After news broke that both Jay Rock and Kutt Calhoun had left Strange Music in September of last year, the Kansas City rapper has now come out with an explanation for his move.
Speaking with HipHopDX after an official vlog about his departure was released last week, Calhoun recalled helping build Strange Music up through touring in the label’s early years.
“It all stems from merch and touring,” Calhoun said in a clip that debuted as a part of today’s DX Daily. “The idea of making money off of records, from 2000 when Strange was established until 2007 or almost 2008, there was no money made off of album sales. Tech didn’t start making money off of album sales ’til like 2007, 2008.”
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Last week, Calhoun released a video on YouTube with a more detailed explanation for his departure.
“If you didn’t know I started out with Tech N9ne [in] late ’98, before Strange Music even was established, before there was a Travis O’Guin, before there was a label period,” he said.
“When you worked at a job for so long and started out as a family, started out as a brotherhood, and you’ve helped build what is now a dynasty from the ground-up, you’ve played an intricate part in it, now you’ve reached your pinnacle,” he later added. “Not even maximum success yet, but you’ve reached a pinnacle of independent success that no one else has reached…You kind of feel slighted or your not reaping the benefits of the position you played or the work you put in. You feel like you don’t get treated equally. Hence ‘Redemption,’ hence ‘Something’s Gotta Give,’ hence the EP Red Headed Stepchild.”
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