Tech N9ne (June 2010) | Interview By: Jose Ho-Guanipa

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Interview was conducted in June 2010
 

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Dubcnn Drop (Video)

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Tech N9ne // Exclusive Video Interview // Dubcnn

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Dubcnn: Dubcnn.com what’s up we’re here with Tech N9ne.

Tech N9ne: Sitting here with Tech N9ne somewhere they call The Foundation Room I think. At the House of Blues in LA for my show tonight. For the Strange Days Tour: A Decade of Excellence. With me Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Brotha Lynch Hung, Cognito, Prozac, Big Scoob, it’s a fuckin’ crazy tour already.

Dubcnn: KOD came out. The last time I talked to you was at Paid Dues when it was about to come out and you were talking to us about it. Tell us about that whole process. It was a lot darker in content. How did you deal with it?

Tech N9ne: It was really fucked up. I didn’t want it when I got into it. When I first started KOD I thought I was just gonna be able to tell wicked stories using just my imagination. No, with my momma suffering from pancreatitis, there was no imagination. It was just fuck everything. Asking god, why does my angel have to suffer when she worshipped God and Jesus Christ all her life. So the album is dark because of that. And I ran from songs like Low, and the Martini and the actual track KOD I ran from the because I knew they’d take me deeper down that hole that I was in. Because you can’t just write this real music and just be OK. You’re truly in it. Because I write my life. I ran from those songs and I missed three deadlines, something I’ve never done before, that’s how hard it was for me. So I hope they enjoy it, because I’ll never do a fuckin’ album like that again. It makes for beautiful music and the fans love it. I still listen to tracks off the album and it’s a brighter day now. Mom made it through pancreatitis. The first song in KOD is Show Me a God so I guess they showed me something or something showed me something, because mom doesn’t suffer from pancreatitis anymore. The new album that’s about to come out June 27th, the Gates Mixplate, is bright as a motherfucker. It’s partying, it’s sex, it’s drinking, it’s lyrics, it’s grooves, it’s scathing, it’s everything. A couple people came through, Devin the Dude came through, much love to Devin the Dude, Glasses Malone, Jay Rock. A lot of motherfuckers that I cant really remember off top because we move so quickly. I really put Kansas City on the map with this one. And the first single is called OG.

Dubcnn: You got the Mixplate coming out, and a lot of good things coming out from the Strange Music camp.

Tech N9ne: We just put out the KOD Tour DVD and it’s moving. It’s beautiful. It’s actually gonna show the newer up and coming artists how to do a show, because I learn from the old school. Maybe a lot of them don’t trip on the old school, like Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, NWA, anyone that came with NWA like Ice Cube to DOC. It’s like the old school really taught me how to do that. KRS One, if you’ve ever been in a crowd when he did the Bridge is Over, or How it Moves, I paid attention. I paid attention to all those shows, I paid attention to Bizzy B, to Schooly D. I paid attention to how to actually rock a crowd, crowd participation. We got everything in our show, but it’s still new even though I learned from the old school how to rock a show.

Dubcnn: I know the last time we spoke to you, you were starting to roll out the other artists and now you have a army of artists under your win and they’re starting to come into their own.

Tech N9ne: Totally, Krizz Kaliko he went on his first solo tour earlier this year.; Kutt Calhoun’s done it. Actually on this tour, Strange Days, they’re doing their own sets. Setting them up to really go on their won. Because when I set out to do this thing I didn’t want hype men, I wanted artists on stage with me so I can build artists. They’ve been artists since I’ve met them, and they’re well rounded artists now.

Dubcnn: You guys have been ahead of the curve as far as you guys run your label, you and Travis your business partner. Now with the industry going into a tailspin it seems like you guys are going up and everyone else is going up. You guys are doing the touring thing, you guys are independent a lot leaner.

Tech N9ne: You gotta get with the times. We knew about myspace before people knew what it was. You gotta take advantage of technology. You gotta take advantage of the flipcams, take advantage of a lot of stuff, Skyping, etc. Thank God for file sharing. I know there ain’t a lot of people saying that but I wouldn’t’ be going overseas doing shows if it wasn’t for people sharing my music or downloading my music. We let the whole world download Absolute Power for free, because we knew if you put out a beautiful project with more than three damn songs on it, people will actually buy it. We just took a lot of chances, you gotta take chances. And the number one thing to it all – get out there go tour. You might want to go straight to the videos, that’s cool but if you ain’t got no fans, what the fuck you gonna eat on? The fans make it possible for us to do what we do. So what do you do? You get out there and touch ‘em. And we’ve been touchin’ em for a long time, and I ain’t talking sexually, I’m talkin’ about mentally, through music, touchin’ them in they spirit and touring nonstop. When I did my first show in San Diego there was only seven people. We go back we sold out the House of Blues, we sold out canes on the beach. You gotta actually work and get out there and tour. A lot of people don’t know. B Real told me in Switzerland last year when we got through doing rock the bells: They can try and take away vinyl, they can try and take away this and that, but they can’t take away the live shows. I said you damn right. And he said, Tech you’re blessed to be able to have a show that people want to see constantly. And I’ll remember that about b real Cypress Hill, that’s a smart guy. That’s one thing they can’t take away. They can’t take away the live shows. As a lot of new artists out here don’t know, you gotta get out there. I don’t give a fuck how many videos you got on TV. IF the fans ain’t out there. There’s a lot of mother fuckers on TV that can’t even get a 1000 people out there in the venue. IT don’t make no goddamn sense. You gotta get out there and touch your fans, those that are out there. If you’re good. Some people ain’t even good and got fans. Get out there. It’s the number one thing, get out there and tour. It’s calling politicking. If you want to be the hip-hop president, you gotta get out there and politick, touch your fans, point blank.

Dubcnn: Especially with what you’ve done, being so ahead, I’ve come to ask you this before anyone else. Where do you think all this music stuff is headed? What is the future of the music industry?

Tech N9ne: I think it’s gonna keep getting younger. And as long as there are kids there’s always gonna be that rebellion. Even if the government tries and shuts rap music down, there’s gonna be a black market. Music soothes the soul - music is forever. A lot of people say that a lot of new music they can’t feel. But you got music that you can feel, and not just shit from back in the day. There’s some motherfuckers out there that’s doing music, that you really wanna hear. You don’t have to listen to the shit that’ son the radio if you don’t want to. Music is gonna keep expanding, I’m sorry. To all the people who just listen to country or say rap ain’t real music, it’s real as fuck. If you can look in my eyes and listen to my music and tell me that it ain’t real you can kiss my ass. Because I write my life and I don’t give a fuck what music you like… I like classical, I like metal, I love rock n roll, I love trip hop, I love it all. But you can’t tell me that music is not gonna expand. They can wear tight jeans, they can do whatever the fuck they wanna do but music is gonna keep on expanding and morphing into something else. And I’m gonna be right there with it, still with the painted face, just writing my life. This is something that you’ve never seen, something that you’ve never heard. This is my life, because my life is gonna be different than yours, that’s why you can’t tell me to keep it real. Because everybody’s reality is different. So I’mma keep it real on my level. My world is my own reality. Your world is a different reality. So enjoy my reality, my imperfections, my fuck ups, my insanity, my sadness and gladness, and everything, my one big clusterfuck ... enjoy that. And that’s gonna keep on expanding, until they cut my tongue out, or I die or my legs don’t work or I can’t do the moonwalk no more. Rest in peace Michael Jackson.

Dubcnn: Thanks for the interview, can’t thank you enough. Thanks for all the great music. Before we leave, tell us when the next Strange Music projects are dropping.

Tech N9ne: The next one is Kutt Calhoun, Raw and Unkutt, it’s coming out soon, I don’t know the date Then you’re gonna get my album, Tech N9ne Collabos: The Gates Mixplate. It’s gonna be raw, it’s gonna be a lot lighter, it’s gonna be bright like a motherfucker. It’s not gonna like KOD, so all my KOD fans are gonna be fuck you tech n9ne and I’m gonna be suck my dick I don’t give a fuck. Cause I write my life, as it progresses, ‘cause it’s progressing now. And I said on the last one, The Lost Scripts of KOD, I hope this is my last sad song, because I’m tired of being sad and shit. So you motherfuckers that don’t want me to kick it and don’t want me to drink Caribou Lou, I’m sorry. If you don’t want me to drink KC Tea and love to kick it I’m sorry, this is gonna be my new album. I hope you enjoy it and if you don’t fuck it. You’re gonna have to wait for my next sad day. Because if I can run from that shit as far as I can I will. I’m running towards the light, enjoy me, or not. Who gives a fuck, I love you they love me. Tech N9ne.