Reviewer Landon Gibson poses with rapper and producer Big K.R.I.T. – Meridian native Justin Scott – following the artist's recent performance at Meridian's Temple Theatre for the Performing Arts.

As small as a giant

    Since August, one date has been constantly on my mind: Dec. 4, 2015.

    Meridian’s own was set to return to the Temple Theatre, part of the highly anticipated Kritically Acclaimed Tour.

    Big K.R.I.T. – born Justin Scott – grew up in Meridian performing in the church choir, playing in Meridian High School’s band and playing his first love: baseball. But the poetry he began penning at an early age eventually led him down a path of superstardom – one that was punctuated at age 14, when he started making homemade mixtapes.

    “I used to play music out of my computer and rap into the microphone that was connected to a tape recorder,” K.R.I.T. said in a recent interview. “It was like the most bootleg karaoke machine you could find. I went from doing that to actually trying to get in the studio. It didn’t become super serious until I started making beats and rapping, which was around 2000. That’s when I really started to record and drop projects.”

    K.R.I.T. moved to Atlanta, Ga., in the early 2000s to pursue his dream and started with a few mixtapes, including “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here,” and eventually in 2010-11 he became the sole producer of his Cinematic/Def Jam Records debut album, “Live from the Underground,” which launched him into superstardom. During that time, he also landed on XXL Magazine’s freshman cover in February 2011, which hailed him as one of hip hop’s most promising young stars.

    His most recent album release, “Cadillactica, is earning rave reviews, again.

    And Friday, K.R.I.T. was back in Meridian, where his journey began.

    Through all of his accolades, performing on stage with some of hip-hop’s greats, K.R.I.T. is a down-to-earth performer who never seems to forget his roots. He’s often seen in national interviews wearing his “Just a Kid from Meridian” T-shirt.

 

Friday, 7:15 p.m. – Temple Theatre

 

    I arrived at the concert and was instantly overwhelmed by DJTech601, who got the crowd in the appropriate mindset for what was coming later in the show by playing modern and old-school hits with a heavy dose of Southern bass.

     I made my way backstage and found Delorean, a rapper out of Houston, Texas, who performed the first act for the show. I asked Delorean about K.R.I.T.’s tour, which incudes stops across the South.

    “I guess K.R.I.T. felt like it was time to present me to the world and give me that trust that it’s my chance to get my opportunity,” he said shortly after performing on the Temple stage.

    Delorean certainly earned his way to the stage, and rightfully so. He set the tempo for the crowd in the Temple and brought a flow that the fans could nod their heads and move their hands to.

    ScottyATL followed and got the crowd going as soon as he walked through the Temple Ballroom doors.

    As he went out, he immediately took full control of the crowd. He performed his hit “Cloud IX (Go Up)” and had everyone in the building rapping the catchy hook along with him. When I asked Scotty about his role on the “Kritically Acclaimed Tour,” he said he was humbled by it all.

    “Just being attached and around people like K.R.I.T. who want to be great and want to be legendary is a big thing for me, because that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said.

 

10 p.m.: K.R.I.T.’s performance nears

 

    BJ the Chicago Kid appeared through the double doors decked out in sweatpants and hoodies shortly after ScottyATL finished. He energized the crowd with a smoother flow and a softer tone. Afterward, I sat down with BJ on top of a vintage piano to talk with him after his set.

    BJ makes the point that, “K.R.I.T. is a brother of mine, a cousin, of mine and a soul brother of mine.” The smooth, young and soulful kid out of Chicago makes my experience overwhelming with his graciousness and humility.

    Later, as K.R.I.T. neared the stage, I was backstage getting my hair cut. That’s when I saw Justin Scott, or K.R.I.T., pass by as he prepared for his hometown return.

    He greeted me with a salute of respect and shook my hand. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a UGK member and Southern rap legend, Bun B, ScottyATL, Big K.R.I.T, and Meridian native rapper, Moe D. BJ, and Big K.R.I.T. bet me that I wouldn’t get the Lil Boosie fade haircut. “How crazy would I be if I didn’t?” I said.

    I told the barber to go ahead. Bun B patted me on the chest and said, “Man, they’ve got you looking right.”

    After a loud, strong introduction from the home crowd, Big K.R.I.T. hit the stage. He performed the songs off of his new mixtape, “It’s Better This Way,” and a few from “Cadillactica.”

    The bass melted; the crowd roared. I moved to the front row and as K.R.I.T. looks at me, I sing his words back to him. That’s a trademark of the night: his connection to the fans.

    The live band behind him ripped through songs and beats, and the entire crowd showed their support for their “hometown hero.” Toward the end of the set, Big K.R.I.T. brought his family on stage and everyone from backstage, including myself to perform his hit, “Mt. Olympus.”

    The vibe and energy in the room is one that I will never experience again. Meridian’s hometown hero – a savior of hip hop music to some, a worldwide legend to others – had me on stage rocking with him to one of his most successful songs.

    I truly felt as small as a giant.