Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to keep control over his production, and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to 200,000 units of his three official releases.
Biography
Early life
Coronel is African-Peruvian and was born in 1978 in a military hospital in Lima. His family emigrated in 1980 to Harlem to escape the ongoing internal conflict in Peru. During his teenage years he was arrested multiple times due in part to what he has said was "selfish and childish" behavior. He attended Hunter College High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Shortly after enrolling in Pennsylvania State University, he was arrested and charged with assault-related offenses due to his involvement in an altercation between fellow students, the charges stemming from this incident led to him being incarcerated for a year. After being paroled, he took political science classes at Baruch College in New York City for two semesters at the behest of his father, who allowed Coronel to live with him on the condition that he go to school. Honing his rapping skills in jail, and unable to find decent wage-paying employment after his release, Coronel began working on the restaurants of New York while bad mouthing MCs whenever the opportunity arose. This, coupled with his victories in numerous freestyle rap competitions of the New York underground hip hop scene such as Rocksteady Anniversary, Braggin Rites and others, led to his reputation as a ferocious Battle MC.
Revolutionary Vol.1 and Vol.2
In 2001 , Immortal Technique released his first album Revolutionary Vol. 1 without the help of a record label or distribution, instead using money earned from his rap battle triumphs. Revolutionary Vol. 1 also contained the underground classic Dance With The Devil. In November 2002, he was listed by The Source in its "Unsigned Hype" column, highlighting artists that are not signed to a record label. The following year, in September 2003, he received the coveted "Hip Hop Quotable" in The Source for a song entitled "Industrial Revolution" from his second album. Immortal Technique is the only rapper in history to have a "Hip Hop Quotable" while being unsigned. He released his second album Revolutionary Vol. 2 in 2003. In 2004, Viper Records and, in 2005, Babygrande Records re-released Immortal Technique's debut, Revolutionary Vol. 1, to make it available to a wider audience. "Point of No Return" from Revolutionary Vol 2 was used as the entrance theme for Rashad Evans during the UFC 88 Main Event between Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans.
The 3rd World and The Middle Passage
Between 2005 and 2007 Immortal Technique began working on The Middle Passage and The 3rd World, the two albums that would serve a follow up to Revolutionary Vol. 2 and complete the series. He was also featured on several movie soundtracks and video game soundtracks, all the while touring relentlessly and becoming heavily involved in visiting prisons to speak to youth and working with immigrant rights activists and raising tens of thousands of dollars for children’s hospitals overseas. He invested his money not in items that are usually associated with fame but rather in large pieces of farmland in Latin America. He created a writing grant program for high school students as well.
The Rebel
Immortal Technique Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This for my peoples,
Insomniac I can't sleep (It's real son), Mic check (it's real) ey yo, ey yo
I'm a rebel that'll fire missiles at red dawn
But before I issue the order to send bombs I want presidential money like the execs at Enron and gold digg'n porn chicks for me to spend on
But I'ma only pay for one night stay at the Ritz I won't even get you a towel when I spray on your tits
I'm not a misogynist, I just like it when girls are massage'n this so pop shit and I'ma smoke you and your bitch moms I'm ambidextrous the microphone could switch palms
Immortal Technique psychotic nigga to spit calm
I love the underground but not enough chicks in a thong
What the fuck, how could beautiful women be wrong
Tech load clips like they were hits from a bong
That was supposed to be the end of the song but it's not
The freestyle got me stuck in the zone I can't stop - brainwash commercial hip-hop the government plot but I'ma shoot down the propaganda stuck in your brain like the military did to the fourth terrorist plane
That was ill but shut the fuck up and let me explain
What good is fame and floss'n when you stuck in a coffin and who the fuck you gonna run to when I make you an orphan
I'm metamorphosize into something you thought I could never be
Ghetto engineered sickness without a remedy
My heart pumps nitroglycerine and Hennessey
Twisted chemistry cry blood and I bleed venom never subliminal clear with the message I'm sending you
Bending the space time continuum just to get to you and blast you so hard it'll kill the person next to you
So in retrospect remember and don't fuck'n forget ya'll walk'n dead people you just don't know it yet...
Yeah, yeah nigga - it's on...You know what time it is- I'm out - Harlem nigga
This for all the devils I'm come'n to take your head off
In "The Rebel," Immortal Technique discusses his desires as a rebel who is not bound by societal norms or expectations. He refers to himself as a rebel who would fire missiles at red dawn and seeks presidential money to fund his revolutionary activities. He also mentions his penchant for gold-digging "porn chicks" whom he can spend his money on. Despite his apparent misogyny, he claims to only enjoy it when women are giving him a massage. Immortal Technique also takes issue with the media misinterpreting his beliefs in the same way that they do with Islam. He expresses his disdain for commercial hip-hop that brainwashes people into accepting government propaganda. Immortal Technique describes himself as a metamorphic being who has engineered his own sickness, pumping Hennessey and nitroglycerine to make himself into a lethal force.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah...Immortal Technique...(you know) Harlem to South Africa (this how it goes) for the head warmers- Know what I mean
Starting strong, Immortal Technique acknowledges his roots from Harlem to South Africa. He proceeds to deliver a statement directed towards those who are unwilling to listen to what he has to say.
This for my peoples,
He dedicates his art to those he loves.
Insomniac I can't sleep (It's real son), Mic check (it's real) ey yo, ey yo
Immortal Technique is wide awake and on the mic to show what he has to offer.
I'm a rebel that'll fire missiles at red dawn
He is a rebel, willing to fight until the very end for what he believes is right.
But before I issue the order to send bombs I want presidential money like the execs at Enron and gold digg'n porn chicks for me to spend on
He has no intention of launching an attack just yet, but he does want riches and women to indulge himself in.
But I'ma only pay for one night stay at the Ritz I won't even get you a towel when I spray on your tits
He might indulge himself with a woman, but he will only pay for a one-night stay and not offer any additional amenities.
I'm not a misogynist, I just like it when girls are massage'n this so pop shit and I'ma smoke you and your bitch moms I'm ambidextrous the microphone could switch palms
Despite his brash talk about women, he does not hate them. He is also versatile in his craft, able to handle the mic with ease and incredible fluidity.
Immortal Technique psychotic nigga to spit calm
Immortal Technique is able to deliver his words effortlessly, despite the possibility of being labeled a madman in the eyes of the media.
Misinterpreted by the media like Islam
The media often misconstrue his words, despite their intended meaning.
I love the underground but not enough chicks in a thong
He has a preference for women, but also enjoys music that is far from the mainstream commercial scene.
What the fuck, how could beautiful women be wrong
He questions how one could find fault in favoring beautiful things.
Tech load clips like they were hits from a bong
Immortal Technique carries much ammunition and treats them as treasures, much like how one would treat hits from a bong.
That was supposed to be the end of the song but it's not
The song was supposed to end but he has more to say.
The freestyle got me stuck in the zone I can't stop - brainwash commercial hip-hop the government plot but I'ma shoot down the propaganda stuck in your brain like the military did to the fourth terrorist plane
Despite the overwhelming pressure to conform to mainstream culture, he refuses to let commercial hip-hop brainwash him and the people listening to it. He will fight this corrupt version of music like how the military fought the terrorists in the fourth plane on 9/11.
That was ill but shut the fuck up and let me explain
He recognizes his previous delivery as noteworthy, but demands for his listeners to quiet down and attentively hear him out.
What good is fame and floss'n when you stuck in a coffin and who the fuck you gonna run to when I make you an orphan
He doubts the usefulness of fame and riches, especially when it means one's eventual demise. Whom will they turn to once he has taken their parents from them?
I'm metamorphosize into something you thought I could never be
He has changed into something that people never expected him to become.
Ghetto engineered sickness without a remedy
He is affected by the suffering and hopelessness of the people, and feels that there is no cure or solution for them.
My heart pumps nitroglycerine and Hennessey
He has a powerful and volatile heart, fueled by both dangerous substances and the fiery passion for his beliefs.
Twisted chemistry cry blood and I bleed venom never subliminal clear with the message I'm sending you
His words bear a clear and striking message, despite being perceived as twisted and venomous.
Bending the space time continuum just to get to you and blast you so hard it'll kill the person next to you
He will go beyond the limits of time and space just to defeat his enemies in the most effective manner possible.
So in retrospect remember and don't fuck'n forget ya'll walk'n dead people you just don't know it yet...
He warns people that many of them are not truly alive, despite walking and breathing. They have yet to realize their limitations and what they are fighting for.
Yeah, yeah nigga - it's on...You know what time it is- I'm out - Harlem nigga
He is truly fired up and ready for battle, signing off as a Harlem native.
This for all the devils I'm come'n to take your head off
In his final words, he addresses the devils he intends to fight and promises to take their heads off.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRYAN ADAMS, JAMES DOUGLAS VALLANCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
barslounge_preme
What good is fame and flossing
When you stuck in a coffin?
And who the fuck you gonna run to when I make you an orphan?
I'm metamorphosing into something you thought that I could never be
Ghetto engineered sickness without a remedy
My heart pumps nitro-glycerin and Hennessey twisted chemistry
Cry blood and I bleed venom
Never subliminal clear with the message I'm sending
Bending the space-time continuum
Just to get to you
And blast you so hard it'll kill the person next to you...........
Immortal is a goat idgaf what anyone say........
apeshit clothing
Been on repeat, since 3:34. It's now 4:20 and still not tired of hearing it.
The Vessel
2022, and still Fire🔥
UnitedPacci
@The Vessel 2073 we still here
Zeeshan Hussain
“Insomniac I can’t sleep” lol
Miguel De La Rosa
Bro ur comment is 10 years old! How does it feel? Jesus
DevineMind2012
a quotable lyricist...got all his albums...historically accurate ...a modern freedom fighter...talented M.C. ...a leader.... immortal technique
Hugo Cuevas
listening 4 a few years now n it still gives me the chills. Immortal technique is the shit
J
he should've made this a lot longer...that beat is amazing
SuburbanNinja8000
I Love this Guy. He opened my eyes so much.
Jp Mcloughlin
worthy of a Nobel peace prize