With 21 studio albums to date and several millions of independent records sold, Tech N9ne and his Strange Music imprint has been fodder for constant music industry conversation, primarily because his success has eschewed all the glitz and glamour of big-scale visibility.
In a new interview on rock ‘n roll legend’s Elton John’s Rocket Hour Apple Music 1 podcast which aired on Saturday (December 5), the proud Kansas City rapper was given his props from one of the biggest artists to ever grace a microphone.
“This year alone, you’ve put out three albums,” Sir Elton John asked, honing in on the 2020 Tech N9ne album release schedule. “You’ve put out Enter Fear, More Fear, and Fear Exodus, is that right?”
An appreciative Tech N9ne confirmed the Rocketman’s research before he proceeded to shower his 30-year career with positive critiques and praise.
“What I love about your records, the production on your records is so brilliant,” Sir Elton exclaimed. “I think, some of the best-produced records I’ve ever heard. The sound and the bass and everything about them. And you have a style of your own. And what pisses me off, sorry to say that, is I think you don’t get the acknowledgment you deserve. Because I think you are truly one of the greats.”
Tech N9ne and Sir Elton’s musical admiration for one another dates back several years. In March 2017, the “Tiny Dancer” singer went viral looking for Tech records in a Canadian record store, alarming droves of fans and even Tech himself that he was on the radar.
“That was so crazy, man,” Tech N9ne told HipHopDX at the time. “It’s validation that people think I do beautiful music just like they do. Somebody of that magnitude who’s a genius of music for so many years and still relevant today makes me feel real good inside, and lets me know I’m truly going the right direction. I always knew I was going the right direction ’cause I showed them my heart, but that kind of validation just makes you smile inside.”
Sir Elton’s career dates back all the way to the 1960s when captivated audiences with enigmatic costumes and stage shows and later became one of the first openly gay musicians to really command the charts. To date, he’s sold more than 250 million albums worldwide, 100 million singles, and holds five Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards in his trophy case.
Eminem & Sir Elton John Reunite Backstage At 2020 Oscars
The parallel dynamics of Tech N9ne’s success versus his commercial viability has been dissected for years by HipHopDX. See below for a rewind of the 2016 videditorial “Tech N9ne: The Greatest Rapper Of All Time,” which chronicles the Strange Music pantheon and includes commentary from fellow Hip Hop mogul Master P.
Tech is one of my top 5 for sure. Longevity, high quality, as well as always innovating and adapting. That’s pretty much the criteria I think for being a top 5 or even top 20. Tech has all of that on top of being self-made. Dude is a legend. The rest of my top 5 for perspective and since you all want to know are Biggie, DMX, Eminem and MF DOOM.
Eminem? Lololol…you just lost all credibility by placing eminem in your top 5. Go back to listening to the backstreet boys.
Without a doubt Eminem is top 5. Not many can match his raw ability and skill, he has plenty of top albums (excluding Relapse, Recovery and Revival, all garbage. MtbMt was forgettable also.) and has been in the game a long time. You gotta be an irrational hater to exclude him.
His first few albums maybe. He’s fallen off big time after 8 mile.
Kamikaze and MMLP2 were return to form, and the last album wasn’t bad per se. I’m excited for what he puts out next.
next He will put out Encore 2… no, wait, it’s going to be Relapse 2… no, wait, it’s going to be Revival 2
Relapse is a fuckin great album with his 2 best songs post overdose!! Deja Vu and Careful What You Wish For are among his classic tracks… get over the accents and that is a technically superior album compared to anything else I’ve heard the last 12 years from anyone!!
How do you feel that your favorite rapper probably considers Eminem the GOAT? You must be jealous because he’s white and more skilled than your favorite rappers.
Stay salty
How do you feel that your favorite rapper probably considers Eminem the GOAT? You must be jealous because he’s white and more skilled than your favorite rappers. Stay salty.
nah they say that publically because if not the stans will ruin whats left of their biz / careers no
em not in anyone whose black top 50, but white folks yeah hes top 5
just this generations elvis till the next thing they steal
$50 for his albums on itunes..
meh neva really got into tech when im in that mood its brother lynch but cant deny his independent hussle
i personally like Twista better, i can relate to him more, but no hate on N9ne
For some reason, this reminds me of when Elton John appeared in that Snickers commercial with Eminem’s artist Boogie, and all the elitist Elton fans weren’t having it. They probably feel the same way about this.
Tech N9NE post, and yall on here talkin bout Eminem… SMH, Tech is a Legend!
So we gonna act like the Insane Clown Posse didn’t take Tech under their wings during tours and introduced him to the Juggalos, while starting out independent and soon as the Juggalos helped build Techs fan base, he turned his back on the clowns…
Fuck those clowns, fuck your clown ass. You can juggalo these nuts!
Tech is the greatest independent HipHop artist of all time!!
110%!!!
This is solid proof Tech N9ne and Travis officially sold out to the mainstream music industry in 2020. The pandemic brought them down to their knees financially, begging for mercy, then along comes Elton at the trailing end of the year with hope and promise. Now (2021) Travis is buying expensive cars with some new foud confidence he can pay it all off and Tech is giddy to talk with Queen Elizabeth’s court Jester and work with the industry he vowed to rebel against and destroy. And all his “anarchist” fans are buying it up. The world truly is coming to an end.