Both rappers and artists in other genres of music have been known to pull inspiration for their records from a variety of sources and with the release of Tech N9ne’s “Fragile” the rapper revealed that the song was inspired by a rap critic who referred to his Paid Dues performance as gimmicky and redundant.

On the record, which also features Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, Kendall Morgan and Mayday!, Tech N9ne expresses his frustration with critics as he raps, “Critics are really the enemy and I can’t stand the way they slam today’s gifted.”

After dropping a few bars from “Fragile” during a recent interview with Hard Knock TV, Tech went on to address those who feel his lyrics and the occasional face paint he wears is “gimmicky.” The Kansas City emcee also shared the reason behind the use of face paint, which he says pays tribute to a friend who passed away years ago.

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“Another thing, talking about my lyrics are gimmicky, okay then it must be the face paint,” said Tech N9ne. “When my dead homie Brian Dennis painted my face back in ’94 and he died years later to a crime of passion, I wear the face paint in memory of Brian Dennis. So, don’t say I’m gimmicky. I don’t need no face paint to bust my nigga. But I wear it because of my homie. You know what I’m saying? And redundant, it sounds like it would come from somebody that doesn’t listen to my music.”

Tech N9ne later addressed the negativity that can spread when a critic is harsh on a musician who’s already “kinda left.”

“When you put shit like that in the air it’s negative man and I don’t need that,” the rapper explained. “Cause everybody’s looking at me, but at the same time mothafuckas are scared of me because at the same time because I’m kinda to the left sometimes. But I think the real shit will always shine, but I told him ‘thank you’ for inspiring that wonderful song.”

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Part one of Tech N9ne’s interview with Hard Knock TV can be found below.

RELATED:Tech N9ne Addresses Perceived Disconnect With Black Hip Hop Fans

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