TECH N9NE (PART 2) (July 2008) | Interview By: Nima Etminan

       Dubcnn reached out to Kansas City's own Tech N9ne for an in-depth 2-part interview to get the full scoop on his new album "Killer" as well as everything else surrounding Tecca Nina. In Part 1, we discussed the making of "Killer" along with the stories behind some of the tracks. Tech told us why he wants to get his music to a broader audience, talked about the industry, getting his respect and what he thinks of rappers complaining about the state of Hip-Hop.

We also talked about a possible Nnutt Howze project, Brotha Lynch Hung, Stamina 2, QD3 and his wildest drug escapades.

This is Part 2 where we talk about his track with 2Pac "Thugz Get Lonely Too", working with Crooked I and Chino XL and his relationship (or non-relationship) with Don Juan and Vell Bakardy. Tech also tells us about Yukmouth and The Regime, working with fellow Mid-Westers Twista and Krayzie Bone, his trademark ad-lib "chah!" and of course about the future of Tech N9ne.

As always we have both the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com
 

Interview was done in July 2008.

Questions Asked By : Nima Etminan

Tech N9ne Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here

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Related Media:

Tech N9ne - Everybody Move
Tech N9ne - Why You Ain't Call Me?
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Dubcnn: Something that's always brought up when talking about Tech N9ne is the 2Pac song "Thugs Get Lonely Too". What's the correct story behind that track? From what I heard, 'Pac had asked QD3 to put you on the song before he died?

Well, I was working with QD3 and of course, he did music with 2Pac. He did "To Live & Die In L.A." and all that kind of stuff. While he was working with 'Pac, before his death, QD3 always said that 'Pac loved what I did. I had met 'Pac in '92 at the Hilton in Atlanta and I saw him again when I moved to L.A. in '93 doing shit with Jimmy Jam and Terry Louis, I saw him a lot during that summer.

We never got to work with each other though. When I started working with QD3, he told "Pac always wanted to work with you!" When he died, they called me not too long after that and said asked me "Do you want to do a song with Pac?" I was like "What do you mean?" They told me they had a song called "Thugz Get Lonely Too" and wanted me on a verse. I told them I would be honored to do it and then I think it came out like on Makaveli 5 or whatever.


Dubcnn: I believe you had a collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Crooked I called "Crookz N Doggz", which never got properly released. When was that recorded?

I don't even remember nothing like that! I think that's something the fans put together!


Dubcnn: I had a interview with Crooked I a few years ago and he actually talked about that song.

I must've done too many drugs, cause I always wanted to work with Crooked I man and I don't recall working with him! *asks someone* Did I do something with Crooked I man? I would've known that! Because we met through the Wake Up Show! I don't remember ever doing something with him! That sounds so familiar though, "Crooks & Doggs", so familiar!


Dubcnn: I know I heard it before and I remember Crooked I talking about it. *pulls up interview with Crooked I from '03* I asked him "I'd really like to hear you with Tech N9ne, I think you and him would spit some fire together", and he said "I did a song with Tech N9ne where he did the hook, I did a rap and Snoop Dogg did a rap, produced by King Tech from Sway & Tech."

Ohh, then that's probably what they did! They probably just put one of the verses I dropped on the track and never told me! Yeah man, cause I was doing music with King Tech and them for a minute, I was dropping verses, you know? Shit, they probably just used my voice or something, I don't care though that's dope!


Dubcnn: You named Crooked I as one of the MC's you'd pick for "World War III" rap battle type situation in a MTV interview, can we expect you and him to collaborate in future?

I hope so, brother! I'm gonna collaborate with a lot of folks man, so everybody gets to know who I am! Crooked I would be one of them, I would love to do music with him. He's insanely dope.


Dubcnn: Another artist you had picked was Chino XL. Chino was also featured in the T9X Documentary, but so far the Wake Up Show anthem has been the only collaboration. Is there anything planned for the future?

Nah ain't nothing planned, but those are the cats that can go. Everybody I named on that MTV thing you can bet I ain't just come off the top of the head and named them. Nah, these are cats that I've met throughout my career, that I know can go lyrically, wordplay and everything. Those niggas are beasts. Those two cats that you just named, Crooked I and Chino XL, they fit that description.


Dubcnn: Back when you guys did the "Wake Up Show" anthem, did you expect Eminem to become as big as he did?

Yes I did! I knew his style was not like anybody else's. I had never heard anybody rap like that, rhyming words like that! He was the king of wordplay man! *raps Eminem's verse from the Wake Up Show Anthem* You know what I'm saying? That's the first thing I heard him say and it fucked my head up! We got our deals at the same time, he signed with Dre and I signed with Quincy Jones, it's just that I signed something a little bit different. *laughs*


Dubcnn: I know he was supposed to jump on the song "My World" with you and Brotha Lynch, how come that never materialized?

He was going through a lot of things at the time man, we couldn't get him on the song.


Dubcnn: That was when Proof died right?

Yeah, Proof had died, him and Kim had broken up, a lot of things. I got to feel that, you can't be mad at nothing like that. His life was in shambles, why the hell would he wanna work and do any kind of music. The muthafucka is a fuckin' multi-millionaire, so I understand. Everything has its time and everything is meant. If it's meant to happen, it will happen.

Until then, I can't dictate, I can't say if I'll ever work with the guy, but I'd love to, I love to work with muthafuckas that are equally talented. I'd love to do work with Lil Wayne too, even though some of my fans put us against each other, when we can not be compared! But it's like, I love greatness and those people that are great, only time will tell and I shall be in the midst of all those other great artists.


Dubcnn: Now a crew that you've been involved with for years is The Regime, with Yukmouth. A Regime album has been long overdue, I heard Yuk is planning on putting out an album called "Regime - Dragon Gang", will you be involved in that?

I don't know, I ain't never heard about that! But if it's got anything to do with the Regime, I will be there!


Dubcnn: How come there haven't been more Regime tracks done over the last years?

Because whenever you put two bosses together, it's gonna be hard to get them in the same spot at the same time, all the time! While he's in Japan, I might be in Denmark or something! We're working, we're moving, that's why we linked cause we're both bosses and game recognize game! He taught me how to move!


Dubcnn: What was going through your mind when you did that verse on his "Godzilla" album where you went like "I'm sick, as a muthafucka, bitch you a muthafucka" you know what I'm talking about?

*raps* I'ma kill you muthafuckas, it's a muthafuckin' shame how the muthafucka came grabbed my muthufuckin name and get to blowin' out ya muthafuckin brains!


Dubcnn: That's the one I'm talking about!

*laughs* What was going through my head was the word muthafucka! Ahahahaha. That's what that beat made me want to do!


Dubcnn: When I heard that I was like man, this dude is out of here.

*laughs* Yeah I love that man! I'm glad Yuk loved it enough to use it! Because I was just busting some shit, using muthafucka in a different way, using it to death! *laughs* Muthafuckas who hate me, muthafuck you! *laughs*


Dubcnn: How much old unreleased Tech N9ne music is still locked in the vaults from the early 90's?

Shit, if I could count them, I'd tell you brother! I mean, they're gonna hit the surface, real soon.


Dubcnn: Is that right?

Yeah, man! We got a lot of shit, IcyRoc got a lot of shit.


Dubcnn: I was about to ask you about IcyRoc, he probably got a gang of shit in the vaults!

Yeah, we was doing music man! Only they could tell you that. IcyRoc got a lot, Don Juan got a lot, Black Walt got some shit... Whoever I did music with, QD3 got some shit, you name it! I'm out there, man!


Dubcnn: I know you've been asked this a lot before, but I gotta ask it again. With Don Juan, is there any chance of you and him settling your differences and making music again?

Fuck nah! Fuck nah! That's just how I feel right now man. Fuck no. I'm still holding a grudge. It's all good, much love to the brother, but fuck no!


Dubcnn: What about Vell Bakardy?

Fuck nah! He's crazy, I don't want to work with crazy people, I'm crazy enough myself! Fuck no. Fuck no I won't work with Don Juan, fuck no I won't work with Vell Bakardy. It ain't nothing personal - well it is something personal. I let it all go, I'm trying to go forward not backwards, yaddadamean!


Dubcnn: A producer who you worked with frequently on earlier albums was Ronnz from Berlin, you did some great music to his beats, are you still in touch with him?

No, I don't know! They said he had to get a job or something and he had to stop doing music and dissapeared! Now I'm hearing that he's looking for me, but I ain't hard to find! Let's do it Ronnz, where you at bro?


Dubcnn: Krizz Kaliko's album "Virtiligo" recently dropped, how has the feedback to that been so far?

Man he's been selling out the through the roof, they're loving it! It's being received real well man, real well. It's a wonderful album and I'm glad that I was able to be a part of it and put it out man!


Dubcnn: Are you guys still planning the Kabosh group project with a full band?

We're totally planning to do Kabosh and it will happen. We just gotta find the time... Here's the thing: we have to get a total band! Not just one band and tell them to play what we're thinking. Nah, we got to get real good musicians and it has to be a certain stipulation that I don't wanna really release just yet, cause the stipulation might cause a lot of drama. It's gonna be controversial, put it like that.

I got a couple of drummers in mind, I haven't found a bass guitar or a lead guitar yet, we're trying to find keyboard players, more drummers, violin players, we're trying to go all the way man! Thus far, we just got a couple of drummers in mind. So we got a way to go, hopefully we can do this quick! We keep running into folks that say they wanna be a part of it, so we're still gonna do it, it's just about having the time to find a band and put it together, you know?


Dubcnn: I'm sure when it's right, it's gonna happen! What's the current status on Strange Music, I heard you signed Ill Bill to the label?

Yeah that's what we're doing man! It's not final yet, but that's our newest recruit. I'm very proud to have him on our team, everything that comes with Ill Bill is lyrical, everybody that comes with Ill Bill is lyrical. So I'm proud to even have that caliber of a MC on our label, you feel me?


Dubcnn: When can we expect Ill Bill's "The Hour Of Reprisal" album to come out?

I don't know, we had to push it back a couple of times because of legal work on their end. Soon after that, you're gonna get it immediately, cause the album is done, my friend!


Dubcnn: Will Liquid Assassin's solo album be dropping through Strange Music?

I hope so! I told him to submit it to me and Travis as soon as he finishes it and then we're gonna check it out! Of course, he's family so he gets first dibs!


Dubcnn: I know Twista was supposed to be on the "Welcome To The Midwest" track but didn't end up being on it. However, you guys collaborated on Prozak's album together, can we expect more tracks from Twista and Tecca Nina in future?

I hope so man, I think me and him could be something really huge in the future. For "Welcome To The Midewst", he actually did the verse, but we never got the business taken care of in time. Time is a hella factor for him and for us, so that one didn't get to come through, but it was dope! Krizz Kaliko filled in and it was dope too! So on a Tech N9ne album or on a Twista album I'm sure that I'm either gonna be on his or him on mine in the near future - or both!


Dubcnn: Another Midwest artist that fans would love to see you work with is Krayzie Bone. You did that song "Thug Pit" and I think you also toured together, and Krayzie Bone mentioned you when talking about bringing the Midwest together, what's up with some tracks from you and Krayzie Bone?

That's what he said man! He told me he wanted to do a project and get all Midwest cats on it and wanted me to be a part of it! I said "Whenever you need me, brother!" Bone-Thugs & Harmony is my family, after we toured they became my family. As well as DMX, so all those people that we clicked with when we was on tour, we became family. So if they need anything from me, they got that shit, you feel me?


Dubcnn: A topic that you talked about a lot in your songs is your acceptance within the black community, where you said before that your music wasn't considered "black", how has that evolved? Has it changed since "Come Gangsta"?

It's changing right before my eyes! I think MLK had a lot to do with it, Misery Loves Kompany, my Tech N9ne collabos album. I think that had a lot to do with it. Also with me being back in Kansas City connecting with all people, but especially my people, people that I had lost since 2001 with the release of "Anghellic", when they said that I was a devil worshipper. They just had to tap into the new Tech N9ne music to know that I am different, but I am something that you could live with for the rest of your life.

All my albums, when you listen to them, it takes you back to the place where you were at that time. So everything they missed, I'm sure my new music will make them get everything they missed. It's wonderful to have everybody acknowledging me now. If I'm supposed to be for everybody, then the people that I lost become my mission, to get them back. The people that have been on me for the longest, I love them for recognizing real music. For the people I lost, I made them my mission to get them back. I think it worked!


Dubcnn: I know you recently got off tour with Paul Wall, do you have any tours planned after "Killer" comes out?

Yeah man! We got one starting July 28th with the Kottonmouth Kings and (hed) p.e., X-Clan, Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, yadadamean? It never stops, my friend! Then shortly after that we're doing the Strictly Strange tour which will have Skatterman and Snug Brim on it, hopefully Ill Bill will be on it with Slaine, Big Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, it just keeps going! It don't stop!


Dubcnn: Any plans of going overseas?

Hell yeah! I'm about to come over, everybody has been at us! I told Travis, let's go! That's the motto of this year, let's go, I got to get over there! It's a place that I've been trying to get to for a long long time. All it takes is for the promoter to have some muthafuckin' balls and get me in one of those clubs that can hold 1,000 or more. I know they say I'm a riot maker or whatever, but shit, I bring love homie! I bring hardcore music and love, dude, how can you go wrong with that? I tell people I'ma walk every piece of this earth before I die homie!

How am I gonna work with Ronnz from Berlin and not be able to go over there to thank those people that bought the album? I'm supposed to be able to thank them and the way I thank my fans is to go where they are. It's all about the promoters, all they gotta do is call Travis and say "Hey! This is what we can do, this is how big the place is, this is how much I can pay, what do you think?"


Dubcnn: I personally haven't had the chance to catch you live yet, but I've heard good things about Tech N9ne shows. How has your stage performance evolved through the last years and how do you get the crowd hyped up?

My music, my presence, along with Big Krizz Kaliko and Kutt Calhoun, the scenario with the lights, the energy off top. I mean if you listen to "Einstein", you'll hear the energy, or if you go to "Psycho Bitch", you'll hear the energy. "This Ring", even though it's calmer, just imagine someone being able to execute that on the stage, with ease. I'm not calling my job easy because it's hard as hell to do it, but with ease, getting it to the crowd. It don't sound shitty.

What you can expect from a Tech N9ne show is total energy. If I had to label my show and my music with one word, it would be "loud", or actually "louder", that's what my shows are now. Now you got shit like "Bout To Bubble" on top of that old shit, you got "Night & Day", "Caribou Lou", "Riot Maker", louder! It used to be loud, but now what you can expect is louder, two syllables.


Dubcnn: What can fans expect from Tech N9ne after this album? What's the next step for you?

Tech N9ne collabos part two, I'm gonna do that this month! *laughs* Travis is trying to drop it in February or March. The only reason I'm saying Travis is putting it out is cause I'm always on the road. I'm Vice President, Strange Music is putting it out, but Travis is really the nigga that's behind all that shit, the dates and everything. I can take no credit for that shit, he got that shit.


Dubcnn: What will Tech N9ne be doing when he's 50, 60 years old?

Fucking bitches. *laughs* Haaa! I could say it nicer, I ain't gonna say "fucking bitches", I'ma say... being with really beautiful women, still. That's my vice, a beautiful woman is my vice. Beautiful smile, beautiful eyes, beautiful skin, beautiful lips, legs, you know how it go. So 50 or 60... I mean Quincy Jones is still kicking it like a donkey! He be having foreign bitches on his jock and he's 70-something! So just imagine what I'ma be at 50, I'm a monster! I'll have a house somewhere on an island, on Fiji or something, I'll just be taking trips with 6-7 bitches and party! Haaa!


Dubcnn: We'll have to talk when it's that time and you'll tell us your stories!

Exactly. I'll probably be getting hot water from a bitch at that moment! *laughs*


Dubcnn: As a last question, when did you first come up with your trademark ad-lib "chaah"?

I really don't know when it happened to me! But, I think it started with Nnutt Howze, it had to start then. I recall IcyRoc and White Boy Will making fun of me about the "chaah". It started as a burst of energy, it's the word "yeah" but without the "y" but with a "ch" to give it more impact. Like Michael Jackson says "chomon" instead of "come on", it's the same thing! It' "yeah" but it's "chah", it's a burst of confidence, burst of energy. I just said something hardcore, chaaah nigga! That's still what it is! I have no idea how long I've been doing it, but I know it's been a looong time, more than 10 years I'll tell you that.


Dubcnn: I can dig it. Before we go, is there anything else you'd like to let everybody know?

Yeah, I want people to know that they're supposed to celebrate life, because people are trying to blow this place up over money, over materialistic shit, yadadamean? That's why we have that shit going on in Iraq. If people loved more and kicked it, we wouldn't be at war. So celebrate life, Jim Morrisson of The Doors said it a long time ago, he said "I know one thing man, I'm gonna have my kicks before the whole shit house goes up in flames" and I knew what he was talking about back then and it's still relevant right now. So celebrate life.
 

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