Imagine yourself floating through space in a decked out Cadillac, with the bass echoing throughout the galaxy. That’s exactly how Big K.R.I.T. starts this album by creating the planet Cadillactica on the spacey, pimpish intro track “Kreation” This intro is not just a song it’s a total experience. Although just one verse, the song stands firm as a beginning to a journey through the universe. And K.R.I.T puts you in the passenger seat of his pimped out, intergalactic Cadillac throughout the duration of Cadillactica.
While listening to Cadillactica, you may find yourself go through all kinds of emotions. You go from being zoned out in chill mode with “Kreation” to a state of serious thought-provoking moments and reevaluation of existence with “Life” to a series of uncontrollable head-nodding and high adrenaline bursts with the BANG of “My Sub Part 3.” On his 2nd album, Big K.R.I.T was able to deliver on all accounts with Cadillactica. His creativity level is at an all time, lyrically, sonically, and mentally. Every song sounds like more than just a song, each song is carefully crafted and arranged to bring the full potential out of the song.
K.R.I.T.’s lyricism was brought to full potential throughout the album. His poetic background and writing style makes every word important. No word goes without purpose. He makes the type of southern music that is rarely heard, especially today in all genres of music, not just hip hop. The title track, Cadillactica is the epitome of exactly what a title track is supposed to sound like. The energy, lyrics, flow, delivery, and arrangement of that song is perfect. Even the interlude “Standby” is infectious with just a saxophone and K.R.I.T.’s stanzas. One of many examples of his intricate lyricism can be found on the song “Soul Food”
“The acrobats on the corner and they flip/So when them white vans pull up shawty we dip out of view/Coulda been a track star at the school, but it took the police just to get that 4.4 out of you/ Dash, Sprint, Hurdle over those steel gates, They keep us in and keep folk out but we don’t feel safe”
The production and engineering on Cadillactica is top-notch material. K.R.I.T. found a strong chemistry working with other producers on this album, while still carrying majority of the production duties. Throughout his career K.R.I.T.’s music has been highly sample-driven, but on this album we get to see just how talented K.R.I.T. is behind the boards, only using two samples on the entire album. The production is so soulful, organic, and precise with the perfect use of different drum patterns and sounds. You get songs that bang in the whip, along with songs where you can truly appreciate the use of sounds and melodies to create beautiful music. Raphael Saadiq, Terrace Martin, DJ Dahi, Jim Jonsin, and Alex Da Kid all contributed to making Cadillactica the best produced album this year.
The album plays so smoothly, on first listen there’s no way that you could skip one song. It is organic music that we don’t get the privilege of hearing much in today’s music. Cadillactica is the one of the best albums released this year, and the best album from a southern hip hop artist in years.
Lyricism 10/10
Production: 1010
Cohesiveness: 9/10
Replay Value: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Standout tracks: “Cadillactica”, “King Of The South”, “Do You Love Me”, “Lost Generation”