Track Review: Big K.R.I.T. – “I Got This”

[Self-released; 2012]

What’s immediately striking about the new single from Big K.R.I.T. is the screeching, high-pitched keyboards on “I Got This”’s beat. It conjures images of late ’80s and early ’90s West Coast rap, a gangster image that remains in stark contrast to K.R.I.T.’s original mantra. And I think it only reenforces the new divide in the southern rapper’s quickly growing portfolio. 4evaNaDay focused more on K.R.I.T.’s ego versus his life experiences, rather than something like the state of hip-hop like we got on Return of 4eva and K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. “Fuck these haters and fuck these hoes” shouldn’t come from the same rapper that prided himself on skipping out on the drug game and making his own way with hard work and raw talent. It’s an enjoyable track, and it might make a successful radio single thanks to the ‘clean’ version, but it’s not the type of hip-hop I expect from K.R.I.T.. As the Mississippi native once noted, “Life ain’t nothing but an EQ of highs and lows,” and even though it’s a terrific beat on “I Got This,” it’s sadly one of K.R.I.T.’s lows.

4/10