Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2012: ‘Live From the Underground,’ Big K.R.I.T.

Rapper Big K.R.I.T. is from Mississippi, the birthplace of the blues, and much of the music on 'Live From the Underground' harkens back to those early blues records he listened to as a child while at his grandmother's house. He also gives a hat-tip to his southern influence -- like OutKast and UGK-- on the record, with his production style.

'LFtU' is K.R.I.T.'s personal diary of trying to live and survive in "A&R-ville" without losing his soul. On 'Don't Let Me Down,' he details a story about losing his best friends because of his success. And on 'I Got This,' he vows to represent Mississippi until he's "R.I.P."

As long as Big K.R.I.T. continues to create music like this, he should be able to maintain a long successful career without ever losing his soul.