4eva Na Day (Road Less Traveled Edition)

Hailing from Meridian, Miss., Big K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time) is one of hip-hop's most promising young stars. He's released several critically acclaimed mixtapes, including Hood Fame, The Last King, K.R.I.T. Was Here, and Return of 4Eva. Bucking the standard format, this short but sweet collection (a trimmer version than the original 17-track release) has absolutely no guest rappers and no outside producers. It's just K.R.I.T. doing his thing over his own beats, with high-caliber live instrumentation fleshing out the tunes. Exceptionally soulful and personal, his mellow, Southern-accented verses stick to real-life issues: love and loss, happiness and sorrow, and the dueling lifestyles of faith and temptation. Musically, he sounds like nobody else in the game right now, though comparisons could be drawn to old-school OutKast and Goodie Mob. Honestly, every song on here is fantastic, with standouts like "Boobie Miles," "Sideline," and "Red Eye." Already big with the online tastemaker set, look for K.R.I.T. to become a household name.