With a long list of summer releases from Strange Music, one of the most anticipated is Kutt Calhoun’s brand new EP, Red-Headed Stepchild. The EP will mark Kutt’s first batch of new music since the release of his last full length album, Raw And Un-Kutt. Taking a few minutes away from a VIP Meet and Greet at the House Of Blues in Chicago, Kutt shared some insight on the project and gaves us a look at what fans can expect from him. As always, Kutt spoke with conviction and held nothing back.

The name of the EP can evoke feelings of controversy, and even lead fans to believe that there is more happening behind the scenes. Kutt Calhoun insists that the name originates from a good place, and is not a shot at anyone:

“This EP is just basically allowing me to vent a little bit more. A little different from the albums, it’s not really necessarily different. It’s a preview, it’s almost like prelude, or should I say it’s a prequel to what I’ve been doing. This right here is called Red-Headed Stepchild, so it’s almost like a preview to ‘Calling My Name’. Like if ‘Calling My Name’ could have been the name of an album or something, it’s like a prequel to that. It’s more or less a feeling, like how I’m feeling right now where I’m at. Whether it be with the fans, the industry, or Strange Music and all that. Red-Headed Stepchild, and it’s nothing negative, talking about I don’t want to be on Strange, or nothing like that. It’s just an emotion, it’s a metaphor, and it’s just a feeling man. Another dope little EP, five songs, one intro skit or whatever, it’s gonna be real good for the fans.”

With fans speculating on the EP and Kutt’s true feelings, he responds to the rumors and continued to clear up his true intentions:

“Some people think it has something to do with Blood stuff, other people be like, you know, they think it’s like ‘Calling My Name’, thinking I’m saying, ‘Oh man, it’s just me all by my lonely.’ Even though that’s my first song, like I said it’s just a metaphor for an expression. Sometimes shit goes wrong and shit’s fucked up. I’m more of a street guy, been in a little bit more trouble than everybody else on the label. I just feel like sometimes I’m just the Red-Headed Stepchild. not only at Strange Music, but I feel like that with the industry, my home, my family, my personal family…I grew up in all that. So, it has nothing to do with Strange, it has something to do with me as an entire person.”

On the subject of the actual music, Kutt spoke on what went into the recording of Red-Headed Stepchild:

“You’ve got production from Seven. Of course, Michael ‘Seven’ Summers, much love to Seven. I got this new cat from Make It Hurt Productions, Anthony. My brother-in-law’s cousin. He had two dope beats on there. The first two beats on there ‘All By My Lonely’ and ‘Child’s Play’, he did those. Those are pretty dope, they bang, they go hard. This is more of a serious EP. The songs are dope, but it’s more serious. You got cool ass songs like ‘I’m The One’, and then you got a cool ass song ‘Charlie Sheen’. I based that off everything that’s been going on with Charlie Sheen. With it being Red-Headed Stepchild, mean like it’s you against the world, like you an outcast. I figured that’s what’s been going on with Charlie Sheen. I called it ‘Charlie Sheen’ because it’s like I’m doing too much, the hook go like:

‘I be doing too much like all the time, drink in my cup like all the time
staying fucked up like all the time, on my Charlie Sheen
with a pocket full of dough like all the time, drink out flows like all the time
going hard on these hos like all the time’

Of course, Kutt didn’t go into Red-Headed Stepchild alone, as he reveals details behind guest features:

“It ain’t strictly Kutt. I reached out to Big Scoob, he dropped a verse on that ‘Charlie Sheen’. My dude, B.G. Bulletwound, my best friend, he dropped a verse for me on ‘All By My Lonely’. Then I reached out to JL B. Hood, you might of heard him on ‘Far Out’. He blessed me with a verse. It was great. I got three features on here, but the five songs is bangin’.”

With some last words for the fans, Kutt assures listeners that he is not slowing down anytime soon. His drive is meaner than ever, and the 2010 Strange Music MVP is pushing to carry on that title in 2011:

“The EP is coming out August 8 of course, go get that. Know that Kutt is just an independent artist that’s trying to be just a big as Tech is, or even bigger. That’s what our whole goal is to be, to offset each other and rise up to a certain spot, certain status. So we can be able to feed our kids and take care of our family man. Keep doing what you’re doing, keep supporting Kutty, Kutty gon’ keep giving you good music man. You’ve got the mixtapes coming out. I don’t want to really say when they’re coming out, but it’s going to be real soon. One of those may be hosted by a major DJ, that’s unknown right now. I do have that in the works, and then next is the full length studio album, so we’re going to keep it moving.”

Stay tuned for more from Kutt Calhoun.