Rapping since the age of 10 and recording since he was 11, Tennessee hip-hop performer Reginald “Lil’ Bit” Smith, 21, only recently put forth his first full-length CD, “Knoxville Dungeon,” to a positive reception. Smith was born and raised in the Knoxville area, and his first live performance came in a gig opening for Grand Hustle’s Young Dro last year, but he’s making up for lost time by scheduling frequent shows around town. Despite hip-hop’s tendencies to rely heavily on studio overdubbing, Smith insists that the intensity of his live shows overwhelms any of his recordings. While Smith professes to like most local hip-hop output, he distrusts the direction in which mainstream rap is headed. Of the opinion that most modern rap hits are stale, he combines aspects of many musical genres to create his tracks. And rather than stature, it is this open-mindedness that proves the source of Smith’s rap alias, “Lil’ Bit.” “One question people ask is, ‘What’s the meaning behind Lil’ Bit’?” he says, “and the answer is that I use ‘Lil’ Bit’ as a metaphor for when folks hear a full album of mine. You will hear a li’l bit of everything — from rock samples, R&B, hip-hop, jazz and maybe some techno. I incorporate all genres of music ’cause I listen to all genres of music. “My motivation is my son and music. When my son starts to understand music , I want him to know real music and not just what is on the radio. There are a lot of folks that influence me, but the main musicians that kee