Roots of Krizz Kaliko

R.A. Thorburn, better known by his stage name R.A. the Rugged Man, is an American rapper and producer. He began his music career at age 12, building a reputation locally for his lyrical skills. Thorburn signed with major label Jive Records at age 18, but his debut album, Night of the Bloody Apes, was never released.

Melvin Lewis Calhoun Jr., 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 (2010), entered the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 19 on the Top Heatseekers chart.