Tech N9ne, the #1 independent hip hop artist in the world, paid a visit to New York City this week to preview his new album “Something Else”.
The underground hip hop sensation set up shop at New York City’s legendary S.O.B.s to talk about the upcoming album, the artists that it features and how it came to be.
At a private preview of his new album, Tech N9ne got into detail about some of the trials and tribulations that he went through such as creating the album, working with different artist agents and getting legendary rock group “The Doors” to appear on the album. Tech also touches on his past music influences along with his previous struggle with drugs.
We sat down with Tech and asked him a couple questions of our own at the album release party and got some pretty deep answers.
The Source: Tech this is your 13th studio album and every album that you put out has a completely different style and sound, what can you tell us about this album?
Tech N9ne: It has to be different every time I do an album man because that’s what I strive to do. So when I say “I have something else”, after all the shit I’ve done already gave people it would be called same old shit by Tech N9ne, but I called it “Something Else” because it truly is something else other than what you used to listen to from Tech N9ne. With the features and the beats and everything man, it’s just 100. I’m extremely proud of it, I can’t wait for fans to get it soon because I want their feedback. I think I did my best album and that’s hard to say next to Eveready. That’s big to say next to absolute power and Angelic. But I’m, what do you call it? Evolving. But I’m not slackin.
The Source: Your last collaboration album, All 6’s and 7’s, reached #4 on the Billboard top 200, so to say this is your best album what would be your main goal to accomplish with this record?
Tech N9ne: I’m looking for this album to be the biggest album I ever had, but in time I’m thinking people will feel the same way I do because I took time with it. I want people to receive it like I receive it. Now not everybody’s going to receive like I receive it because…It’s me. Some people might not like Tech N9ne for what I can do. I don’t see how they cannot like Tech N9ne because he’s everything in one, but maybe they like that one thing that them other dudes do, I don’t know. I fuck with the other dudes, but I do something totally different. You know? So I hope they receive it the way I made it. I love to go on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and see the comments. HipHopDX, woah. They be dogging me in the comments, not HipHopDX but the comments, HipHopDX is my family. Some people on there don’t like the face paint, the transparent mask and that’s me, I’m a fucking weirdo and I’m not going to change it for any of you motherfuckers. I’m not going to change it for record sales, I don’t give a fuck about your record sales. If you don’t like the way I look suck my dick, that’s how I feel. You know what I mean? My music is supposed to be for everybody. If you’re thinkin you’re going to offend me by saying “he’s a gimmick, he’s fake because he paints his face, he can’t out rap me…” then fuck you, come on and do it my nigga. It’s a cocky thing that I’m saying because I put everything into my music and if you don’t like Tech N9ne, don’t fuckin buy the records. Leave me alone. I give it all. I want to ask these people [who comment] “who do you listen too?” If they say J. Cole I say “Yeah J. Coles dope.” If they say Danny Brown I say “Yeah, I dig Danny Brown”. If they say Wayne I say “I love Wayne.” I just want to know what they listen too, to not hear the lryicisim in “He’s A Mental Giant”, “Fragile”, “Breaking Into Colored Houses”. What are you listening to that your blind to a nigga that really puts his all into his music and makes sure it makes sense? Maybe you like senseless rap.
The Source: What do you have to say to the people who will be listening to and critiquing your album?
Tech N9ne: Don’t listen to it once. Don’t listen to it twice. Don’t listen to it thrice. Don’t listen to it four times. I feel like a critic needs to live with an album for they criticize any fucking thing or critically acclaim any fucking thing. Listen! Please listen before you say something because I will find you and I will ask you why you said what you said because I give a fuck about the music. I really do give a fuck about the music. If you can’t tell that by listening to my music, we’re gonna have to talk. You can have your preference, “I don’t listen to this kind of shit”. I can take that. “I don’t like that sentimental shit. I don’t like that fast shit. I don’t like that rock-n-roll shit. I don’t like that dark shit.I like that raw shit”. Well I got that too.
You can check out a separate press conference video from the release party below. For more information about Tech N9ne, tour dates and his new album “Something Else” that drops on July 30th, visit www.therealtechn9ne.com
Words & Photo by Mark A. Macpherson
@the541guy
Video courtesy of ne-hipho
