Cadillactica is Big K.R.I.T’s second studio album and is best listened to in your whip with subwoofers in the back, turned up. It’s a necessity. Kind of like peanut butter with the jelly. Of course you can listen to the album on your computer or with your fancy Beats headphones, but there’s nothing like listening to this bass-heavy EP with the bass rattling your rear view mirror.
Don’t let the soft voice of the young lady begging to create mixed with the soft synthesizers on the “Kreation” intro fool you. It’s the perfect intro actually as it sets up the mood for the rest of your journey that Big K.R.I.T takes you on to planet Cadillactica. “What should we name this?” the young lady asks KRIT. His reply, simply, Cadillacitica.
This is easily my favorite Big K.R.I.T. album. He touches on important topics such as finding self, love (real love), music, society and most importantly whips. “Cadillactica” itself infects itself into your speakers so this notion is not confused. His tongue-twisting rhymes followed by the catchy hook, “Cadillac-lac-lac-lac” is an earworm worth having. The thing that stood out to me the most about Cadillacitica was his ability to touch on topics that YouTube illuminati-fear mongers have successfully polluted a majority of this generations youth into believing as evil, such as “Third-eye,” “Saturdays=Celebration,” and “Life.” Even the “Kreation (Intro)” touches on this a bit. They’d have you believe that reaching your full potential in life, being at the top, that you have to sell your soul. They’d have you believing that the third eye and pyramids are evil and to “Close your eyes! Don’t fall for it!” Whatever it is. Essentially scaring youth from following their dreams and believing that they can do and be whatever and whoever they choose to be. Have no fear, God or whatever higher being you believe in (or even if you don’t believe) is within you. Always. Just waiting on you to recognize it, spend time with it, curate it, build it, create it. “Third-eye” basically describes a connection with another that is ethereal, that cannot be explained by the secular. The third-eye is essentially your intuition, your gut, that vibe you get when you meet a person. When you “just don’t know what it is.” It will guide you in the right direction if you let it and listen to it. “Saturdays=Celebrations” describes temptations and the struggle to do good, and also serves as a simple warning.
Let’s talk about “Soul Food.” First of all, the intro is hilarious. Free biscuits yall. It’s a simple reflection on how the opposite sex treats each other. Scared to fall in love and trust so it’s become cool to be cold-hearted and have sidepieces. Because you know, can’t catch feelings. It’s an accurate reflection albeit. It’s okay to love and feel rich and connected to a person. The song is followed by “Pay Attention” featuring Rico Love, which has to be one of my favorites (I love songs with singing in it anyway and Rico Love’s voice is always heavenly). It’s clearly a song to be played in Onyx while a dancer seductively dances around the pole. It’s a sharp contrast from the previous track, “Soul Food,” since strippers are known to have the coldest of hearts. Say no to the biscuits! But who (in the south) doesn’t love a strip club and the temptation’s that it brings. Ah, the dilemmas we face. To love or not to love, that is the question.
“King of the South.” Isn’t this the same title that ignited that T.I and Lil Flip beef? Ah, who cares. K.R.I.T., own his title within this track, calling out the rest of these copy-cat, boring, rapping about the same thing, with the same cadence ass rappers. And he doesn’t give a fuck. The best part of the song is the end when you can feel your subs shaking your car windows. Reminds me of leaving the club back in college and all I can hear are rattling of car metal from cars popping trunk while parking lot pimping. Slab culture, heavy bass and speakers are something that is embedded in southern culture. He further iterates this with “Do You Love Me” as he describes the love affair he has with his whip, probably a Cadillac. “Mo Better Cool” immediately gets love from me off top. It features Big Sant and Houston’s Devin the Dude and Bun B. ‘Nuff said. Perfect for riding down Westheimier late at night while blowing some good flexing on them boys who doubted you.
“Mt. Olympus,” Big K.R.I.T.’s first single off Cadillactica, is another song where he snaps with passion and flows viciously like a true god. He’s angry. He’s frustrated. He’s confused. He’s giving his all. He releases all this energy on this track and you can feel beat swang and bang on your soul. That’s what hip-hop is all about. I feel this song would’ve been better placed at the very end just in case people had second thoughts on his abilities or at the very beginning as the opening track. Although that would’ve been awkwardly out of place with the whole “Kreation,” futuristic theme. Not sure why “Lac Lac” featuring A$AP Ferg was used as the close out song. Perhaps the Cadillac reference? The beat is heavenly however. Towards the end of Cadillactica, the journey seems to get veered off in a different direction. Still great songs, but I am not so sure if we were actually able to make it to planet Cadillactica. Not quite sure if I care actually, I am just enjoying the music. Solid album and it’s definitely in heavy rotation.
Stand Out Tracks:
- “Pay Attention” featuring Rico Love
- “King of the South”
- “Mind Control”
- “Mo Betta Cool” featuring Devin The Dude & Bun B
- “Mt. Olympus”
Quotables:
“Uh, speak the truth even if they crucify me / Uh, free my soul even if they chain my body / Uh, look to / God if ain’t nowhere to go /Beware those prophets that touch a leg before they touch your soul / We reap what the sow when the boat man cometh / Gotta pay what we owe /Jesus walks so I run to him / How can they love me when I’m knowin’ what they done to him”
(Saturdays = Celebration)
“All these labels must be givin’ out a raffle / Wranglin’ like cattle, keep a nigga shackled / Leavin’ people baffled, tap dance nigga / Misleadin’ all of your rap fans, nigga / Might as well just do a lap dance, nigga / Sap ass nigga”
(Mt. Olympus)
Tracklist/Cover Art:
Kreation (Intro)
Life
My Sub, Pt. 3 (Big Bang)
Cadillactica
Soul Food (Feat. Raphael Saadiq)
Pay Attention (Feat. Rico Love)
King of the South
Mind Control (Feat. E-40 & Wiz Khalifa)
Standby (Interlude) (Feat. Kenneth Whalum III)
Do You Love Me For Real (Feat. Mara Hruby)
Third Eye
Mo Better Cool (Feat. Bun B, Devin The Dude & Big Sant)
Angels
Saturday’s a Celebration (Feat. Jamie N Commons)
Lost Generation (Feat. Lupe Fiasco)
Mt Olympus (Reprise) [Bonus Track]
Lac Lac (Feat. A$AP Ferg) [Bonus Track]
Let It Show [Bonus Track]
Buy: iTunes | Google Play | Amazon
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Catrise J is the owner of Vault of 1520 and Content Creator for Dirty Glove Bastard (DGB). Catrise is a self described “free-spirit” and always shares what’s on her mind. She enjoys Hip Hop, nature, reading, 420 and 90’s R&B. Her idols include Angie Martinez, Tupac, Oprah, and Warren Buffet. You can connect with Catrise on social media.
