His tenth studio album, K.O.D., was released October 27, 2009. He has spent his illustrious career making sure he’s been grinding harder than the average rapper, and is the best selling artist out of his hometown. With nine solo albums and two powerhouse collaboration projects under his belt, the Kansas City MC’s flow is sharper and slicker than it’s ever been.
“This is another roller coaster ride,” explains TECH N9NE about the release. “When it came time for Sickology 101, I knew I wanted to do a collabo album based on the study of being sick. It’s a beginner’s course for people who don’t know how to be sick lyrically or how to choose sick beats. It all starts with beats because they tell me exactly what to do.” Epic beats from YoungFyre, Wyshmaster, Seven and Matic Lee set the stage for TECH N9NE to weave his introspective and sometimes roguish lyrics around.
Sickology 101 brims with stellar appearances from lyrical heavyweights. On the opening title track, TECH N9NE slays alongside Chino XL and Crooked I, pulling listeners into the Hip-Hop classroom for a lesson in murdering a beat. It’s a twisted vision forged on undeniable grooves and quixotic wordplay.
The single, “Nothin,’” is an inspiring, honest anthem that features Messy Marv and Big Scoob. Meanwhile, on “Midwest Choppers 2,” TECH N9NE and Krayzie Bone cruise to the depths of darkness. “Krayzie Bone came through and murdered it,” says TECH N9NE. “I modeled the song after movies. When you do a sequel, there has to be a bigger body count and more people have to die. ‘Midwest Choppers 2’ is Autobahn-style. It makes you want to speed.”
TECH N9NE’s inimitable flow and rhyming take center stage on solo tracks, including the haunting, hypnotic “Red Nose.” He doesn’t pull any punches on the vitriolic, YoungFyre-produced “Blown Away,” either. It’s an open letter to several prominent urban artists who refused to play before him at radio festivals despite his massive concert draw.
With hits like “I’m A Playa,” “Caribou Lou” (which boasts 7.2 million MySpace plays), “Riotmaker,” “Like Yeah” and “Everybody Move,” it’s no wonder TECH N9NE counts a total of over 4.5 million YouTube video plays and an average of 40,000 MySpace visitors each day. His success knows no limits. The July 2008 release, Killer, debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and Number 12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. He did it all on his own. There was no major label — just TECH N9NE’s own record company, Strange Music. TECH N9NE’s tracks have appeared in films like Gang Related and Alpha Dog as well as various TV shows, and he recently made his motion picture debut in The Life of Lucky Cucumber alongside members of MTV’s “Jackass” crew.
It hasn’t been an easy road, but TECH N9NE soldiers on and he’ll never stop. “They call me devil worshipper because I’m different. I give you music for my core. They’re the people that put me over the million mark. I raise my middle finger to everybody who judges me because my core audience is there for me. They will always love me, but I’m trying to reach others, too. It’s not over. My music is supposed to be for everybody, but some people just don’t get it. This album is the result; swallow it. It’s middle finger music, all-day and all-night.”
TECH N9NE never stops bringing that music directly to his fans, constantly reinforcing his status as one of the hardest-touring rap acts in the business. In 2008, TECH N9NE performed over 200 shows and he doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in 2009. In April, TECH will head out in support of Sickology 101 and spend two months on the road, performing live for his rabid fans.
Sickology 101 is prepping the world for TECH N9NE’s next masterpiece, K.O.D. “I want people to know that I’m getting better and better and I’m a machine. I do these collabo albums to give the fans more. This is a bridge record to K.O.D. It’s the farewell to the TECH N9NE you’ve known lately. It’s getting darker. A lot of people might not be able to go to the place I’m going, but this place is my specialty.”
“I don’t need people to kiss my hand,” assures TECH N9NE. “I’m not trippin’ on status, and I’m not a narcissist when it comes to rap. It’s my heart and soul pouring onto the paper. I write my life and I can’t hold back. This is what I know.”
Origin: Kansas City, Missouri
Year Formed: 1991
Official Site: http://www.therealtechn9ne.com/
Enter Everready
Tech N9ne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We in a 15 passenger van, heading to Spokane, Washington.
We driving along the interstate, we go over this bridge, hit a patch of ice, all of a sudden the van starts fishtailing.
We're going back and forth, I'm like "
Woah!" Krizz says...
You got it Sean you got it!
I think you got it man." But we went sliding further and further towards the barrier, BOOM we hit it.
I'm like "
Oh god, oh god!" while we flipping, and finally we stop.
I'm looking around the van to see if everybody is alright.
First person I looked at was Big Nick cause I see him jumping out first.
He runs to the doors cause they crushed in and he starts grabbing trying to rip them open like. (Grunting noises.)
I yank the doors open and I'm yelling out "
Tech!
Tech!
Are you alright man?
Kutt!
Kutt!
Are you alright?" Kutt raises up and I see he's drenched from all the bottles of alcohol we had in the van from last night; and I say "
Kutt man, are you cool?" and he says
Yeah I'm cool man, I'm cool." So I'm wiping my face, I'm thinking I'm bleeding.
I look at my hands, it ain't nothing but the liquor.
So I look around, everybody up and moving.
Tech's still on the floor and I'm like, "
Tech!
Tech, you alright?" He ain't saying nothing, I'm like "
Aw man...
Tech, you alright?!" He said something like "
Kutt,"
I'm fine man.
I'm fine man, I'm fine, I'm fine.
I asked him, I said uh, anything wrong with my face?
Anything on my face?" And Kutt was like "
Nah" So I'm like, I'm listening, and I touch my teeth and I see blood in my mouth, but I'm smiling cause I hear Krizz Kaliko saying "
Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus," and it felt good to be in God's graces.
The ambulance, the people that came, they said that we were all blessed.
Ya know what I'm saying, to still be alive after flipping 5 times man, so ever since then, we been celebrating life baby.
Kick in' it hard.
Every day's a party baby.
The lyrics to Tech N9ne's song Enter Everready tell a story of the rapper's experience getting into a serious car accident with his crew while on tour, and their subsequent realization of how lucky they were to still be alive. The details of the crash are vividly described, from the fishtailing of the van on a patch of ice to the flipping and breaking of windows. Tech N9ne and his crew are shown to be scared and unsure of what is happening during the crash, but ultimately relieved when they all make it out alive. The lyrics also mention the crew's drinking habits and their party-centric lifestyle, which takes on a new meaning after the accident when they learn to "celebrate life."
Line by Line Meaning
So we rolling, just left Billings, Montana, did a dope ass show.
We just finished an amazing show in Billings, Montana, and now we're on the road to heading towards Spokane, Washington.
We in a 15 passenger van, heading to Spokane, Washington.
We're traveling in a 15 passenger van towards Spokane, Washington, which is our next stop for another show.
We driving along the interstate, we go over this bridge, hit a patch of ice, all of a sudden the van starts fishtailing.
While driving on the interstate, we crossed a bridge and encountered a patch of ice which caused our van to lose control and start swerving on the road.
We're going back and forth, I'm like "Woah!" Krizz says...
The van is swerving back and forth and I express my shock by saying "Woah!" while Krizz responds to my driving by assuring me that I've got it under control.
You got it Sean you got it! I think you got it man." But we went sliding further and further towards the barrier, BOOM we hit it.
Krizz encourages me to keep driving, but unfortunately, we keep sliding towards a barrier and eventually crash into it.
We flipped like 5 times, all the windows start breaking out in the van.
Our van overturned five times during the crash and all the windows shattered.
I'm like "Oh god, oh god!" while we flipping, and finally we stop.
I panic and start exclaiming "Oh god, oh god!" as the van flips, but eventually it comes to a stop.
I'm looking around the van to see if everybody is alright.
After the crash, I look around the van to check if everyone is okay.
First person I looked at was Big Nick cause I see him jumping out first.
I initially check on Big Nick because he was the first to jump out of the van after the crash.
He runs to the doors cause they crushed in and he starts grabbing trying to rip them open like. (Grunting noises.)
Big Nick tries to open the crushed doors of the van by force, grunting with effort.
I yank the doors open and I'm yelling out "Tech! Tech! Are you alright man? Kutt! Kutt! Are you alright?"
I forcefully open the doors of the van and immediately check on my fellow musicians, yelling out their names to see if they're okay.
Kutt raises up and I see he's drenched from all the bottles of alcohol we had in the van from last night; and I say "Kutt man, are you cool?" and he says
Kutt, who was drenched from spilled alcohol bottles stored in the van from the previous night, confirms that he's okay when I check up on him.
"Yeah I'm cool man, I'm cool." So I'm wiping my face, I'm thinking I'm bleeding.
Kutt reassures me that he's okay while I clean my face, initially thinking that I'm bleeding.
I look at my hands, it ain't nothing but the liquor.
After checking, I realize that the red substance on my hands was merely spilled liquor from the bottles.
So I look around, everybody up and moving.
Everyone in the van is now up and moving after the crash.
Tech's still on the floor and I'm like, "Tech! Tech, you alright?" He ain't saying nothing, I'm like "Aw man... Tech, you alright?!"
I notice that Tech is still on the floor and try to check on him, but he fails to respond to me despite my repeated attempts to get a response.
"He said something like "Kutt," I'm fine man. I'm fine man, I'm fine, I'm fine.
Tech eventually responds to Kutt and assures us all that he's fine by repeating "I'm fine man" multiple times.
I asked him, I said uh, anything wrong with my face? Anything on my face?" And Kutt was like "Nah"
I check in with Tech about any injuries on my face and Kutt reassures me that there's nothing wrong.
So I'm like, I'm listening, and I touch my teeth and I see blood in my mouth, but I'm smiling cause I hear Krizz Kaliko saying "Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus," and it felt good to be in God's graces.
I hear Krizz Kaliko expressing gratitude to God and smile, despite finding blood in my mouth, because of the comfort of being protected by God.
The ambulance, the people that came, they said that we were all blessed. Ya know what I'm saying, to still be alive after flipping 5 times man, so ever since then, we been celebrating life baby. Kick in' it hard. Every day's a party baby.
The ambulance and rescuers who arrived at the scene express amazement that we all survived the accident, leading us to celebrate life even more and live every day to the fullest.
Contributed by Jake P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.