Big Kuntry King - My Turn to Eat

Genre hip hop Publisher Atlantic

As the album title suggests, Big Kuntry King is letting the world know that it’s now his time to shine, after being on his grind in the rap game for several years.  The CD contains the standard fare for a debut rap album, and Big Kuntry manages to assemble some recognizable artists to guest on the project, including R&B golden boy Trey Songz, Lloyd, another T.I. protégée Young Dro, and T.I.P. himself lends his voice to the album’s final track.  Big Kuntry is not afraid to make jokes at his own expense, as the intro is set at a fictional album release party with comedian Lil’ Duval acting as the host who is completely unfamiliar with Big Kuntry, but eager to remain in attendance to hopefully catch a glimpse of T.I.

“Da Baddest” with Trey Songz is a reliable hip-hop collaboration formula of a rough around the edges MC teamed up with a suave crooner rhapsodizing about their appreciation for the female form.  “Soul of A Man” is a slightly different sound from the rest of the album, a song which could almost qualify as a ballad, with R&B artist Ricco singing the hook, and sounding incredibly similar to K-Ci from beloved 1990s R&B quartet Jodeci.  The title of “Love You The Right Way” offers the promise of a hip-hop love song, which is always a good place for an artist to shine, but the basic lyrical content does not showcase Big Kuntry’s poetic skills, which are critical for songs even hinting at containing any sort of romantic overtures.   

The album contains an abundance of the kinds of lyrics often cited by hip-hop critics and mainstream media pundits in their continuous assault on the genre.  The best way for an artist to ward off such criticism is to take words that may be harsh on the surface, and surround them with hot beats, and verbal wizardry to soften the blow of certain words.  A parental advisory sticker is not to be feared, as it exists on many rap albums, but it should not operate as a stop sign that turns off a listener, when lyrics are accompanied largely with bravado. 

With T.I. as the executive producer, it is easy to make comparisons to get a sense of a new artist’s potential career trajectory.  Looking at some of T.I.’s early work, we see similar themes where he rhymed about the excess of money, cars, women, and haters he had acquired as a result of his success.  Earlier T.I. videos depict the rapper largely in jeans and hoodies, with videos shot in mostly urban locales.  Fast forward to 2008, and T.I. has moved up to private jets, vacations in tropical settings with luxurious villas as the backdrop, designer clothes, and an ultra sharp look. 

At this point, Big Kuntry’s persona is still that of the new artist, hungry, and excited to be put on, as evidenced by the subject matter of much of the album.  On future albums, perhaps we may see Big Kuntry taking on a more polished appearance and image, but for now he completely embodies the look, style, and flow of a new artist just bursting out of the gate.  In the future as Big Kuntry finds his personal style, hopefully we will see a more diverse array of beats, and increased intricacy of wordplay.