious B.I.G.,David Banner andCeeLo 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 |
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Mixtapes | |
| Singles | |
| Featured singles | |
| Other songs | |
