Tech N9ne’s live performance at Prince Bandroom featured special guests from his Strange Music roster, chopper style lyrics, crazy fans, and sexual harassment.
I was really pumped to be going to see Tech N9ne. His chopper style lyrics, face paint, and hoards of loyal fans (known as ‘Technicians’) have interested me since I first got into the enigmatic artist. Having the opportunity to interview Tech earlier this year was a real highlight ahead of the live show, which was everything I had hoped it would be – except for his blatant and uncomfortable sexual harassment.
Upon entering the Prince Bandroom in St Kilda, the first thing I noticed was the crowd. The crowd were from all walks of hip-hop life, creating a pretty interesting dynamic; from the hardcore Technicians dressed in red with Strange Music merch, to the weed-smoking chillers blazing up in the corner, to the energetic moshers, up front from the get go, not stopping for a moment throughout.
There were some great support acts which kept up an incredibly high energy. Local MC Zhane White kicked the night off with his fresh take on trap-style hip-hop, followed by Nooky and his pull-no-punches culturally relevant themes. A crowd member offered Nooky an Aboriginal flag, which he proudly donned up on stage. Nooky then brought out fellow Bad Apples heavyweight Birdz, before the full Strange Music team arrived on stage. First came Stevie Stone; everything he did, especially the hype track Jump, set the crowd crazy. After Stevie Stone, DJ Picasso started teasing the crowd by playing Tech N9ne tracks, which, coupled with the lighting guy dimming the lights and focusing them on the stage, made the crowd very antsy.
Tech finally bounded on stage, delivering his high intensity chopper style lyrics that he is so famous for, and the place went off. Tech introduced fellow rapper Krizz Kaliko and left him the stage, returning to drop Am I A Psycho and launching next into Riot Maker. Tech and Krizz shared the stage pretty evenly throughout – Krizz features in a lot of Tech’s songs and it was a refreshing change to see the hype man role fulfilled by someone with such a singing/ rapping talent. Every now and then, Krizz got to do his own songs and Tech left him the stage. Tech leaving a few times did seem a bit weird until he mentioned that he had been drinking since 10 a.m. and was still drinking now (which explained the need for Krizz to do his own songs: Tech needed another drink).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v1zuIYNoFw
There was something odd that I noticed about Tech – when he rapped, only the bottom half of his jaw moved, as if he was a puppet. Then it hit me: the mask. When I spoke with Tech in July, he mentioned that he was working with Slipknot’s mask maker to get a Worldly Angel mask made so he didn’t have to endure the hours of face-paint before each show. I was excited to see the mask, but it did take a certain element away from the performance. Not being able to see his face and facial expressions was weird; cool, yes, and unique, but weird all the same.
Tech is an remarkable performer with incredible mic control. His ability to spit at that velocity (especially after a supposed 10 hours of drinking) was phenomenal. I’ve seen Bone Thugs do it, but they share each track. Tech does the whole track on his own, and it is remarkably impressive. The night was going so well – until it got awkward.
Krizz thanked everyone for buying his CDs, and said that he used to be bullied, but that now he is famous, he can ‘fuck their girlfriends’ – wait, what? His story started off almost emotional and uplifting, but then I felt like he was just being a dick. Lots of people laughed, but it was uncomfortable for many more. Krizz then invited all the girls up on to the stage while he sang Talk Up On It, and the crowd started to dance and stomp to the beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvLpB9rqr-c
Tech then re-joined Krizz and asked the crowd for ‘all the fine ass females to get on some shoulders.’ Once a few women were up as requested, cheering, he then asked them to ‘show him their titties’. When nobody complied, he – and I forget his exact words – said something to the extent of, ‘if you aren’t going to show me, then sit your ass down.’ A few women dropped back down, but others stayed up. Tech focused his attention on one woman in particular who had stayed up on someone’s shoulders, repeating again that she should ‘sit her ass down’ if she wasn’t going to flash. The women all eventually climbed back down – Tech just wouldn’t leave them alone.
The bit was explained moments later when Tech went on to sing his track Areola, for which women have been known to throw their bras on stage (Tech has donated the bras he received to a domestic violence organisation). Women flashing their breasts during this song has become his signature performance during his live shows – but it’s a fine line between something which is a bit of fun for a crowd in the moment, and continuous blatant harassment, which is what I witnessed at his Melbourne show last week. It was appalling and immensely awkward, permanently shifting the atmosphere of the night.
There was definite discomfort in the crowd, and while it predominantly recovered when he followed Areola with Speedom and WWC, two of his most popular tracks, I couldn’t shake the bad moment. Tech and Krizz then brought Stevie Stone back and the trio performed Hood Go Crazy, which the crowd loved. Tech then finished up with a speech, saying he will never change, referring to his mask and persona and non-commercial status. He closed the show with his new single, Erbody But Me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY0Mk9kTs8M
I have been to a lot of hip-hop shows and yes, it is true that there are many derogratory lyrics and stage banter in hip-hop. But these days, I find artists tend to be leaning away from performing their particularly degrading tracks – this year, none of the shows I have been to have featured their most offensive songs. Tech N9ne live was one of the great hip-hop experiences; his talent is undeniable, but his unnecessary harassment of women is unnacceptable. I know that the setup for Areola seems to have worked at a number of his shows, but there’s a less offensive way to do it, and that is not harrassing and humiliating women who just want to enjoy a concert without being objectified or pressured into taking off their clothes.
Image: Supplied
Tech N9ne is one of the most successful independent rappers of all time. His unique ability to blend genres is something that few can do, and none can do as well as Tech. Tech N9ne has been rapping since the late ‘90s, and started his label, Strange Music, in 1999 – the same year as his first album, The Calm Before The Storm. Since then, Tech has maintained his independence and largely avoided the eye of the mainstream. In 2011, Tech made a song called Love Me Tomorrow, which appeared on one of his most successful albums to date, All 6’s And 7’s; in the track, Tech says, “I told my fans, that, I told them this years ago/ I said Tech will never go mainstream, mainstream will go Tech.”
And, to date, Tech has only had one single played on mainstream radio: Hood Go Crazy, from his latest album Special Effects. This has only fuelled the fire beneath Tech N9ne and encouraged him to start work on his biggest album so far, The Storm, which is only a few months away from dropping.
I caught up with Tech N9ne to ask him about his upcoming album and Australian tour.
Thanks for taking my call, Tech, what you up to today?
I’m at my home in KC sitting by the pool in my jacuzzi, drinking Country Time mixed with Grey Goose vodka.
(Was really hoping he was going to say ‘151 rum, pineapple juice and Malibu). Sounds good. I’ve just woken up from a big night, so I’m not quite back on it yet.
What time is it over there, man?
8:30 in the morning.
8:30 in the morning, damn. It’s like 5:30 in the evening over here, dude.
So you’re just getting started?
Totally man, I’ve got a full day ahead, I’ve just been writing all day and just started this and I’ll probably go to the movies later.
Oh yeah? You been writing for the new album or a new project?
Yeah, I’m writing for my new album, The Storm. I don’t think I have the perfect storm yet, so I’m still going after 19 songs.
Are we still set for a September release? Or are you just taking your time with it?
Well, I don’t know man, I’m trying to get done, man. I hope I make September 9th, but it’s right around the corner, you know?
Yeah, it’s coming up fast. I’m looking forward to the album, even if it comes a bit later.
Thanks, man. It’s gotta be my best, because Special Effects was like murder, you know what I mean? I mean, I had Eminem on there. I had everybody: T.I., Zuse, everybody – Corey Taylor of Slipknot.
The track with Corey Taylor, Wither, is probably my favourite track on that album.
Yeah man, Wither is like one of my favourites, dude. I’ve been waiting to do that song for over 10 years and that song means so much to me; that song means the same to me as the one with Eminem. Speedom and Wither were a long time coming for an independent artist like myself and when the artists do it for no charge, that is a feeling that can’t be matched.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDrh5p6wsEA
So they just did it to work with Tech N9ne?
Yeah, man can you believe that? (chuckles)
His phone starts ringing. Hold on man! Krizz Kaliko is calling me, hold on.
There was then a cool/ creepy interlude as I eavesdropped on one side of his phone call with Strange Music crony Krizz Kaliko:
Krizz, I’m on my Australian interviews bro, what’s crackin? I’m doin’ these interviews from now until about 8pm… I’m out by my pool. I’m going to go see a movie tonight.
(silence)
Oh damn (laughs) – call me, man, call me around 8:30.
Sorry man, maybe I should turn my ringer off? That was Krizz Kaliko, he said he’s trying to get out tonight and I’m like dude I’ve already got plans.
You don’t think he can sway you?
*Laughs* Yeah, he can, he wants to go party, you know? But my house is the party house, so…
So he will probably just pop by huh?
Yeah he will. We just got back from The Gathering of The Juggalos. We did the festival the day before yesterday in Legend Valley, Ohio, and we killed it, that’s why I have no voice today cause I’m like (screams) “Evil brain, angel heart” – I’ve been screaming like that, you know what I’m saying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfbIhUYXzQ8
It looks like a wild day, that festival.
Yeah man, its beautiful.
So your new album, The Storm – is that named as a reference to your first album, The Calm Before The Storm?
Exactly.
Is it something you have been building to?
Yes! I knew after Special Effects that me calling it The Storm, 20 years later, will push me to do the best music. And that’s why it’s taking me so long, because I’m second guessing some shit. I’m like ‘I dunno, oh yes, maybe, ah, no, ah, I don’t have it yet’ – you know what I’m saying? So I’ve got the first song, and I’ve got the last song, and I’ve got a lot of songs in the middle, but I gotta make sure the songs in the middle… are actually better than anything I’ve ever done *nervous laugh*. I’ve gotta do the best I can do, but I’m also rapping against Tech N9ne and that’s horrible – I gotta rap against myself.
You’re putting a bit of pressure on yourself.
Yeah man, you know I just can’t do music like, ‘ok we just gonna do this for radio,’ I can’t do that shit, I gotta try to stay here. I told people and my fans that I was Alucard everlasting. Alucard is Dracula backwards, so that means I can never die, and if I can never die then I can’t have no whack album that puts me down from the best number one independent rapper in the world. I have to keep that title, and that title has to go up, so not just the number one independent rapper in the world, but the number one rapper in the world, you know! I’m trying to be that, and it’s hard. I’m trying to be that in a world where music is free, because of Spotify and Google Play. I’m trying to do that where music is free and I’m still going, where some people would give up because their business can’t last through the peanuts that streaming pays as opposed to physical products.
And I love what the fans are taking in. We don’t get what we used to get since streaming has taken over. So what do you call the guy who’s still making the best music he can, when he knows he’s only going to get peanuts. That’s insanity *laughs* – but I love music. And when I started, I pretty much would have done it for free anyway. So we keep going because we love the fans to have something that they can keep forever. All my albums, if you think about it, like Anghellic, Absolute Power, Everready, like 6’s And 7’s, Special Effects, Something Else and all these albums man, they’re forever! You can go back to them at anytime. You can go back to Anghellic from when I first started and listen to Einstein or This Ring and be like, wow! Or you can fast forward all the way up to Speedom, or Lacrimosa, or Aw Yeah? (InterVENTion), and be like, ‘wow man! 16 years, Strange Music and he’s still doing shit and still current!’ That’s a beautiful feeling.
It’s the same from a fan point of view, every time Tech drops something, it’s just as good, most of the time it’s better than the last. You don’t stop, man, and we appreciate it.
Thanks, man, and you’ll know if I start slacking. I know I did a song called Slacker back in 2002, but you’ll know when I start slacking. I don’t want to do that, I’ve heard MCs do it before, not lyrically but musically. If you start slacking musically and start not wanting to pay for the beats and shit like that man, people will hear it and be like ‘eh, we heard that before.’ So I’m trying to keep people from saying ‘eh, we heard that before.’
You mentioned your track Aww Yeah (InterVENTion) before. How did it feel to have Anonymous contact you after you gave them a little shout out in that track?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjePEw1oKlQ
It was the best feeling in the world. When you can see their power and you can see what they can do and their people, they chose me and I talk to them every other week. I don’t care what nobody thinks, that’s my family. We are planning something … and, you know, I am on their team, they’re on my team, you know what I’m sizzling. I have no fear because they represent love and represent trying to better everything. They want things that are just, not things that are unjust. And that’s why I am connected with Anonymous. When they have a problem, they text me, and say, ‘Tech this is what’s happening to us man, and it’s unjust.’ And you know what I say? ‘What y’all wanna do?’ Whatever it is. My kids are grown, they cool. So I can be reckless, I don’t give a fuck. Yo! Everybody I love from back in the past is trying to take money from me, so I’m being hurt from my loved ones, so I don’t give a fuck. Let’s go, if it’s for love, I’m going.
Do you think people are looking at you differently since the Anonymous contact, or do most people see the love both of you bring?
I don’t care, if you’re not with love, then fuck you, man. If you ain’t down for loving everybody, no matter their skin tone, no matter their religious beliefs, no matter their sexual preferences, no matter whatever, then fuck you! You don’t need to talk to me, I don’t care what they think. I haven’t heard anything negative like, ‘oh Tech is connected to Anonymous, da da da.’ They don’t even know what we are about to do, all they know is that we talked. They don’t know what we talked about, nobody knows.
Right! I tried to find some information out there to speak to you about, and there is nothing out there, like nothing, you guys have kept it 100% secret.
*Laughs a lot* Nobody knows. Only we know. They came to Kansas City and we met, that’s all I can say.
That’s awesome, I look forward to it, whatever it is you guys have going on.
Me too, man.
Tech N9ne got his name given to him by rapper Black Walt; he named him after the semi-automatic gun Tec-9, because of his ‘chopper’ style raps. Tech is largely responsible for the fast rap style becoming popular in the late ’90s.
I’ve always wanted to ask you, man, is it hard to write ‘chopper’ style lyrics?
Oh yes, oh my god. I hate that I did it to myself. I remember the world got a whiff of me in 1998 when I did a song called Questions on the Gang Related soundtrack, Tupac’s last screen performance.
Tech then rapped Questions for me:
‘Do I wanna stick em with another hit up out of abyss?/ Why?/ I’m at the pinnacle when I rip it I’ma kill em in this/ Why?/ Do I wanna stick em with another hit up out of abyss?/ Why?/ I’m at the pinnacle when I rip it I’ma kill em in this.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vejvnRwDuAk
It’s like I did it to myself. So now when anybody sends me a song, whether its Crooked I, or I do a song with Eminem, or I do a song with Kendrick Lamar, whether I do a song with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, or a song with Twista, or I do a song with anybody, they all want me to go: *raps Worldwide Choppers* Follow me, all around the planet, I run the gamut on Sickology/ They could never manage, we do damage wit’ no apology/ Pick ‘em off the planet, got little manic ’cause I gotta be/ Frantic, I’ma jam it ’cause I’m an oddity).
God dammit! Do you know how hard that is to write? It’s fucked up, man, and when I’m writing it I’m like, ‘ahh.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GhbkrOg9gA
I just did a song with Mac Lethal, and what do you think Mac Lethal sent me? He’s going ‘bucka bucka bucka’ you know, everybody knows how he does. He did the Pancakes thing ‘look at me now’ or whatever, it’s like I’m making pancakes and he’s like ‘bucka bucka’. He got on Ellen for doing that, so what do you think he sent me the other week? So I had to go. I was running from it for months, I was like ‘damn man,’ I was on tour and I have to chop with Mac Lethal man, cause it has to be really elite. He’s one of those MCs where you just can’t slouch and I’ve never been a slouch, so when I was ready, I did it. But every time I get a verse or a feature with somebody, I am kicking myself in the ass. *Laughs*
If I was as cool as Snoop when I came out, like *raps slowly* ‘one-two-three into the four, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre is at the door, ready to make an entrance so back on up, cause you know we about to rip shit up, give me the microphone first,’ you know, if I kept it cool like Snoop it wouldn’t be so hard *laughs*. Everybody want me to go ‘bop-bop-bop’ but the thing is, I do it well. So I appreciate people acknowledging me, especially the guys that have been doing it long, like Twista, like Bone Thugs, to acknowledge me out of all the spitters, and there are other spitters that go even faster like, Twisted Insane, there’s a lot of them.
I’ve seen Bone Thugs live, and to see that style live is just fucking incredible.
Yeah, man!
So I really look forward to seeing Tech do it later this year. I keep missing you.
Let me tell you… it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen. You think you saw all the double time, and triple time, and quadruple time spitters – nope, not until you’ve seen Tech N9ne. *Laughs like a seal* Yeah that’s like the Revenge of The Nerds laugh; I can do it better, but I don’t have no voice, because of the Gathering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVpnUHGpFDk
When we see you out here in November, will you still be donning face paint? Or do you have a mask now?
Here’s the thing, this is what I can tell you. Nobody will be able to tell if it’s face paint or it’s a mask… People are thinking like, ‘oh my god, he’s going to be without the face paint, he’s changing, I told you, he’s sold out’ – no! It’s going to look just like the face paint and nobody is going to be able to tell once I get it. I’m just going to go on Instagram, mark my words, I’m going to be on Instagram once I get it made and I’m going to be talking, then I’m going to take it off. And people are going to be like what? I’m going to be like, ‘yeah! Y’all thought it was face paint.’ It looks just like the Worldly Angels face paint man, I don’t want anything different. It just takes two and half hours to get painted … and back then I had hair, so it stopped at my hairline, but now that I don’t have hair, it goes all the way back. So it just takes a while for what I want.
So yeah, nobody’s going to know, I ain’t gonna say nothing. Because people are making such a big fuss, like ‘that makes you Tech’ but what I’m getting made looks just like it.
Tech then started interviewing me.
Hey, are you kin to Ozzy Osbourne man?
No, I don’t think so.
*Laughs* How do you know that? How do you know that your ancestors don’t go back to Ozzy and them?
You know, we could be. I haven’t looked into it.
Yeah, maybe you can get into Sabbath shows for free and shit. (Laughs) I know I’d try, I’d be like ‘yo my last name is Osbourne I gotta go check this out.’ Unless you got married and you took your wife’s last name like Alex Smith and shit *laughs*. What city are you in, Alex?
I’m in Melbourne.
Melbourne, hell yeah! I’m gonna be there on my birthday, bro! What’s up? Let’s turn up!
Sweet, that’s the show I’ll come to.
Fuck yeah! November 8th my n***a, November 8th my n***a, I’m gonna be there.
I’ll be there too.
Let’s go, brother.
Tech N9ne will be on tour in Australia in November, so ‘let’s turn up’ to the dates below.
- Saturday, 5th November – Metro City, Perth
- Sunday, 6th November – The Gov, Adelaide
- Monday, 7th November – Prince Bandroom, Melbourne
- Tuesday, 8th November (Tech N9ne’s birthday) – Prince Bandroom, Melbourne
- Friday, 11th November – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
- Saturday, 12th November – Manning Bar, Sydney
- Sunday, 13th November – Manning Bar, Sydney
Tickets are available here.
Image: Ticketek
It’s become a “thing” to do at a Tech N9ne show – throwing your bra on stage when he plays Areola. Having been a staple in his set for some time now, Tech would have received more than his fair share of bras in his time, but it was only recently revealed that he was actually collecting them.
No, it’s not perverted. Tech and his crew have been collecting these bras (quite literally hundreds of them), as was revealed this week after he donated them to survivors of family and domestic violence. Hope House is in Kansas City, where Tech N9ne is also from, and is a shelter for abused women. Taking to Instagram, the rapper disclosed just how close to home this issue is for him and the decision behind the donation.
“I told them how I was one of those kids that had to witness my mom getting beat by an old boyfriend back when I was in 3rd and 4th grade and how we were always running to a relatives house to get away from him.I told them how at one point we had to run all the way over to KCK and stayed in a house right on Quindaro for a while cause he beat her really bad that time so I had to do a bit of fourth grade over there in KCK at an elementary school called Benjamin Banneker.”
Tech N9ne also spoke to XXL, saying that it was “beautiful” that having a song like Areola has now led to this. “It’s beautiful that what started out as a fun party song with Areola at my shows and thousands of beautiful women throwing their bras on stage turned into us donating all of them to the Hope House for a bigger purpose.”
“No woman deserves to be abused, I’m glad we could help make a difference,” he said.
There is an interview from the day still to come, but for now take a listen to the song that made it all happen below – bra or no bra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSuaAHY5kcs
Image via YouTube