In 2011, I went through a lot of change. From the birth of my son to dealing with the repercussions of “emotional cheating” to Drizzle graduating and both of us going through our own sets of issues, I experienced a plethora of crazy moments. When I heard that Big K.R.I.T. had another project on the way, I was elated. Over the year leading up to its release (including the release of KRIT Wuz Here), Krizzle became one of my favorite artists. The way he blended Southern Hospitality with booming beats and introspective lyricism was, for me, top-notch. Then, I actually heard R4 and my mind was blown from how much he’d grown even over the course of a year. This project holds a special place in my heart for several reasons that I’ll get into as we progress.

Not only was it released four years exactly before Mama Young passed, but “The Vent” actually helped me deal with her death. I’ve spoken about the instrumental to that track previously, but the full product? When I first heard it, I cried legitimate tears. It was that beautiful to me. But, before Mama Young, this track helped me cope with the loss of a high school friend, Maranda. So, I consider this one to be a top-notch song for dealing with loss, grief, or just an overall crappy situation. We all need that time to vent our sadness and frustration with the craziness of the world.

The project, however, wasn’t just vents about loss and gains, even thought the project dealt with life being an “EQ of highs and lows.”