When Big K.R.I.T. first came into the public eye with his release of “K.R.I.T. Wuz Here” in 2010, he proved he was already one of the South’s best emcees. Since then, he has done nothing but steadily improve himself in both his rapping and his production skills, and his latest mix tape “4eva N A Day” is certainly no exception. It’s been one day since its release and I’ve probably replayed this more than any other hip-hop release from 2012. It’s going to be incredibly hard to top this, as it’s an early Album of the Year contender.

The first thing that struck me about K.R.I.T.’s latest is that his beats have improved drastically, which is a big feat considering he’s always been a great producer. “4eva N A Day Theme,” “Me and My Old School” and “1986” are perfect examples of K.R.I.T.’s meshing of laid-back Houston sounds (plenty of chopped ‘n screwed to go around) with 90s west coast jazz rap reminiscent of artists like Souls of Mischief. The two go extremely well together; resulting in chill beats that still go hard.

The other most notable improvement in K.R.I.T.’s craft is his rapping ability. In the past, his flow has been consistently solid but definitely nothing to write home about. It was easy to grow disinterested in his repetitive slow Southern delivery over the course of an 80-minute mix tape. However, not only has he shaved his latest mix tape to a nice, manageable 50 minutes, but he’s varied up his flow and created a truly unique style for himself. He alternates from his usual style to a more rapid, complex Twista-like delivery, and it keeps his rapping interesting throughout the tape’s duration.

What really made K.R.I.T. stand out from his peers in the past has been his songwriting. He’s gained many fans for his honest lyrics, often describing deep personal issues or true stories from his own life. That’s not to say he doesn’t have his fair share of tracks with songs about, well, typical Southern rap topics, but it’s impressive when he’s writing about serious subject matter in an environment that often discourages it.

4eva N A Day continues in this fashion, touching on subjects like dealing with the music industry and confessing his long-hidden love for a woman.

However, he’s still prone to old mistakes. Some of his serious lyrics could do with a bit more subtlety, as they’re overly heavy-handed and often come off as corny. His hooks are also as hit-or-miss as ever. While some are a little catchy and clever, many are flat out annoying and seem like they were tacked on merely to add to song length.

Also, “Insomnia” might be the only song K.R.I.T.’s recorded that I’d describe as laughably bad.

Minus a few hiccups, overall the mix tape is still the best of 2012 so far. He’s one-upped himself in nearly every way once again. After two steep improvements, I have no reason to think he won’t just keep getting better. I’m looking forward to seeing how K.R.I.T. collaborates with others in the near future, as he’s now proved himself a producer to be reckoned with and a rapper that can truly hold his own.