Big K.R.I.T. was angry. No, that’s too soft. He was possessed. When "Mt. Olympus" dropped in May 2014, it didn't just rattle the speakers of old Suburbans in the South; it shook the entire foundation of what we thought "Southern rap" was allowed to be. People still talk about the "Control" verse from Kendrick Lamar like it was the only moment that defined that era of lyricism. But if you really listen to Mt Olympus Big KRIT, you realize Kendrick’s verse was the spark, while K.R.I.T.’s response was the entire forest fire.
It wasn't even a diss track. That’s the thing people get wrong. It was a manifesto. It was a cry of frustration from a man who had spent years producing his own beats, writing his own hooks, and touring the grueling independent circuit, only to be told he wasn't "lyrical" enough because of his accent.
The Day the Underground Exploded
Rap moves fast. By 2014, the "Control" hype had technically died down, but the resentment in the industry was still simmering. K.R.I.T. didn't rush out a response. He waited. He let the pressure build until he couldn't take the disrespect from critics and New York-centric media outlets anymore.
The song starts with that haunting, operatic vocal sample. It feels religious. Then the drums hit—hard, distorted, and unapologetically Southern. When he yells, "Now they wanna hear a country n***a rap!" you can feel the spit hitting the microphone. He wasn't just talking to Kendrick. He was talking to every blogger who overlooked Live from the Underground and every radio DJ who thought the South only made "snap music" or "club hits."
The sheer technicality of the verse is insane. He’s switching flows every four bars. He goes from a slow, deliberate drawl to a double-time cadence that makes your head spin. It was a reminder. A very loud, very aggressive reminder that the "King of the South" title wasn't just a marketing gimmick for him. It was a birthright he was willing to fight for.
Breaking Down the "Control" Factor
Everyone remembers the Kendrick verse. Kendrick called out names. He wanted to "raise the bar." But K.R.I.T.’s perspective on Mt Olympus Big KRIT was different. He pointed out the hypocrisy of the industry. He basically said, "Why are you guys so excited that a guy from the Coast said he's the King of New York? Why aren't you excited about the music we're making down here every single day?"
He took the beat—which he produced himself, by the way—and turned it into a battlefield. Most rappers need a team of five producers and a room full of writers to get that kind of energy. K.R.I.T. did it in his home studio. That’s the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of Justin Scott. He isn't just a rapper; he's a composer.
The Lyrics That Changed the Conversation
"What's a king to a god? What's a god to a non-believer?" No, wait, that’s Kanye and Jay. K.R.I.T. took it a step further. He asked what a rapper is to a guy who actually lives the things he’s talking about.
One of the most biting lines in the song deals with the "relevance" of lyrical rap. He mocks the idea that rappers have to be "deep" to be respected. He screams about how he could talk about the stars and the moon, but his fans want to hear about the trunk rattling and the struggle of the Magnolia state. It’s a tension he’s dealt with his whole career.
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"I'm the king of the world, I'm the king of the South / I'm the king of the sun, I'm the king of the clouds."
It sounds like ego. It’s actually sarcasm. He’s mocking the titles that people get so hung up on. To him, the music is the only thing that matters. If the music doesn't move the people, the crown is just a piece of plastic. Honestly, looking back at the 2014 hip-hop landscape, very few songs had this much "fuck you" energy while still being musically sophisticated.
The Production Mastery
We have to talk about the beat. If you listen to the instrumental of Mt Olympus Big KRIT, you’ll hear layers of soul, gospel, and trap. It’s dense. It’s not a "Type Beat" you find on YouTube. It has movements.
- The Intro: Cinematic and eerie. It sets the stage for a tragedy.
- The Drop: Pure aggression. The 808s are tuned perfectly to hit you in the chest.
- The Breakdown: Where he lets the beat breathe so the lyrics can sink in.
- The Outro: A chaotic blend of the opera sample and heavy percussion.
He used a sample from "Sands of Time" by the SOS Band on earlier tracks, but here, he went for something that felt more like a Greek tragedy. It fits the title. Mount Olympus is where the gods live, and K.R.I.T. was tired of being left at the base of the mountain.
Why it Didn't Win a Grammy (And Why That Matters)
The industry has a weird relationship with Big K.R.I.T. He’s often called "underrated," which is basically a polite way of saying "the awards shows ignored him." Cadillactica, the album that followed this single, was a masterpiece. Yet, it didn't get the mainstream flowers it deserved.
Critics at the time, including those at Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, praised the song's intensity. But there was always a "but." "But he’s too regional." "But he sounds too much like Outkast." Mt Olympus Big KRIT was his way of saying that those comparisons were lazy. Yeah, he loves 3000 and Big Boi. Yeah, he loves UGK. But he’s his own man.
The song proved that Southern rap could be just as "conscious" and "lyrical" as anything coming out of Brooklyn or Compton. It challenged the listener to stop categorizing music by zip code.
The Cultural Impact Ten Years Later
If you go to a K.R.I.T. show today, when the first three seconds of this song play, the room transforms. It’s a rite of passage for Southern hip-hop fans. It’s our "Ether." It’s our "Hit 'Em Up."
It also paved the way for artists like Denzel Curry, J.I.D, and Big SANT to lean into that aggressive, high-speed lyricism without feeling like they had to pander to a New York aesthetic. It validated the "Country Sh*t."
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Honestly, the song feels even more relevant now in 2026. In an era where AI-generated verses and 15-second TikTok snippets dominate the charts, hearing a five-minute venting session of pure human emotion is refreshing. It’s raw. It’s messy. It’s real.
Common Misconceptions About the Track
Some people think this song was a direct shot at Kendrick Lamar. It wasn't. K.R.I.T. has stated in multiple interviews, including with Sway in the Morning, that he has immense respect for Kendrick. The "diss" wasn't aimed at a person; it was aimed at a system.
Another myth is that the song was just a "remix" of something else. While he did a "Reprise" version later, the original "Mt. Olympus" was a singular moment in time. It wasn't a radio single. It wasn't meant for the clubs. It was a digital release that forced its way into the conversation because it was too good to ignore.
- Fact: The song was released as a standalone single before Cadillactica.
- Fact: K.R.I.T. produced the track himself using his signature blend of live instrumentation and sampling.
- Fact: The song features a sample of "Mars" from Gustav Holst's The Planets (reinterpreted), which adds to that "war" feeling.
How to Listen to Big K.R.I.T. Properly
If you're just discovering Mt Olympus Big KRIT for the first time, don't just play it on your phone speakers. You’re doing it wrong. This is music designed for a sound system. You need to hear the low-end frequencies. You need to hear the way the hi-hats cut through the atmospheric pads.
Start with "Mt. Olympus," then immediately go into "Dreamin'" and "The Vent." You'll see the range. You'll see the man who can scream at the heavens one minute and pray for his grandmother the next.
Actionable Steps for the True Hip-Hop Head
To truly appreciate the depth of this track and K.R.I.T.'s discography, you should take a specific approach to your next listening session.
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- A/B the Lyrics: Pull up the Genius page for "Mt. Olympus" and "Control" side-by-side. Look at the rhythmic patterns. Notice how K.R.I.T. uses internal rhyme schemes that are actually more complex than Kendrick's in that specific instance.
- Check the Production Credits: Look into K.R.I.T.’s work as a producer for other artists like Rick Ross and Ludacris. It gives you a better perspective on his musicality.
- Support the Independent: K.R.I.T. eventually left the major label system to go independent again with Multi Alumni. If you like the message of "Mt. Olympus," buy the vinyl or the merch directly from his site. That’s how you keep this kind of artistry alive.
- Watch the Live Performance: Find the video of him performing this at the BET Hip Hop Awards. The energy is visceral. It’s one of those rare moments where the televised version actually captures the heat of the room.
The legacy of "Mt. Olympus" isn't just about a "moment" in a rap beef that wasn't really a beef. It’s about the refusal to be boxed in. It’s about the kid from Meridian, Mississippi, standing on top of a mountain he built himself and telling the world that he isn't going anywhere. He’s still there. He’s still the King. And the mountain is only getting taller.