In the midst of all the rappers flooding the market with catchy jingles for your cell phone and the masses of music in the Hip-hop world being influenced by record exec's and other voices in high places, rarely do you see an artist who never waivers in his content or style! Wondering who this Hip-hop magician is? Let me give you a hint...crazy hair, painted face, tours harder than any artist of any kind ever, and still he calls himself a ‘Slacker’. Who could it be? Here’s another hint...he did 96 shows in 2003, 119 shows in '04, and is still on the road as you read this.....he is...Tech N9ne!
With a style all his own and a fan base that reaches across more types of people than any other artist in the game, Tech N9ne is long over due for the top spot!
“Tech is that next style...that next level...that new sh*t that's gonna
take Hip-hop to the next level.. Man this N*gga is the tightest n*gga
movin' man. I mean Eminem...hot! I'll give it up to him. Jay-Z...mega
hot. I give it up to him. NAS...hot! But none of them n*ggas can f*ck with Tech N9ne! I put that on everything n*gga! I'll put a million on that n*gga! Put up some money n*gga...Rockafella...whoever n*gga, Tech
N9ne will demolish all you n*ggas. From the stage show to rockin' the mic, you name it...That’s why I roll with him. He’s my favorite rapper real talk!” (Yukmouth)
I've sat with Tech a few times and always found him to be one of the
coolest and most intellectual cats I have met in this game! The last time we chopped it up, Tech hipped me to some info that hasn't been told yet to his public. Like the fact that his new album MLK is the quickest album he's ever done. Tech chose to put cat's on this album based on their skills...not on love! Cat's who he knew would be able to jump in the studio and bring heat! If you ask me...the heat has been brought!
It's way different than Absolute Power. It's a lot bassier
and a lot grittier."
"I reached out to people on this MLK thing not on a love tip, but it
was on a talent tip...and my babies mom, She ripped it. (Krizz Kaliko laughs) What n*gga, you laughing at me? Ha ha"
The MLK album has numerous appearances by label-mates Scatterman and Snugbrim, who, in the recent past have created some turmoil within the camp. It even got to the poit that people were calling the studio with threats against the label for not putting the two on. They were featured on Everready's "Riotmaker" track in an attempt to show the public that the two were indeed still part of the label and still in good standing with Tech. Though they still have some things to work out, Tech say's that most of the beef has been squashed and that the duo are still part of the Strange music team.
"Naw...it aint no animosity. I'm in the midst of fixing some more
sh*t with them right now. You know what I'm sayin'? I love them n*ggas
and I hope everything is gonna work out."
Not only has Tech been in the studio dropping jewels for the millions of Tech fans out there, he somehow still finds the time to tour like no other artist on the road today! His latest tour, The Strange Noise tour, is being called the largest independent tour ever assembled. But that's not the only tour in the works. He's also going to be doing a full tour of the MLK album appropriatley dubbed the MLK tour. The guy is a machine! It's amazing to me, with all the things Tech has going on at any point in time, that his stage show is one of the most energetic I have ever seen! How does he do it?
"The Strange Noize tour man, Kottonmouth Kings, Tech N9ne, Blaze the
Dead Homie, Sub Noize Souljaz...it's gonna be heat. Loud sh*t
man...Loud. It's like this man, the fans waited so long for Everready...four years so now I gotta make up yaddadamean? Killer man...Killer is coming. Killer is coming like in March. Killer dude, that's my new solo that I started on in November. These beats are totally different too. MLK is gritty, Killer is superstar sh*t n*gga. I'm talkin' about for real. These are big beats homie. Sounds like I spent like 2 million on the budget. I got sh*t called "Pillow Talk" on there that's dope. I got a couple basement beats from cat's down in St. Louis...they the muthaf*ckas that did that Tim McGraw sh*t with Nelly...the beat they gave me like (starts humming the melody and kicking the beat)...It's dope! We got something from a cat out in Reno called ‘Can’t Shake it’ (starts rapping) And I can't give up what I'm in love wit, I guess I'm a mess and I just can't shake it. I aint never told anybody all this shit."
"We got ‘Where’s My Happy Ending’. Seven did that where its like, in the beginning, I'm talking about how I done gave all my time to this
music and lost everybody I love so It's like where’s it at...where’s my happy ending. I guess I realized that my happy ending is this, me and my fans traveling every day. Through the song it's like damn, this isn't what I thought it would be. Then I'm like sh*t...people love me. People buy my albums, I'm supporting my children...what the f*ck you mean where’s my happy ending?"
Amidst the touring and studio time Tech has also found time to team up with MTV on a few occasions and has been talking with the music network giant about what role he will play in MTV's future. Tech's controversial content and persona have made it quite the challenge when it comes to achieving what he calls the "Home Invasion"! Basically the home invasion is when Tech can reach his fan's at home via the television with things like music videos, interviews and other tv appearances At this point in his career, it's going to be hard to deny the massive fan base he has aquired and maintained over the years! I say put him on!
"MTV still callin' us like...We think you should do ‘Welcome to the
Midwest’ for the next video and we keep sayin' no... ‘Cariboulou’. There like...but Cariboulou is like hard liquor. I don't mind doing Welcome to the Midwest cause that's me and him (pointing to Krizz Kaliko), but it's like Cariboulou is the one gettin' all the hits. Before MLK, I thought Killer was going to be my last rap album. Then from there we were gonna go Kabosh, know what I'm sayin', me and Krizz. Kabosh was gone be it. I had the idea last week, after Killer I might do something. Some sh*t hit me when I was in the shower, it was the last hurrah. The last hurrah might be my next album after Killer, I don't know...if I do one you know what I'm sayin'? But I'm African Psycho. Me and this Muthaf*cka doin Kabosh...It's just gonna be hella gutter man...we got a lot of hype into this Kabosh man. We just gotta follow through. We got to find a band homie...a band that can hold that ghetto shit like rockish, you know what I'm sayin? But who knows man? I don't even know if anybody is gonna ever hear Izzum's. I just got so much shit waiting. I mean...we still got that sh*t sittin'...from ‘Money, Money, Money’, to ‘Die For You’, to ‘Turn’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Uh...Uh... ‘I Want You For Me’, ‘World Gone Crazy’. Know what I'm sayin'? All that sh*t just sittin' homie."
Tech N9ne is in a class of his own! I know for me, his retirement from
solo albums would be a damn shame! I also know that whatever Tech
decides to do next, there will be millions of fans eagerly anticipating
whatever it is that he gives them... and they'll love it!
Be on the lookout for Tech to come to a city near you. Don't let the
image he has created fool you. Tech is a serious threat in the rap world and always brings his ‘A’ game on stage! If you have never seen a Tech N9ne show then I suggest you do whatever it is that you got to do to get to one! Tech never disappoints! To keep up on what's good in Tech's world you can check out his website at: www.therealtechn9ne.com or hit him on his myspace page at: www.myspace.com/techn9ne Keep it movin' Tech!
By: Nick Reynolds @ www.myspace.com/nlrwriting
