With the release of All 6’s and 7’s this year, Tech N9ne showed that an independent artist could have major label acts back his work. On the album, which features Lil Wayne, Twista, E-40 and others, Tech spoke about his Technicians and how he has been viewed by outsiders as a cult leader. During a recent interview with AOL’s The Boombox, Tech spoke on having major label artists support his work and the false perception of him as a devil worshipping cult leader.
“People looked at my face paint, my crazy lyrics, my wild red hair and how loyal and intense my fan base, the Technicians, were. They were talking about me being a cult leader. Can you imagine being in a place early on where outside of Strangeland everybody calls you a devil worshiper or a cult leader and your own people — black people — are not even coming to your shows? So you do a Rock the Bells show in 2008, with Busta Rhymes, Nas, Damian Marley and Raekwon and everybody is commending you. I thought everybody thought I was a weirdo! That show let me know that everybody was paying attention to me. I created my own lane. I had no idea that Nas and Damian had respect for me. Nas would be like, ‘Come out on stage, Tech. Rock with me.’ That’s crazy to me. I had no idea, dude,” Tech said.
While maintaining that he needs complete creative control, Tech said that being an independent artist has many perks. Among them, he noted that he could release EPs or albums any day he wants. He also touched a bit on banking $15 million last year, a figure he said he didn’t want publicized. However, he also admitted that there are some cons to the independent grind, while explaining that BET will not play his videos.
“The cons are that you will have no videos on TV and no songs on the radio. The radio game cost a lot of money, man. I would rather put my money into tour buses, merchandising and shows. Until we figure out if we want to play that majors game again, the way we tried to in 2002, and spent nearly $2 million doing it, we will do it again. The problem is, I don’t look like anybody. With my face paint on I don’t look like a regular black dude. MTV Jams is playing my videos now, but BET won’t play me...They told me, ‘Well, that’s not our format.’ But I’m something different. You have to conform to what I do. You have to come to Strangeland. You have to turn into Strangeland for a minute because there’s something beautiful happening over here. My challenge has been getting my own people on it, but they are coming around slowly but surely.”
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Sad that Black fuckin Entertainment Television wont play this mans music…Fuck B.E.T., MTV, fuck’em all…ill watch my shit from the computer and watch who i wanna watch..not forced down my fucking throat by all this commercial garbage…fuck you…….Tech N9ne!!!!!!!
word!
Amen to that brotha
Arent MTV and BET owned by Viacom?!?
Ay I love Tech but I think he might be exaggerating on the cult leader tip-if that was the case hundreds of rock bands, esham and all the other horror core rappers would be branded the same-and there is really only a small percentage of established rockers who are considered such and they are normally the purveyors of the stereotype
I must admit that I’m one of those cats that had written him off due to the makeup and strange hair and shit. Then after seeing how loyal his fans were, they’d be touting him on every site mentioning him I decided to give him a try. Dude gets in in.
Even if you don’t like him, you have to respect his indie grind. I love to see black men out there getting theirs.
Why do black people call each other black? I was in the gas station recently and over heard a black male hitting on a black female and he said “how you doin ma? you are a beautiful black woman”. Never in my life have i said to any girl “hey girl, you are a beautiful white woman”. This question was a response to the first post saying “I love to see black men out there getting there’s”. Why do yall refer to yourselves as black and not just “man” or “woman”? As if black men don’t normally get out and get there’s?
Steve…If ya hafta ask the question, Im afraid you will never understand.
Tech we don’t need them fakes and bandwagoners following us… We have our own lane and we’re gonna take them in the fast lane…
I never really cared for Tech N9ne, granted he has some good songs (according to me, your opinion may vary) but he’s just not my cup of tea. I have to say this tho, I respect him like no other. His hustle is unmatched & he def is consistence. Bold statement, but I think he’s the smartest independent hip-hop artist out right now.
His music isn’t very good to me, I’m not feeling the beats or the lyrics. But you have to respect his grind. His fans eat up everything he puts out.
Tech N9ne is the GREATEST Rapper alive!
Tech keeps lying to his fans… nobody thinks hes a damn cult leader… hell for the most part hip hop fans dont even think about him lol… he keeps trying to play up this “me against the industry” image, when in realitt he’d like nothing more than to b accepted by the masses… it eats at him that black people dont like his music… he puts up this front like he’s doing it for himself and he can only make music that’s truly him, but he’s tried to make hood music, hes tried to make pop music… its just that the only thing that stuck was that icp juggallo fan base shit… tech at heart is tge token black guy in a room full of white people, that’s where hes comfortable… we know it in kc, but i guess all these people new to him will believe any underdog story he tells… smh
And tech knows bet and mtv r basically tge same company… but like i said, it bugs him that black fans don’t feel his music… him wanting to b on bet is the dumbest shit ever… tgats like if hooty and the blowfish were mad they weren’t on 106th and park lol… being black doesn’t mean u should b on bet… and they used to play his god awful videos full of white video chicks on uncut, the fucks he complaining for?
Tech n9ne has always been great at what he does that ant nothing new man there’s always gana be people that don’t understand or wont let them self’s understand his music cause it is Strange haha he is trying to turn the darkness inside out and shine the light on what people try to hide in this world he is to the last line in his rhymes keeping it real STay Up Tech N Peace