Tech N9ne: Killer on the Loose
"Running my own world is a big job," explains Tech N9ne. Between recording, touring and overseeing his label Strange Music, the Kansas City MC has got his hands full, but he’s never at a loss for words. Take his most recent release, last year's double album, Killer. It's a bullet-riddled ride through his twisted psyche, with enough indie edge for the backpackers and the right dose of groove for the nightclub rats. From the rapid-fire verses to the kooky production — and a wide array of guest cameos from Ice Cube and Scarface to (Hed) Planet Earth — Killer slays on numerous levels. This ninth studio offering also pushed Tech's cumulative sales past the one million mark — a massive accomplishment for an indie rapper.
However, Tech hasn’t exactly been resting on his laurels. Once 2009 began, he started prepping a record of collaborations entitled Sickology 101: The Study of Being Sick, which is currently set for a May release, and he’s also planning another solo record in time for Halloween. Even though his slate seems full, Tech says he’s also ready to hop in the booth with Slipknot at any time — you know, if the chance should arise. In this exclusive interview with ShockHound, Tech talks about his new music, his mad love for the 'Knot, and why we'll never see him on reality TV.
SHOCKHOUND: Would you say Killer is more like a movie than an album?
TECH N9NE: That's how my life is. It's three-dimensional like that new My Bloody Valentine movie. I was able to do "Psycho Bitch II" through my experience with those types of chicks. [Laughs] I can give you a dark side there, but I can give you all of my spirituality with "Holier than Thou." This album came from my heart, my soul and my brain. I've been listening to Killer a lot lately, and it's such a wonderful blend of all different types of music.
SHOCKHOUND: Are you a storyteller first and foremost?
TECH N9NE: Totally, I put so much into this music, and I expect people to get it. It's nerve-wracking sometimes when the whole world doesn't get it immediately. It's coming, though. Killer is something that people should not have slept on. It's incredible that Ice Cube, Scarface, Shawnna, Kottonmouth Kings and (hed) p.e. all came through for me on this. We made a well-rounded album.
SHOCKHOUND: So how do you top that with Sickology 101?
TECH N9NE: [Laughs] All I can say is Sickology is different. The next actual Tech N9ne album is going to drop around Halloween. It's called K.O.D. This is the first time I've let anybody know what it's called, but I can't let you know what it stands for. We're going to have some kind of guessing game around the album's release to see if somebody can guess what it means. Sickology is like an appetizer. The last Tech N9ne "collabo" was called Misery Loves Kompany. Most guys do mixtapes. I don't do mixtapes; I do albums. The Tech N9ne "collabos" are ways for me to reach out and collaborate with my people. When a "collabo" like Vintage Tech, MLK or Sickology comes, you know there's another Tech N9ne record coming. The music is changing, and Sickology is going to let you know what direction we're going in. It's a prelude to the next big evolution. I wasn't ready to do another album, but then it starts happening because it's in my veins. What came out is Sickology.
SHOCKHOUND: Who did you collaborate with for Sickology?
TECH N9NE: I worked with Crooked Eye and Chino XL. Messy Marv came through for me on something wonderful. We're waiting on Twista and Trick Daddy, too. It's all in the works.
SHOCKHOUND: Is the pressure on you lessened when you do a collaborations album?
TECH N9NE: Not on this one. [Laughs] I didn't feel like doing another album after Killer. Sickology was hard for me. Then I started getting into it, and the music turned out wonderfully. We're about to leak some of the material on the web, and people are going to freak out because the music's getting bigger. I can't imagine it getting bigger than Killer, but it's getting there. Don't compare the two though. Sickology is different. My last album can't be touched. For K.O.D., I'm going to have to go somewhere way to the left to compete with Killer, because I gave everybody everything on that record.
SHOCKHOUND: Who would you like to collaborate with the most?
TECH N9NE: Hopefully one day I'll get to work with Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Serj Tankian from System of a Down. Corey and I would do something that's pure murder. I want to write something for him on K.O.D. I'm going to see if he'll do it because [Slipknot DJ] Starscream is my home boy. He comes to my shows when I'm in Iowa. Slipknot recently did a show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, and we got backstage and hollered at Starscream. I didn't get to holler at Corey, but I'm going to try to get at him on this next album. K.O.D. is going to be perfect for a song with Slipknot and Tech N9ne.
SHOCKHOUND: How do you juggle recording, running Strange Music and having a family?
TECH N9NE: I don't. That's the sad part about my life — my children. That's how I lost my wife. I sacrifice all my time for the music. My life is music. Any female that loves me is hurt because I'm not there. I'm going to see my youngest on her birthday this year because I'm doing the Paid Dues festival in Los Angeles on March 28. My little girl's birthday is right before the show. I have a home out in L.A. where my wife and kids stay. I try to get out there as much as I can. It's hard trying to balance music with being a father. Daddy's always gone. I belong to my fans, and my kids miss me. Music is how I take care of my kids though. My music is how they can have everything they've got. I put all my time into working for their future. In turn, I've kind of taken from them. It kills me. When my children and I get together, we have the most fun ever. They're the biggest Tech N9ne fans I know. Strange Music is a monster. We do it all — merchandise, touring and production. It's all in house. We have our own world. My music is getting a lot brighter because my life is getting better. At the same time, I'm always going to have that darkness about not having that love like I would like to have it.
SHOCKHOUND: Would you ever want to make your own movie?
TECH N9NE: I think I'm going to do that one day soon. I want to tell my life, but I'm not going die in this story. [Laughs] It's everlasting life in my movie. You know what I'm sizzling? I think people would love to see what my life is like. At the same time, if I told my life story it would hurt a lot of people that love me. I'd have to use discretion, and I'm not good at using discretion. [Laughs] That's what's kept me back. I've been approached about doing a couple reality shows on tour, and I don't want my kids to see that. I know something like that could make me more famous, but I really care what my kids think. They don't want to see daddy on TV grabbing titties, grabbing asses and closing the door with another woman while the bus rocks. My tours are wild, and my kids don't need to see that.
SHOCKHOUND: That shows integrity on your part.
TECH N9NE: Of course I want the whole world to know my name, but we're going to get it the right way. I don't want to exploit myself and my dudes on tour. When you do beautiful music, there's no limit to what women will do. You see a lot of that on TV already. There's the Bret Michaels thing, Rock of Love, Ray-J's got a show about to come out and Flavor Flav, of all people, has a show. You see it there. I don't want to be that dude. I like to watch that stuff and laugh. We haven't even done the movie yet because I'm still living life, and there's no telling what turn it's going to take. I'm going to keep living and writing until we find exactly what we want to do for a movie. I'm sure I'll do one soon, but right now I'm really into my music.
SHOCKHOUND: Are you a big movie fan?
TECH N9NE: I'm a big movie buff. Movies are what I live for. When I have any free time, I'm at the box office. I barely get to watch television because I'm always at the studio. When I have the time off, I'm at the movie theater. If I could see two movies a night, I would. You know how you go out of one movie and go into another? I might be really tired, but I'm that kind of dude. I'm really into the theater. That's my getaway. That's what I love to do. I love the act of going out, paying for the ticket, going to the concession stand, buying the popcorn and the drink, sitting down, watching the previews and the movie. I love movies, but I've never been deep into acting because I have a need to be myself. Although, I did act in this movie coming out with some of the Jackass cats called The Life of a Lucky Cucumber. You'll get to see that and laugh at it!
Link to Article: http://www.shockhound.com/features/384-tech-n9ne--killer-on-the-loose
"Running my own world is a big job," explains Tech N9ne. Between recording, touring and overseeing his label Strange Music, the Kansas City MC has got his hands full, but he’s never at a loss for words. Take his most recent release, last year's double album, Killer. It's a bullet-riddled ride through his twisted psyche, with enough indie edge for the backpackers and the right dose of groove for the nightclub rats. From the rapid-fire verses to the kooky production — and a wide array of guest cameos from Ice Cube and Scarface to (Hed) Planet Earth — Killer slays on numerous levels. This ninth studio offering also pushed Tech's cumulative sales past the one million mark — a massive accomplishment for an indie rapper.
However, Tech hasn’t exactly been resting on his laurels. Once 2009 began, he started prepping a record of collaborations entitled Sickology 101: The Study of Being Sick, which is currently set for a May release, and he’s also planning another solo record in time for Halloween. Even though his slate seems full, Tech says he’s also ready to hop in the booth with Slipknot at any time — you know, if the chance should arise. In this exclusive interview with ShockHound, Tech talks about his new music, his mad love for the 'Knot, and why we'll never see him on reality TV.
SHOCKHOUND: Would you say Killer is more like a movie than an album?
TECH N9NE: That's how my life is. It's three-dimensional like that new My Bloody Valentine movie. I was able to do "Psycho Bitch II" through my experience with those types of chicks. [Laughs] I can give you a dark side there, but I can give you all of my spirituality with "Holier than Thou." This album came from my heart, my soul and my brain. I've been listening to Killer a lot lately, and it's such a wonderful blend of all different types of music.
SHOCKHOUND: Are you a storyteller first and foremost?
TECH N9NE: Totally, I put so much into this music, and I expect people to get it. It's nerve-wracking sometimes when the whole world doesn't get it immediately. It's coming, though. Killer is something that people should not have slept on. It's incredible that Ice Cube, Scarface, Shawnna, Kottonmouth Kings and (hed) p.e. all came through for me on this. We made a well-rounded album.
SHOCKHOUND: So how do you top that with Sickology 101?
TECH N9NE: [Laughs] All I can say is Sickology is different. The next actual Tech N9ne album is going to drop around Halloween. It's called K.O.D. This is the first time I've let anybody know what it's called, but I can't let you know what it stands for. We're going to have some kind of guessing game around the album's release to see if somebody can guess what it means. Sickology is like an appetizer. The last Tech N9ne "collabo" was called Misery Loves Kompany. Most guys do mixtapes. I don't do mixtapes; I do albums. The Tech N9ne "collabos" are ways for me to reach out and collaborate with my people. When a "collabo" like Vintage Tech, MLK or Sickology comes, you know there's another Tech N9ne record coming. The music is changing, and Sickology is going to let you know what direction we're going in. It's a prelude to the next big evolution. I wasn't ready to do another album, but then it starts happening because it's in my veins. What came out is Sickology.
SHOCKHOUND: Who did you collaborate with for Sickology?
TECH N9NE: I worked with Crooked Eye and Chino XL. Messy Marv came through for me on something wonderful. We're waiting on Twista and Trick Daddy, too. It's all in the works.
SHOCKHOUND: Is the pressure on you lessened when you do a collaborations album?
TECH N9NE: Not on this one. [Laughs] I didn't feel like doing another album after Killer. Sickology was hard for me. Then I started getting into it, and the music turned out wonderfully. We're about to leak some of the material on the web, and people are going to freak out because the music's getting bigger. I can't imagine it getting bigger than Killer, but it's getting there. Don't compare the two though. Sickology is different. My last album can't be touched. For K.O.D., I'm going to have to go somewhere way to the left to compete with Killer, because I gave everybody everything on that record.
SHOCKHOUND: Who would you like to collaborate with the most?
TECH N9NE: Hopefully one day I'll get to work with Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Serj Tankian from System of a Down. Corey and I would do something that's pure murder. I want to write something for him on K.O.D. I'm going to see if he'll do it because [Slipknot DJ] Starscream is my home boy. He comes to my shows when I'm in Iowa. Slipknot recently did a show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, and we got backstage and hollered at Starscream. I didn't get to holler at Corey, but I'm going to try to get at him on this next album. K.O.D. is going to be perfect for a song with Slipknot and Tech N9ne.
SHOCKHOUND: How do you juggle recording, running Strange Music and having a family?
TECH N9NE: I don't. That's the sad part about my life — my children. That's how I lost my wife. I sacrifice all my time for the music. My life is music. Any female that loves me is hurt because I'm not there. I'm going to see my youngest on her birthday this year because I'm doing the Paid Dues festival in Los Angeles on March 28. My little girl's birthday is right before the show. I have a home out in L.A. where my wife and kids stay. I try to get out there as much as I can. It's hard trying to balance music with being a father. Daddy's always gone. I belong to my fans, and my kids miss me. Music is how I take care of my kids though. My music is how they can have everything they've got. I put all my time into working for their future. In turn, I've kind of taken from them. It kills me. When my children and I get together, we have the most fun ever. They're the biggest Tech N9ne fans I know. Strange Music is a monster. We do it all — merchandise, touring and production. It's all in house. We have our own world. My music is getting a lot brighter because my life is getting better. At the same time, I'm always going to have that darkness about not having that love like I would like to have it.
SHOCKHOUND: Would you ever want to make your own movie?
TECH N9NE: I think I'm going to do that one day soon. I want to tell my life, but I'm not going die in this story. [Laughs] It's everlasting life in my movie. You know what I'm sizzling? I think people would love to see what my life is like. At the same time, if I told my life story it would hurt a lot of people that love me. I'd have to use discretion, and I'm not good at using discretion. [Laughs] That's what's kept me back. I've been approached about doing a couple reality shows on tour, and I don't want my kids to see that. I know something like that could make me more famous, but I really care what my kids think. They don't want to see daddy on TV grabbing titties, grabbing asses and closing the door with another woman while the bus rocks. My tours are wild, and my kids don't need to see that.
SHOCKHOUND: That shows integrity on your part.
TECH N9NE: Of course I want the whole world to know my name, but we're going to get it the right way. I don't want to exploit myself and my dudes on tour. When you do beautiful music, there's no limit to what women will do. You see a lot of that on TV already. There's the Bret Michaels thing, Rock of Love, Ray-J's got a show about to come out and Flavor Flav, of all people, has a show. You see it there. I don't want to be that dude. I like to watch that stuff and laugh. We haven't even done the movie yet because I'm still living life, and there's no telling what turn it's going to take. I'm going to keep living and writing until we find exactly what we want to do for a movie. I'm sure I'll do one soon, but right now I'm really into my music.
SHOCKHOUND: Are you a big movie fan?
TECH N9NE: I'm a big movie buff. Movies are what I live for. When I have any free time, I'm at the box office. I barely get to watch television because I'm always at the studio. When I have the time off, I'm at the movie theater. If I could see two movies a night, I would. You know how you go out of one movie and go into another? I might be really tired, but I'm that kind of dude. I'm really into the theater. That's my getaway. That's what I love to do. I love the act of going out, paying for the ticket, going to the concession stand, buying the popcorn and the drink, sitting down, watching the previews and the movie. I love movies, but I've never been deep into acting because I have a need to be myself. Although, I did act in this movie coming out with some of the Jackass cats called The Life of a Lucky Cucumber. You'll get to see that and laugh at it!
Link to Article: http://www.shockhound.com/features/384-tech-n9ne--killer-on-the-loose
