K.R.I.T. was here. At least he was a few seconds ago. The 25-year-old Mississippi rapper was right here at the edge of a parking lot in Northwest Atlanta, talking about he needed to find an outlet for his barber to plug clippers into. He was hoping for a quick cut before a photo shoot on this cloudless mid-April afternoon. But now he’s missing.

After a short search, Justin “Big K.R.I.T.” Scott is found in the women’s bathroom of the nearby Johnstone Supply, getting a fresh two-blade. How a young Black fella with sagging cargo shorts, “True Blue” Air Jordan 3s and a shirt that reads, “Fuck These Haters & Fuck These Hoes,” managed to convince the store’s old, steely White managers to let him use their business’ commode as his personal grooming space is anyone’s guess. Call it Southern charm.

That charm, along with a buttermilk flow and uncanny honesty, is why K.R.I.T. (an acronym for “King Remembered In Time”) is often mentioned as one of the best young talents in hip-hop today. He’s no overnight sensation, that’s for sure: He’s put in work since 2005, when he dropped the first of his six mixtapes. In March 2010, he joined forces with New York indie imprint Cinematic Music Group, with whom he has released his last three, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (2010), Return of 4Eva(2011) and 4evaNaDay (2012). K.R.I.T. wrote and produced every soul-steeped track on these “free albums,” as he calls them, capturing the ears of hip-hop purists, backpackers and Southern rap dignitaries alike with a sound reminiscent of the Dirty’s mid-’90s golden era. He also has a growing list of production credits for established stars like T.I. (“I’m Flexin’”), Chris Brown (“Yoko”) and 8Ball & MJG (“We Buy Gold”). Now comes his major label debut, Live from the Underground, out on Def Jam Recordings in June.

Read More Here