Raw and Un-Kutt

Less strange than other artists on Strange Music, Kutt Calhoun is the underground hip-hop label’s great link to the streets. His rock-solid thug music is somewhere in the vicinity of Obie Trice or Joe Budden, the latter of whom makes an impactful appearance on “Redemption,” one of Raw and Un-Kutt’s more manic numbers. Other troubled and strife-filled moments serve to satisfy the label’s fan base, who always seem up for either a therapy session or a hedonistic party anthem like "Naked (Boom Boom Room)," which comes with label boss Tech N9ne and labelmate Krizz Kaliko. Kutt’s third effort completely breaks from the Strange formula in its fourth quarter, as names like Budden, E-40, and Too Short pull Calhoun toward pure gutter music. Still, the MVP on the guest list has to be rapper D-Skanless, who comes with Nicki Minaj-like skills, giving up clever nasty girl rhymes like “I’m gonna ride you like an interstate/LOL, smiley face.” Other highlights include the triumphant head-nodder “Kansas City Shuffle” plus the futuristic theme song “Get Kutt,” which rocks to producer Seven’s brittle video game beat. Kutt has the ability to survive in all these environments, and on top of it, he’s a surprisingly all-inclusive and encouraging thug, persuading the listener with “Even if you ain’t that cute/Strip down to your birthday suit.”