Kutt Calhoun

Melvin Lewis Calhoun Jr. (born January 1, 1977), better known by his stage name Kutt Calhoun, is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. He began his career in the late 1990s as part of the city's underground rap scene, and signed with fellow Missouri-based rapper Tech N9ne's Strange Music as the label's first artist in 2004. Calhoun's debut studio album, B.L.E.V.E. (2004), and its follow-up, Feature Presentation (2008), were both met with critical praise; the latter debuted at number 60 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Calhoun's third album, Raw and Un-Kutt, entered the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 19 on the Top Heatseekers chart.

Between 2011 and 2012, he released two extended plays (EPs): Red-Headed Stepchild and Kelvin. Calhoun's fourth studio album, Black Gold (2013), debuted atop the Top Heatseekers chart and received continued critical praise. He parted ways with Strange Music in 2014 and subsequently founded the record label Black Gold Entertainment. His third EP, Kuttin Loose (2014), was the first release on the latter imprint.