Tech N9ne talks Lil Wayne, Andre 3000, BET, boxing with Insane Clown Posse

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on June 29, 2012 at 5:00 PM, updated June 29, 2012 at 5:01 PM
Tech_EstevanMAIN[3].jpgTech N9ne, arguably the most succesful independent rap artist in the country, will perform at Flint's Perani Arena and Event Center on Friday, July 13.

Tech N9ne was preparing for the 88th performance in a grueling 96-show tour when he called Flint Journal, but that's how he likes it. The Kansas City, Mo. lyricist - known for his rapid-fire rap style, dark lyrics, and energetic concerts - has run the indie circuit with his Strange Music record label for about a decade. But within recent years, he's touched mainstream success: he was on "Interlude" on Lil Wayne's multi-platinum album Carter IV alongside OutKast's Andre 3000, he performed on the BET Hip-Hop Awards, and more. He's essentially living the best of both worlds: maintaining the credibility of an indie act, while enjoying the success and visibility of a star. "I've been shunned for a long time," Tech said. "I don't have a chip on my shoulder, per se.  I'd just say better late than never."

Before he performs in Flint at Perani Arena & Event Center on July 13, Tech N9ne talked to Flint Journal about advice he gave Machine Gun Kelly, blacks slowly warming up to his music, and boxing memories with the Michigan-bred Insane Clown Posse.

What kind of effect does touring this often have on your mind and body? Is it still taxing, or are you used to it by now?

It's really taxing, because to do what we do onstage every night for an hour and 45 minutes is hard. But we're used to it, we're conditioned to do it because our previous tours were similar—just not as many [shows]. If it was like Rock The Bells, where the show is on the weekend and you have the whole week to [fool around], we couldn't do this tour. But that's not what we do over here; we go every day, to try to reach everybody. It's hard on the body and hard on the mind, but it's a beautiful thing on the mind when you look at everybody smiling every night.

I saw you perform in Detroit at Rock The Bells 2009, and I didn't know much about your music. I was walking away while you were performing, and the crowd went crazy like you were one of the headlining acts. For whoever hasn't seen it, how would you describe your live show?

Loud, boisterous, schizophrenic like my style, rock and roll, gangster, R&B, it's everything. It's psychotic. It's clear, clean family fun. I'm the riot maker. [laughs] Good riot though, not a bad riot—they mosh, they crowd surf. You might get kicked in the head if you're in the front row, so if you're a black girl or dude with a drink in your hand, you might not want to stay in the mosh pit. [laughs]

The 'Technicians' (Tech N9ne's nickname to his fans) virtually stormed the stage there. How do you form such a relationship with your fans?

They wonder why, when they finally meet me, they say, "I feel like I know you." I say, "You do." I give my life to you. I give you my hurt and pain, I give you my happiness, I tell you what I like and what I don't like. I'm inside out, man—my inside is out there for everybody to see, so there's no secrets. They know my marital status, and they know what I've done to mess up that marital status. They know me. I'm exactly what I am on the records. Quincy Jones told me to write my life, and people will forever feel me. I've been doing that, and it works. They love me and connect with me.

What's more interesting is that a lot of people just see the fan base as a niche market, but the number of people that you're reaching is a lot larger. It's a mainstream number of what people think is a niche market.

What's happening is, real [expletive] always shines, and it's bubbling into the mainstream. The last couple years, you finally saw BET call me and say, "We want you for the cypher (on the BET Hip Hop Awards)." Then, you saw the Lil Wayne thing happen with Tha Carter IV, with Andre 3000. People got to hear my voice for the first time who had never checked for me. then you see MTV calling me for Hip Hop Squares.

It's bubbling into the mainstream on its own, and I didn't have to change anything to do it. That's what's making it so beautiful. The numbers are so big now, I've surpassed niche market. ... That was my plan from the beginning, because my music is supposed to be for everybody. No matter how different the imagery or subject matter is, no matter how weird they say we are, we're always going to be this way.

You're one of the only artists I've heard on a song with Andre 3000 of Outkast, especially within recent years, that didn't get completely outshined by him. Did you know he would be on the song when you recorded it?

[laughs] No, I didn't know until a week before it came out, when Wayne came to Strange Music in Kansas City. When he played it for me, my heart dropped. I gave him a hug and I was like, "Thank you, brother." He said that Dre said, "Who is that?" He said, "Tech N9ne." Dre was like, "Damn." That's a compliment! [laughs] Dre is wonderful, everybody loves Dre! And he said said, "Damn."

How has your life changed since all of those things started happening?

More black folks are noticing my face in the airports or walking down the street. [laughs] "Tech N9ne! you killed it in the cypher." All I ever wanted was my people to come to my shows. But somewhere in 2001, when I put out "Anghellic," the rumor went around that I was a devil worshipper. That will make our people stray, because we're all from the church, and so am I. So I hate that that started. Ever since I've been doing this, I've been trying to get my people there. Whichever way I can get them there, I'm with it. BET helps, Wayne helps.

Everything is helping right now because they're starting to come. Instead of saying, "I don't [mess] with that white people [expletive], that's that devil [expletive]." That's not the case anymore, because they're starting to listen, and what they hear is lyrics and beautiful beats. Other people are cosigning, like Busta Rhymes, Wayne and Twista. Eminem said I was ill, Slaughterhouse toured with me. It's changing because my people are starting to recognize me now and say congratulations to my success. Now if I can just get you to my show, I'll be good.

You get a lot of respect because you're so successful with your own independent label, Strange Music, instead of relying on a major's funding. A lot of younger artists now are taking that same approach. What is it like to see that start to bubble?

It's a beautiful thing to see it all come full circle. People are like, "Why would you want to start your own label? It's hard." I'm like, "Yeah it's hard at the beginning, but if you keep pushing, it'll flourish if you're pushing good product." ... I wouldn't have it no other way.

I see everybody trying to do it that way now, and the majors are calling us asking, "How do you do this?" It's the funniest thing ever, it's like they forgot because technology's got it so easy now to where if you've got a million hits, they sign you.

...People forgot the grassroots: touring, merchandise. Get on the road and make your fan base. If they speak loud enough, it'll reach everywhere else. I think it's a wonderful thing that people are trying to copy that business model. I don't down anybody for copying, because I'm down for the progression of everybody.

What is it like touring with Machine Gun Kelly? His shows are crazy, he went to jail after one of his shows.

He's definitely a wild boy, it's not an act. ... If he has a shirt that says he's a rager, he's raging. It means he's getting super drunk. It's happened; it's happened more than once on this tour, more than twice, more than three. I went to his birthday party in Vegas at the Playboy suite, and it was crazy. I ate a chronic brownie with him, and I don't smoke anymore, so I was like a zombie. He actually does it, so it's not fake. ...

I told him the other day, "When you're done with this and you go on Warped Tour, it's cool to be in the news, but whatever you do, don't go to jail for it and don't die for it. You're too young, you just turned 22 on this tour. Do it for that little two-year-old girl you got. Enjoy this, let the fans take you as far as they can, because they're going to do it."

You've toured a lot. Do you have any specific memories from touring in Michigan?

I was doing a show at State Theater a while back, and Shaggy 2 Dope of Insane Clown Posse came through to show love. ... 

He had two pair of boxing gloves, and he put them on, and he just started boxing people on the block! Going hard, like, "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Blows to the face and everything, knocking [people] out! It was funny! I think he made a dude bleed who got on the gloves with him. If I remember correctly, because we were drunk. He didn't even have on face paint or anything. He was just in regular clothes, knocking [people] out. I've never told anybody that story.

I was on the bus, watching and laughing. Then he put some chicks in the gloves, right after that, and they started fighting so hard, they threw the gloves out and started fighting for real. I'm like, "Damn, this is Detroit!"