Tech N9ne - Behind The Mask Pt. 2
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Tech N9ne - Behind The Mask Pt. 2
Posted: Monday - March 15, 2010 | Comments (0)
"We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes --
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties." - Paul Laurence Dunbar
Tech N9ne A fleeting glance may cause one to automatically dismiss Tech N9ne. The peculiar face paint which distorts his face may alarm a would-be listener. Calculating eyes camouflaged by cunning lines have deterred some folks from the beauty that is, Tech N9ne. In this concluding part 2 of Tech N9ne's comprehensive interview, the wordsmith finishes discussing his thoughts on God and the meaning behind the mask.
I was listening to Show Me A God, like you were saying you're 99%; but, I need 100% proof. Why is that one percent so important?
I think it's very important. We want to be 100%.
But what are we truly 100% about?
Think about the protection of a condom, it's at 99%. That one percent, you still might get pregnant or you still might get something. It means a lot. If I was 100% proof that means I've seen from my own eyes and not just read from a book or not just heard from a preacher or not just heard from somebody with a bullhorn on the street. A 100% is when you see from your own eyes. A 100% is what Tech N9ne does at his shows, fuck yes, I've seen it. I know it, you've got to go see it. Somebody listens to Tech N9ne music, like yeah, I think he's okay, I'm just 99% a fan. I ain't really a fan, you need to go to his shows and then you'll be 100%, is what people say. You feel me?
That one percent is seeing it from your own eyes. Now, when I look at the stars, when I look at the sun, when I look at the moon, when I look at a new born baby being born, you say, "Hey it's gotta be! It's gotta be approval of something divine." When you hear Marsha [Ambrosius] of Floetry sing, it has to be close to something divine. When you her Krizz Kaliko, it gotta be proof of something divine. But 99% means that I haven't seen anything other than a human being and an animal.
No angels, no demons, nothing like that, no ghosts?
No ghosts, I would love to see a ghost. Please come scare the shit out of me! It would let me know that there's something more. Then I could say that yeah, there's gotta be aliens, there's gotta be aliens. And when the whole thing about them taking false trips to the moon came out, it was staged in shit. It's like, why do we have to stage something that's already been done? Why can't we just go to it and be 100% sure that there's something else out there.
With that being said how do you factor in faith?
That's all we got. We got faith that something is listening. My faith is the reason why I believe in 99% instead of going in Darwin's direction, meaning that everything growing like a plant; that's Darwinism.
My whole problem with Darwinism is that we're taught spontaneous generation is a myth. Even if we go back to the Big Bang Theory someone had to put the first particles there. How can something come from nothing?
Somebody had to put it there. I'm inclined to believe that what I'm praying to gave me this talent; I believe that that's what it is. That's why I wear a cross on my head; so, that the demons will know what the majority of me represents Christ. They'll see the cross and it'll come across like a lightning bolt; they'll see that I'm Christ-like. Christ had to give me the ability to spit like lightening. You know what I'm saying; but, it's like I want to be 100% sure. I'm sure you want to be 100% sure. You might think you're a 100% sure.
I'm not a 100%; but, I know more likely than not God is out there. And on those days when doubt tries to destroy, I try to change my perspective and focus on the good.
[Chuckles] Yeah! That's where I'm at.
Why do terrible things happen to wonderful people?
It's the way of the world. You know how they say that nice guys finish last, then that means that I'm going to be the very last motherfucker.
Oh really? [Laughs]
I mean, if what they say is true. They say the good die young; that already passed me up. I'm not young anymore. So, if the good die young I guess I'm not totally good. You know. I don't know what it is; it's the way of the world. Bad shit happens to the best of us, to angels. This world is ran by evil doers. The do-gooders are the ones that suffer. I am going to be one of the do-gooders that take the angels to the top. I've learned the ways of the evil man. I know how to talk to them. I know how to spread love, too. So if they get me in power I'm going to spread all kinds of love. Maybe they'll kill me like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King -- I have the God plan, they both had the God plan and they died. The God plan is everybody living in harmony, loving each other, all creeds, colors.
When Malcolm X took his pilgrimage to Mecca and he saw that there were white Muslims drinking from the same cup as him. Elijah Muhammad told him we had to be totally separated from white people. He came back to the states and said I was wrong. All along when I was telling you we had to be separate -- I drank out the cup as a white man, he was Muslim just like me. The Muslims here said fuck that shit, we're going to kill you. That's money, that's man driven, to me. That's fucking sad.
Martin Luther King said, Jews and Gentiles, whites, blacks, everybody, you know what I'm saying, should be living together. Free at last, free at last, thank God, we're free at last! But they don't want it because that's the God-plan. The God-plan is for everybody to be equal and together. Even if I got more money than you we can still talk, we can kick it because we're a people. I should able to go talk to a homeless guy on a corner and I do. I might give him a $20 bill or a $50 bill, "Just remember my name, I'm Tech N9ne. Just remember man name and that I give a damn that you're out here in the cold without no hot coco, or a coat." We should be able to talk to all these people. We should be able to talk. That's why Hip-Hop is so wonderful because it brings people together. Have you ever been to a Jay-Z concert? Look at all the creeds. It's a wonderful thing.
I've always wanted to know why you paint your face. I've thought of everything from embracing cultural/tribal roots, to it being a defense mechanism, to you trying to challenge Hip-Hop to look further. So, why do you do it?
When I first started painting my face it was to overcome my fear of what a feared as a child -- a clown. I always thought that the clown was intriguing because it covered it the actual face to where nobody could really figure out what this thing was up under there. It was the mystique of the whole thing. You never knew what this motherfucker was thinking with that painted on smile. What if he actually wants to kill me, how would I know? I thought it was kinda creepy, I thought it was kinda scary.
As I got older my face paint started changing to where it became more tribal. It shows strength of my people, my ancestors when it was time to go to war. When they have to go find some food, or when they have to heal somebody, or do a ritual dance they painted their face white. It's a battle with painted faces. It's a battle every night on that stage to turn people on to me. There's a lot of new fans that never last. When I ask, "How many people never been to a Tech N9ne show." So, it's a fight every night to try to get these people to get converted into Tech N9ne fans. They're so programmed by mainstream TV and radio, you know what I'm saying, so they have no idea what they're in for. So, it's war time. It's more tribal now like my ancestors. You know what I'm saying, I look more like them than a regular motherfucker.
It's 2010 and you've been the face of Strange Music for a minute. What projects are your artists going to be releasing this year?
Wow, there's going to be a massive album this year called Dinner And A Movie. When you hear this Lynch Hung album you're going to say, "Oh my goodness!" That nigga is going to set the bar so high. You know how they say Tech N9ne sets the bar high, you're going to say, "Tech, you better come even harder. This nigga just murdered it!" That's what you're going to say! Dinner And A Movie is a powerhouse, baby. I am not just saying that because it's on my label. I'm saying that Brotha Lynch Hung is going to be resurrected through this shit. We gotta do this the right way; it's going to be fucking murder!
Is there a release date, is he going on the road? How can I get to him?
On March 23rd it comes out. You still haven't talked to him yet?
On behalf of Yo! Raps, is there anything else you'd like to share with your fans?
I want them to all know that I'm very thankful for them having me. I'm thankful for every last one of them. Without them, I would be nothing, you know what I'm saying. I just came from a cruise. I took my whole entire family to CoCo Cay, Bahamas, to ST. Thomas [USVI] and to St. Martin [USVI] on a Royal Caribbean. I got one of their bigger suites. It's all because of my motherfucking fans; they buy my records. I'm able to reward my family and show them the world because of my motherfucking fans. I love them! Thank you so much! It ain't just love because of what they give me -- materialistic, no. It's the love they give my music. Even if they download it and give it to other people, they're teaching people about my music. It's helping me take my kids places and get my kids braces. That rhymes but I didn't mean to. It's just a wonderful thing. I want to say thank you to all my fans. I'm about to grow this Tech N9ne thing even more. They're going to be truly proud of me, thank you to everybody.
- By Niki Gatewood