Kritically Acclaimed Tour
Feat. Big KRIT, Delorean,Scotty ATL, & BJ the Chicago Kid
Warehouse Live
November 24, 2015
In the pack of supremely talented young rappers to emerge in the last few years, including but not limited to A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, and Chance the Rapper, Big KRIT is our guy. He represents the South down to the bone. And boy, does he ever have something to say.
Last night at Warehouse Live, his appropriately named Kritically Acclaimed Tour rolled through Houston and provided everything from
Hood Politics to
Country Shit (Delo and KRIT), invitations to
The Studio (BJ The Chicago Kid) and a lyrical assault from
The Cooligan (Scotty ATL).
After years of hard work and solid projects, hometown boy Delorean was added to his first national tour, and his appreciation to both his fans and to KRIT was evident as soon as he stepped foot in the building and onstage. He reminded the crown that he is one of us, just a guy with a dream to succeed in life. "Where my dreamers at?!" he asked the crowd. "This one is for y'all!"
Whenever I've seen Delo perform live, it feels both brutally honest and acutely intense. When he brought the smooth tunes of "Picture Me Swangin'," you could feel the slab tires rolling along the boulevard. When fellow H-Town heavy hitter Doughbeezy joined him for "Parallel Park," they jumped and danced and hit every note with an unbridled energy. Once offstage, Delo's supporters congratulated his success, and many urged him to "keep going." Looks like "shit's about to pay off" sooner rather than later.
Scotty ATL brought his Georgia attitude to H-Town and let us know that his set was "Nun But a Party." His new album and subsequent new nickname is "The Hooligan," which is something he certainly embodies in the way he carries himself. On "Bust It Open," he channeled his inner Too $hort as he poetically made advances to the female species. A versatile lyricist, he is comfortable on a party record as he is on a chill track like "Cloud IX."
Before last night, I'd never really paid attention to BJ The Chicago Kid, even thought I'm very familiar to some of his collaborations, including Schoolboy Q's "Studio" as well as "It's All On Me" from Dr. Dre's newest album,
Compton. The Kid began and ended his set Imagine Dragons-style, with a large bass drum set up side-stage which he pounded on with mallets, not unlike a tribal call for attention and celebration. It definitely caught the crowd's attention, no small feat considering they were anxious to see KRIT jump out soon.
The song "Church" begins with the most humorous pretense and conundrum I've heard on a record in a long while. It says:
"She say she wanna drink, do drugs, and have sex tonight...But I've got church in the morning!"
It really doesn't get much better than that awesome intro. What BJ turns out to be is a really soulful dude, who fluctuates lyrically between good and evil, deep and light-hearted, but always smooth and thought provoking. "His Pain" is full of confusion and heartache, with glimpses of hope. "Is my life coincidental or God-willing?" he asks tearfully. Truly heartfelt stuff.
"It feels good to be in The South, mayne!" proclaimed Big KRIT as he bounced his way onstage. With the front grill of a Cadillac serving as DJ Dibiase's table, and his band (really just a drummer and a bassist/keyboardist) flanking him, KRIT was ready to provide Houston a full arsenal of hits. He began with "Life" from 2014's
Cadillactica. "I found LIFE on this planet!", he declared in front of a crowd now almost full to capacity.
KRIT is also one to place all of his energy and focus into his stage show. There is no chilling out or looking cool...This performer jumps and shuffles and ends up drenched in sweat from nearly the beginning of the set until the encore. Sweat dripped off his beard as he gazed over the crowd, seemingly not taking even a few seconds to breathe.
"Now they wanna hear a country nigga rap!" he questioned on "Mount Olympus." "I thought they wanted trap? I thought they wanted bass? I thought they wanted molly? I thought they wanted drank?!" he rapped in an incredulous and inquisitive manner. "I thought they wanted radio, bitch make up your mind!" If theres one thing KRIT is known for, it's his honesty and straightforwardness.
Bun B joined him onstage for "Country Shit," a track that is fresh from the first to the hundredth time you play it through your headphones. The track is nearly perfect, from the sample to the verses to the hook...it made the fans jump higher than they already were, and KRIT couldn't help but to gaze across the room amazed at how connected they are because of this track.
After his time, he jumped into the photo pit and interacted with every fan within his reach, shaking hands, givings dabs, and providing hugs.
A king remembered in time? Most definitely.
Personal Bias: "Country Shit" is a personal motivation song for me. It works on so many levels and situations.
The Crowd: KRIT fans for sure, with many in the building in support of Delo.
Overheard In the Crowd: "Did Scotty ATL just say 'No homo, I blow myself'?" (he did. it was super weird.)
Random Notebook Dump: I may have been the only one to notice this, but BJ The Chicago Kid was wearing a 2005 World Series Champions White Sox cap. The Sox swept the Astros in that series. It still hurts, BJ. Still hurts.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
When he's not roaming around the city in search of tacos and graffiti, Marco points his camera lens toward the vibrant Houston Music scene and beyond. You can follow his adventures on Instagram: @MarcoFromHouston.