Lettey: "Marcus, let me first thank you for taking the time to talk with us again and give the fans some new info on what you are working on. Tell me Marcus, what's been going on with this incredible album lately?"
Marcus: "The past few weeks I've been working on more tracks for the album while waiting to get the two Tech N9ne placements in transition."
Lettey: "Anything in particular that stands out to you on these recent tracks? What's en-store for the album?"
Marcus: "The vulnerability stands out mostly. My need for love, my fascination with women, my ability to keep my head and not becoming a product of my environment."
Lettey: "So the recent news hit Facebook and Twitter hard about Kutty leaving Strange Music. What's you take on this and will you continue to work with Kutty in future ventures?"
Marcus: "People grow. That's all. It's a business."
Lettey: "Will you being doing any shows or tours any time soon?"
Marcus: "Not anytime soon. Still strategizing the music to make the performances and appearances make sense."
Lettey: "So we're gonna go back in time a little while. Let's tell the fans a little about young Marcus. Who was your inspiration and what first moved you to the music scene?"
Marcus: "My inspirations were Michael Jackson, Deion Sanders, and my father playing football."
Lettey: "Who do you see coming up in the music scene that may be new to it?"
Marcus: "Me. (Marcus laughs). No, seriously though."
Lettey: "Any plans for a music video on this album?"
Marcus: "I'm currently planning a meeting with a great cinematographer by the name of Kendu to share some ideas on a video to my single. It's going to be crazy!!"
Lettey: "What song will the video be based on?"
Marcus: "Ummm, I don't wanna say anything prematurely but the track is called I'm Alive and all I have to say is I love it a lot."
Lettey: "How are you feeling about your Chiefs season this year?"
Marcus: "They are doing well. When they do good this year, it'll be more believable for the ones who last year said their schedule was too easy in 2013. I'm with them win or lose."
Lettey: "What's new in your life right now? What's been going on in KC? Any events or trips take recently?"
Marcus: "The atmosphere has been pretty cool. Saturday I lost my cousin. That's been heavy on my heart because we were the same age. Other then that, the Royals are in the World Series (this interview was done before the unfortunate loss of the final game on 10/29/14) and I'm trying to make light out of the situation."
Lettey: "Do you think with the state of everything in Missouri right now, that the people need this Royals win to reunite them and give them something to root for together?"
Marcus: "Oh of course. It makes us look forward to victory with anything."
Lettey: "Thank you for your time. Our last question tonight in honor of Halloween coming up, are you dressing up for Halloween this year and if so what are you going as?"
Marcus: "I'm not dressing up. I haven't done that since 2001. I might go with my nephews to get candy."
Lettey: "Thank you and we send our thoughts and prayers out for the loss of your cousin. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and hope to hear more about the album soon. Until next time."
(Lettey's Halloween Costume pic below. Khaleesi of Game of Thrones.)
Lettey: Tell me how you came about this tour that your currently on, and in Portland tonight?
Kutty: Well I came about this tour when my dude, Cross Eyed Joe, he’s been booking some shows for me and he’s been reaching out to certain people, certain promoters out here, and got these five shows put together. Seattle, Eugene, Portland, Spokane, and Albany. I’m gonna be here till I leave Sunday.
Lettey: Are you looking forward to seeing anything while your in Porltand?
Kutty: I’ve been here so many times. I’m looking forward to seeing my boy, DJ Chill, and I haven’t seen him in a night. I mean that’s all I really wanna see. I’ve been to any strip club you wanna see out here, and ate at any place you can eat out here. We always come here on tour and perform at the Roseland, its almost like a second home away from home anyway.
Lettey: Do you have any projects your working on right now?
Kutty: I am re-manufacturing my Flamez mix tape, cause a lot of my fans been wanting that so we pressed it up with three extra tracks on there. When I get home I gotta do three tracks on the new collabos with Strange Music called Strangulation. I gotta get in the studio and do that and then I’ll be working on a mixed tape that I will be doing, and a Flamez Part Two mixed tapes. So two mixed tapes, as well as getting on the collabos with Strange.
Lettey: How has working in hip hop changed your life?
Kutty: I can guarantee you it’s a lot different than anybody who works a 9-5. This music shit man, its crazy, it’s a fun thing, the only thing is you be gone from your family a lot. In the end it all pays off, when you get your money in bulk like a musician does, it’s a lot different from having to clock out 9-5, probably in a job you hate being at, but I love doing this. This is me. I am music. I sleep, shit, eat, drink it. You know what I’m saying? Music is my life, so it's paying the bills. I ain't had a job since 2000, so Ive been eating and living off music. So whatever. I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. If everyone could wake up and do whatever they wanted to do man, the world would be a better place.
Lettey: Many artist have a flow to their albums that changes as they grow in their music. Do you predict any changes in your flow up ahead?
Kutty: Always. If you ain't elevating, you declinin., You know what I’m saying? From my first album B.E.L.E.I.V.E, to my fourth studio album Black Gold, the style just kept increasing. I think if you aren’t progressing, you doing something wrong. You can’t be staying, you gotta get better as you go and its just gonna keep elevating for me. Each project I do, I try to make every song better then the last. Your only as good as your last song, so I try to make every one better then the last.
Lettey: Who inspires you in the music scene at this moment?
Kutty: Who inspires me..hmm..let me see .There ain't to many that inspire me, cause I feel like I be better then 95% of the musicians out here, aint knocking nobody but the music industry has kind of become saturated with a lot of simple rhyme. Which theres nothing wrong with it, cause they making their money. So shout out to everyone who got the simple songs, cause they making their money. What I’m saying is, as far as inspiration, I like TI, you know TI is a good inspiration, he’s a real dude and he actually has lyrics man. I’m a TI fan. I like, um, Rich Homie Quan, for the most part I like listening to what I like listening to on the radio. You know, you hear the same people all the time, all day. To where you don’t get to hear new, you know what I’m saying? So there ain't to much out there thats inspiring to me besides that. I may pop in some of my stuff, or I may pop in some Strange Music stuff or whatever. Cause I feel like we real high caliber lyrics and content and subject matter. So if it ain't TI or something like that I’m listening to man, then it ain't to much out there that inspires me except for self motivation.
Lettey: Do you find any opposition with anyone in music right now?
Kutty: Nah. I ain't got no beef with nobody man. I can go from city to city, wear my KC stuff everywhere I go man. It's like I feel I’m respected as an artist, and as a person too. Cause it's like what I rap about is real life, what I rap about is my life. What I’ve been thru and even what I’ve been around, you know people hear it and respect if through the music. So I don’t have any plexes from nobody out there and I don’t think I got none either, wither it some bloods or crips or some folks or whatever. I’ve been respected by every angle of the game man. I have no oppositions or no beef out here with nobody.
Lettey: What do you think of the current state of hip hop and what direction its going in right now?
Kutty: It’s on a respirator. To me its on a respirator. I know they're cats out here making money, but to me it's like, hip hops on a respirator. And until I’ve succeeded past this underground status, or whatever man, you know what I’m saying, get a little bit higher on more of a mass audience type of level. I think its gonna stay on a respirator, I’m gonna come back and revive it, you know what I’m saying? I’m not saying I’m the best out here, but if you aint confident in yourself then what you doing it for. So I feel like if I get the chance to do what I need to do, like a lot of these main stream cats is doing, I’m gonna be a breath of fresh air for a lot of people.
Lettey: How do you feel about how the chiefs did this year?
Kutty: Awe, I can’t be mad at them. Andy Reid, I got love for the coach Andy Reid, I mean he turned a 2-14 team to a starting off 9-0 man and took it to the playoffs to do what they did. They really had a turn around you know. You know I feel like we got cheated the first playoff game. Iit was too many men on the field with the Colts and it didn’t get called and whatever. But I’m proud of the Chiefs. I’m the Kansas city Chief and a die hard Chiefs fan. Win, lose, or draw you gotta be with your own team. We’ll get em next year.
Lettey: Where are you looking to be in the future? Any tours coming up?
Kutty: I got a mini tour starting Feb 16th. It's gonna be starting off in MN. Its gonna be a 20-25 day run that I’mma be doing. It's gonna be called the Self Preservation Tour. So along with the two mixed tapes, I gotta do and record for the Strangulation collabo. I also got a tour. I got a lot on my plate, enough to keep me busy for the beginning of the year.
Lettey: Can you tell me anything about the Strangulation collab?
Kutty: There ain't much I can say, but that it’s a collabo called Strangulation and I’m on three tracks, Imma go in and do my business cause I got a whole lotta businesses coming up. So I gotta get in and get out. (Chill jumps in and adds “And he’s putting the industry in the choke hold”) Kutty laughs and says, “ Ya putting it in the choke hold, you know what I’m saying, a rear naked choke hold."
Lettey: What motivates you?
Kutty: I got a six month old son now, and you know, I look at him and I got a new home back at home. I’m married of course, and a new little boy. So it's like, getting on the internet, getting on Twitter and Instagram, seeing all these new people keep following me or whatever. And a lot of people, A LOT OF PEOPLE , these last two tours I haven’t been on, possibly three, and hearing people say its not the same without Kutt up there, They need the three, the trio, so for people to be missing me and for them to be mad I'm not on these tours, they’re coming out supporting me on my solo run. You know, that’s motivation enough. I wake up every morning and I thank God for the home I’m living in and for my family, for a healthy son. That’s motivation enough for me to keep doing what I’m doing and to get out here and work my tail off til I feel like I’m am what I need to be. And even then I’m not gonna stop. I’mma keep on moving and keep on writing, and keep on rapping and doing my thing.
Lettey: Any chance you might be working with Marcus any time in the future?
Kutty: Ya, man, Oobergeek better holla at me you know. He better get in touch with me , or Uncle Ike you know what I’m saying. He got me in his phone, he got me logged in. Oobergeek Holla at me man, I remember when he was just dancing, so you know he came along way and the boy is talented too so, Holla at me oobey, you know who it is boy.
.jpg)
