The Urban Daily recently conducted an interview with Tech N9ne. In this interview Tech N9ne discusses topics including, wanting more black people at his shows, retirement, alienating some groups of people, and more.
You can check out this full interview below. Tech N9ne is currently headlining the Independent Grind Tour.
Tech N9ne is not satisfied. Despite leading a diverse roster of multi-talented artists with all the money, power and respect that years in the game and an awesome catalog have earned him, the MC is still after one simple thing.
“I’m still working on my people, black folks,” the Strange Music CEO says in earnest. “I’m doing research out here on the road right now. My music is for everybody man. And when it’s just my people missing? Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot of my people are trickling in now, but it’s not how it’s supposed to be. My music is for everybody, so everybody is supposed to be there. True, indeed my shows are melting pots but they could be more of a melting pot. There’s a lot more I haven’t reached.”
Since 1999 the Kansas City native born Aaron Dontez Yates has been terrorizing stages and beats with his signature “Killer Clown” flow and energy. He’s released over a dozen albums and half as many EPS, selling 2 million units in that time span. He’s rhymed alongside everyone from Emimen and Busta Rhymes to Lil Wayne, B.O.B. and Kendrick Lamar, but his name has not achieved their level of ubiquity.
With his latest project “Strangeulation” being released on May 6th, Tech took a break from the “Independent Grind” tour he’s on with Freddie Gibbs and others to talk about what keeps him motivated, what he’s been missing in music, what other avenues of entertainment he’s trying to conquer next and which artists he sees as his successor. Come get familiar with the stranger side of Hip-Hop.
TUD: You own your label, merchandising, warehouses, cars and homes. You’ve made a ton of money, gotten all the respect and been around the world. But with you there’s always another album and always another tour. What’s the motivation? What keeps you going?
Tech N9ne: It just boils down to something real simple, man. I love music and without it I’d die. You gotta look at the people who said they were gonna retire; Jay-Z, Too Short… they said Wayne’s been planning it. It’s hard when you have this in your veins. It’s just the love of Hip-Hop. The love of seeing people smile when you walk out on stage, even though you’re looking sinister. It’s a rush like no other just being able to come up with new ideas for your fans. It’s a blessing to be able to do it. It’s that simple. I love music. When I hear a dope beat, no matter how tired I am, sometimes, it just motivates me and I gotta go in. I think that’s why a lot of people don’t retire, because it’s in their veins just like me.
Has it ever crossed your mind to retire? Have you ever gotten close?
Aww man, yes man, all the time! Back in 2009, I think? I just know I was done, you know what I mean? In my brain, I’m like, “Okay, I got all these artists on my label. I can just lay back and just chill. I can do verses for their albums and just chill, relax. You know what I mean?” No way man… I’ve thought about it so many times man. Like “I’m cool, I’m cool, I’m cool…. Nah, we ain’t cool man.” I still got a lot of people to touch. We’re not cool, we are not complacent, we have so many more faces to heal. So no.
Who haven’t you gotten to yet? What’s this other frontier you’re trying to get to?
When we go down south and we’re doing shows, I go onstage and I see my crowd, there’s white folks, there’s Mexican folks, there Asian folks and… it’s just a couple of black folks sprinkled. So when I go to a mall and these places in the day, it’s all black folks saying, “Tech9! Tech9! What are you doing here??” They don’t know. So it’s something that I’m doing or not doing. So I’m figuring this out.
I’m probably not supposed to be talking about this, but I’m a real one. I study everyday to see what it is that I’m doing wrong that I don’t have my people. Like the urban side of our promotion, maybe we need to enhance it because everybody been knowing about me. They’re knowing me through face recognition even though I have on face paint on stage. When I’m out here in the mall shopping for shoes and stuff in these towns like Birmingham Alabama and Mobile–the first couple of shows we had and these black folks are loving me and taking pictures with me the whole time I’m at the mall. But they ain’t at the show? I have work to do.
It’s funny that your ambition is to get more black people at the show when I’m sure there are plenty of label heads who’ll want their artist to crossover and get the fans you have.
[Laughs] Yeah, that’s real. That’s what people are on. But I’m not selfish like that. A lot of people say the black folks don’t buy CDs and that they don’t come to shows. That’s a lie. I’ve been to a Jay Z show. I know in Hip-Hop the number one consumer is probably a white person. But I’ve been to a Young Jeezy show; I’ve been to a Waka Flocka show. I know they go to shows. I’ve been there. So yeah, that’s cool that you want to get the white crowd, but that’s just business. People want to go where the money is. I understand that, but me, I’m an artist. I belong to everyone.
But in 2014, when all the genres are blending and people are doing their best to not see color, you can say you’ve been inclusive from the door. Are you worried you might be hustling backwards?
Nah, cause when I started out, the black folks was with me. In 2001, I came out with “Angehellic,” I was on the cover as a fallen angel and then I told a story about a good guy gone bad. When I expressed my spirituality a lot of black folks thought I was a devil worshipper and I had to work really hard ever since to get that back. If you do your research, like on my “MLK” album years ago, I had a song called “Message To A Black Man” where I’m talking about I’m doing all this wonderful music and y’all missing it. I need my people here.
Last year came “Breaking Into Colored Houses (BITCH)” with T-Pain. Like okay, I’m tired of knocking. I need y’all at my show. So my quest has been to get everybody at my show. All people, all creeds and my people are the only ones missing and I’ve been knocking for a while. Since we started, we’ve always had the support of everybody else but I am not complacent. I am not done with my people, I will not write my people off.
Do you worry about this quest alienating the groups of people who’ve supported from the door? I know you don’t want that…
My music is for everybody. They’re gonna be there. And there’s more of them coming. I’m not saying eliminate what we’re doing, I’m saying enhance what we have. We add somebody who can touch these other people when it comes to the promotions side, that’s all I’m saying. I don’t want to take away anything we have, but I’m a real one so my music is always gonna resonate to real folks. And a lot of black folks know that my music is real. They listen to it, but just getting them there is the quest. No, I would never ever alienate my fans. When I say white folks, that’s like college folks are coming, the ICP fans are coming, metal-heads are coming, some gang-bangers are coming, it’s everybody. I just need that other demo right there at my shows.
Ok, from a boss standpoint. Jay had Bleek as a successor. Wayne has Drake…
And Nicki.
You’re right, Nicki too. Do you think you’ve signed the person who can step into Tech N9ne’s shoes and run the kingdom for the next 10-20 years?
Every time I sign an artist, starting from Krizz Kaliko, I feel like he’s a supreme artist who can do what I do plus more. Every time I sign a Ces Cru, I sign somebody who can do what I do plus more. Every time I sign a Mayday! Band, I sign them cause I think they can do what I do, plus. Stevie Stone, same thing. Murs, Jay Rock, whatever. I do that. And we’re not done. That’s what I mean; we have a lot of work to do. It ain’t just me getting black folks to my shows; it’s my artists that we’re working on as well. Trying to get them on tours, trying to get them seen because it’s all about being seen in front of all those people you know what I mean? So we’re on a forever quest to blow this thing out of the water and it’s happening slowly but surely.
So the answer to that question is yes, every time I sign somebody. Like when you listen to Krizz Kaliko, he can rap, he raps his ass off, he’s a lethal lyricist. But then he can sing! He can really blow if I can get him on a tour with Janelle Monae or Black Eyed Peas or Cee-Lo Green or whoever, he can do it! Or Kutt Calhoun, if I can get him on a tour with T.I. or Wayne… or Mayday! If I can get them with a Sublime or… whoever! I just want to push hard for Strange Music. That’s what we do here… we push all the artists and believe in them equally.
Faygoluvers Comments
dramaman127
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 10:50 am GMT -5 at 10:50 am
B.I.T.C.H
I DONT BLAME HIM, HE RECENTLY CAME TO MY TOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THERE WAS A HANDFUL OF BLACK PEOPLE
Mr.Bitches
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 10:55 am GMT -5 at 10:55 am
I guess juggalos supportin his ass for 10+years aint good enough…here comes another wayne/Wiz kalifa/T Pain collab
Chuklz
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 11:36 am GMT -5 at 11:36 am
Oh wah wah wah. Fuckin Tech bascily saying too many white people.
what about arabs lol
Slumerican502
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 12:39 pm GMT -5 at 12:39 pm
Yeah, tech, we all know from how drastically your music has changed….
twiztidkillaxxx2
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 01:24 pm GMT -5 at 1:24 pm
There was a shit load of brothers last time he was in MN. too many! Lol buy yeah there was some og pimps there
LTB
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 01:36 pm GMT -5 at 1:36 pm
Otis Driftwood beat me to making a cheap clippers joke, but for real, what the fuck tech? Sorry I aint black. Here, I got an idea, next time you’re in my area I’ll just deliberately not fuckin go. That way, with one less white boy there, it’ll seem as though more of “your people” are there. My feelings are hurt man, not cool.
SunshineLette214
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 01:37 pm GMT -5 at 1:37 pm
It’s not about the fact that he doesn’t like the people who are at his shows it’s about the fact that he’s black and doesn’t understand why black people aren’t there. It legit confuses him. But my thing is that truthfully I think black people are too closed minded, and stuck in tradition and old ways of thinking to look past the facepaint and the show of his persona to listen to him and the real shit he’s talking about. They just dismiss him because he’s different even though he’s so damn talented. That’s my opinion. *shrug*
Ben_uk
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 01:41 pm GMT -5 at 1:41 pm
I do have one question, in the list of colabs it states Tech and Em have done a track together?
I know he did with FFDP recently but em?
LTB
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 01:55 pm GMT -5 at 1:55 pm
And it’s fair for him to be confused by it, but you can’t go from “my music is for everyone” to “I want black people at my shows!” In the same fuckin sentence, and that “my people” shit he’s on is closed minded too. What do you mean “your people”? Last I checked we’re all human beings. Fuck skin color. So, as I said, I just won’t support his shit anymore. That way the black/white ratio goes up, just for him. There you go white people, stop supporting tech n9ne! The more of you whities buyin his shit the lower the percentage of black fans he has. Do him a solid, don’t go to shows and don’t buy his shit.
SunshineLette214
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 02:22 pm GMT -5 at 2:22 pm
I agree his thinking like that is closed minded and I agree on that fuck skin color shit too, that’s whack and it’s past played out. Just enjoy the people around you who have love for you. But I think he’s stuck on skin color for the same reason. That shit hurts his feelings.
llamaslaughatu
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 02:23 pm GMT -5 at 2:23 pm
Tired of hearing that dumb bullshit. Be happy with what you got and shut the fuck up. Sincerely, your whitest fan.
sflm
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 02:54 pm GMT -5 at 2:54 pm
Don’t you get it? White people are not of ‘diversity’ and having them be your core audience, regardless of the color of said artist, is an embarassment. Diversity means expanding your fanbase to include anyone and everyone non-white. Read up on cultural marxism.
BlackSand
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 03:23 pm GMT -5 at 3:23 pm
Thwam!!………..Doh!!!
sketchez
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 03:49 pm GMT -5 at 3:49 pm
His career will be downhill from here..
Violentdope
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 04:03 pm GMT -5 at 4:03 pm
who cares..I will always support tech no matter what the fuck.dude is the shit.agree with sunshinelette up there 100%
@BEN_UK tech and em were on the sway and king tech the anthem song
Mr.Bitches
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 04:20 pm GMT -5 at 4:20 pm
Tech should just make the music he wants to make and not try to taylor the shit for a certain audience…Who gives a shit if sum folks cant understand the greatness in tracks like Killing You,Paint a Dark Picture,Dysfunctional,Red Nose Ect…Those might not be the kinda songs hes bein acknknowlged for these days,But thats some his best shit.Str8 up. I dont wanna hear no Kalifa or rihanna on a tech n9ne song.He dont need that kinda shit to be great.
PunkRockJuggalo
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 04:42 pm GMT -5 at 4:42 pm
I knew this story was going to get this kind of reaction from you hating ass crackers.
BlackSand
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 05:16 pm GMT -5 at 5:16 pm
As if 3;16 pm west coast I haven’t read any hate or name calling until now. The comments seem to be well thought out and on topic so there isn’t a need for a reaction like that with the name calling. Hopefully no one takes the bait written above.
stretchSquiggles
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 05:22 pm GMT -5 at 5:22 pm
i legitly could give a fuck less if a thousand midget arabs sold out a tech show. as long as his music don’t go to shit, that happens i kick his ass to the curb too sit next to emenem, wayne, and all the rest of the shitty “rapers” out there
stretchSquiggles
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 05:23 pm GMT -5 at 5:23 pm
and it’s not like you hide your face with that paint very well tech… i would probably recognize you in the mall.
40 Swillin Juggalo
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 05:52 pm GMT -5 at 5:52 pm
I Respect the fuck outta him, but His Fans are the only ones that he should consider His People! Why even acknowledge Skin Color?..Especially when your involved in such a fuckin great Sub Culture like we are! Race ain’t never been an issue with Juggalos! But either way still got love for Tech
Cheshyr
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 07:48 pm GMT -5 at 7:48 pm
@BlackSand
Pretty sure PRJ was trying to be facetious… heavy on the feces.
BlackSand
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 08:06 pm GMT -5 at 8:06 pm
All good. =)
I figured it was an PRJ imposter. Carry on……..
wonka69
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 09:32 pm GMT -5 at 9:32 pm
Tech be doing drunk interviews!
twiztidkillaxxx2
Comment posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 11:52 pm GMT -5 at 11:52 pm
Nigger
purplekushy
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 02:39 am GMT -5 at 2:39 am
Way to go tech, you pissed off all the white people who pay money for your shit to reach out to the dudes who would rather swipe it off the shelves. -ZING
Lucem Ferre
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 03:28 am GMT -5 at 3:28 am
He never said he wanted less white people, he said that he wants more black people, as in more people.
Every white person that is offended is a closed minded fuck. Period. He never said fuck you, he said I want more. He wants EVERYBODY jamming to him, that includes white and black, so he’s hurt when there isn’t enough black especially when it’s his race.
This is something that most white people will never get since we are the majority in this country. Minorities have closer bonds with in their race. Doesn’t mean they are racist or that they hate other races, they just stick together when they are not the majority the same way juggalos have a tight bond. Being a juggalo used to be such an esoteric thing back in the day that finding another juggalo was like finding treasure. That’s how I imagine being a minority is.
It’s like, you have a huge group of diverse friends like the metal head friend and the swaggot friend and the raver friend and the nerdy friend and so on. None of them like juggalo shit. Even with all those great friends you still search for and long for a juggalo friend for that one simple connection that you could not get with those other friends. That’s Tech. So quit bitching.
Lucem Ferre
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 03:29 am GMT -5 at 3:29 am
I mean, Tech isn’t that juggalo friend, but that’s what he’s doing when he says he wants more black people at his shows.
RepTheAxe
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 03:36 am GMT -5 at 3:36 am
The reason you are not getting your people at your shows or buying merch is because they all listen to Lil Wayne and French Montana.
Mr.Bitches
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 04:28 am GMT -5 at 4:28 am
U Know who focks with Us juggalos….Brotha Lynch
llamaslaughatu
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 09:08 am GMT -5 at 9:08 am
No. If I had a party with my black family and said man I wish there was more white people here I don’t think they’d feel very welcome. Fuckkkkkk that.
RydaFoLife
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 10:12 am GMT -5 at 10:12 am
I’m going to throw glass bottles with pictures of black people glued to them at him during his set at the gathering FO SHO.
prosinz
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 09:35 pm GMT -5 at 9:35 pm
If there were more niggers at a show I wouldn’t go cause I’d be too afraid of being stabbed and robbed
LuckyNumbrXIII
Comment posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 10:35 pm GMT -5 at 10:35 pm
If his shows sell out, and he feels this way, then he actually IS saying he wants less white people.
If his shows sell out.
purplekushy
Comment posted on Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 01:17 am GMT -5 at 1:17 am
I can’t even name 3 songs from Tech, he’s talented but he sounds the same every time he’s on a verse. Twiztid gave him mad pros in an interview before they left PSY, saying he was down any hour of the day to do work in the studio in the times where Twiztid just felt like they were just regular signed artists on a label they called their family. So can’t say tech doesn’t like white people or doesn’t want em at shows. Thats just preposterous!!! White people always finding new ways to be offended lol
twiztidkillaxxx2
Comment posted on Monday, May 5th, 2014 02:24 am GMT -5 at 2:24 am
Ill go throw shit at him this Saturday. I’ve seen him enough times. Some nigger can get lynched by techs shitty openers this tour for all I care.
Tech should do that on stage. Lynch a manakin. Black or white manakin lol
OCJ_Brendan
Comment posted on Monday, May 5th, 2014 11:00 pm GMT -5 at 11:00 pm
Fuck Chalkies….Nuff said
bearjoo17
Comment posted on Sunday, June 26th, 2016 09:06 am GMT -5 at 9:06 am
This is why his music has changed. Now his music is more for his black audience. I haven’t listened to anything I liked from tech since lost scripts of KOD.
You must be logged in to post a comment.