With his new album Raw and Un-Kutt arriving just around the corner along with a headline-spot on this summer’s Strange Noize tour, Kutt is a busy man. We sat down with Kutt and discussed his hopes for the album and his career aspirations in this exclusive Strange Music Blog interview.

Alright, so you got your new album coming out, Raw & Un-Kutt. What can fans expect from this as album as opposed to some of your earlier releases? What’s the vision you have?

Kutt Calhoun: This album is definitely a better-grade album as far as my performance, my delivery, content, the beats–everything. This album is going to be a little more personal than Feature Presentation and B.L.E.V.E., just like the title says, Raw And Un-Kutt—One-hundred-and-fifty percent me with no mixtures in it. It’s not cut with anything just like straight Peruvian dope. You’re going to get a lot more of me, my life, and just how I feel. There’s a little more harder stuff than usual–just stuff that I toned down on in previous albums. You’re going to get a lot more of that. More content and subject matter. The album itself is a concept album: it takes you through the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s the best album that I’ve ever done. Feature Presentation was a classic album to me as well but this shit is just getting better and better with each album that I record. I feel that if you aint progressing than what are you in it for? I only plan on getting better and better. The difference between this one and Feature Presentation is just like I said: one-hundred-and-fifty percent me, raw and uncut.

You said that you’re delivery is getting better. Have you noticed a progression in your flow?

I think just as each day passes–each week, month, and year–you get wiser and you get better at your craft. I think it’s just getting better as I go along. Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed in my delivery I’m getting more set in my voice. I think I’m starting to get my own sound. I found my niche in my craft and in the type of styles that I use versus trying this and trying that. I think I found something that fits me and that’s what I accomplished on this album.

Any favorite tracks off of this album? I know that’s hard to say but do you have any that stand out to you?

I like “Flip It Ova”. “Flip It Ova” is a great track. It’s more or less like strip club and club banger type shit. It’s a great track that can be put out there with the best of the best: Ludacris, T.I–whoever. It’s definitely a great track. “Calling My Name” is the last track on the album–that song is immaculate. As far as a favorite just out of the whole album, it’s definitely hard to say, like you were saying. I can’t name a particular song because I got the good, the bad, and the ugly and I got songs all up under all of those titles to where it matches the whole feel of the album. I can’t say that one track on there is just the album filler, they’re all good.

I see you got an appearance by Joe Budden on the album. He’s one of my favorites. What was it like to work with him?

Well previously before we did a song together we were on tour together, the K.O.D. Tour, with Slaughterhouse. I’ve always been a Joe Budden fan and I listened to his first album that he came out with majorly. I know his style. This song that I used on my album, “Redemption”, was more of a dark and personal song about my inner feelings and what I feel about things and about “if things don’t get right as far as me getting promoted and paid right…something’s gotta happen” you know what I’m saying? I listened to Joe’s music while we were on tour and he had a lot of dark personal stuff on there as well so I felt he was the perfect person for the job. He proved me right, man. He came through and killed it for me so much love to Joe.

You know you’ve been working with Tech and Krizz and what not, is this album trying to kind of break out from under that umbrella? I assume you’ve been trying to do that for awhile now anyways.

Definitely. I hope this album catapults me to where I can start going out on my own tours–possibly headlining my own tours. Like nothing major that we’re doing now of course because you gotta build up that repertoire, build up that clientele, and that fanbase to do so. Hopefully this album catapults me to where I can start going out on my own more often. I’ve been out on my own two times already and this summer with the Strange Noize Tour, it will be the third time going out on my own with other people: showcasing myself, showcasing my own set, giving people more of my music versus me just having ten to fifteen minutes on a Tech N9ne set. I want to give thirty, thirty-five, forty minutes of my own shit. Giving fans that are really that are really into Kutt Calhoun a lot more than the average. You know, you got fans that say that they love me as well as Tech and Kaliko. You got fans that just strictly love me just because I’m with them and they love all three of us on stage together, but then you got those fans that are just like “I want to heare more of your own shit, man. When are you going to do your own set?” So, definitely what I hope this album does, with the album sales to do real good to where I’m going to start getting calls from promoters in different venues for me to come out and possibly headline little local or regional events.

Yeah. Well tight man I appreciate you taking the time out to do this.

Without a doubt man. Raw And Un-Kutt. Get that album and watch out for me ya’ll because I aint ever slowing down.