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/
Public School
Tech N9ne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We’re ready for it!
Most of my teachers couldn’t teach me shit
Chiefin in the locker room, smokin this real
Oh why oh why oh why I have to take butch up?
Instead of speakin French to the wind, dare I could not
They fluently spew it but you couldn’t do it influently
So I learned culture
Rock, is it rock n roll?
Rock up that polka, walk on my poster
So now I’m part of it, right now it’s the villain
I learned a lot of shit but most with no feeling
Someone scared of me but when I come in this
People tell me but music lifts my spirit
They’re writing on the walls, writing in my halls
They take but it’s different, it’s not true or false
But I am in the class, why you’re in here?
You hate this place so then you must come in with me
You’re in my head
You’re mine til I’m dead
I am my mother’s child
I wish I knew what I know now
I am my teacher’s favorite
I made it and I don’t know how
Are you ready for it?
We’re ready for it!
Most of my teachers couldn’t teach me shit
Chiefin in the locker room, smokin this real
Oh why oh why oh why I have to take butch up?
Instead of speakin French to the wind, dare I could not
A lot of drug seekers, they couldn’t influence me
They fluently spew it but you couldn’t do it influently
So I learned culture
Rock, is it rock n roll?
Rock up that polka, walk on my poster
So now I’m part of it, right now it’s the villain
I learned a lot of shit but most with no feeling
Someone scared of me but when I come in this
People tell me but music lifts my spirit
They’re writing on the walls, writing in my halls
They take but it’s different, it’s not true or false
But I am in the class, why you’re in here?
You hate this place so then you must come in with me
You’re in my head
You’re mine til I’m dead
I am my mother’s child
I wish I knew what I know now
I am my teacher’s favorite
I made it and I don’t know how
First day is a bitch
First day is a bitch
Didn’t want to ditch
Yea, teachin me shit
I was born with the classes they gave me
So I stole the books that I wanted
And I taught myself to think different
I’m the number one, independent
Rather for the world, Tech T9ne
The lyrics in Tech N9ne's song "Public School" shed light on his personal journey and struggles with the education system. He starts by calling out the inadequate teaching from most of his teachers and the prevalence of drug use in school. Tech N9ne shares his frustration with being forced to learn subjects he had no interest in, like taking “butch up” instead of learning French, something he clearly wanted to speak fluently. However, instead of conforming or being swayed by the negative influences around him, he decided to educate himself by learning about different cultures, including rock n' roll and polka, which helped him become part of something bigger than himself.
The artist then speaks on his passion for music and how it was the only thing that lifted his spirit during his time in school. He also acknowledges the paradoxical environment of the classroom, with students writing on walls and taking things that are “not true or false” despite being in a space meant for learning. He invites someone else who hates school to come learn with him, effectively saying that he won't let his own education be hindered. The lyrics end with Tech N9ne speaking on how he defied the odds and made it to where he is despite not fully understanding how he did it, and that he feels a sense of significance as an independent artist who does things his own way.
Overall, Tech N9ne's "Public School" is an anthem on the will to learn despite discouragement from outside sources, finding purpose in unlikely places, and recognizing the power of individualism.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you ready for it?
The song is about to start, are you ready to listen?
We’re ready for it!
We're already prepared to listen to the song.
Most of my teachers couldn’t teach me shit
The singer didn't learn much from most of their teachers.
Chiefin in the locker room, smokin this real
The artist mentions that they smoked marijuana in the locker room.
Oh why oh why oh why I have to take butch up?
The artist is questioning why they had to take a certain class or subject.
Instead of speakin French to the wind, dare I could not
The singer couldn't learn how to speak French well enough to be able to speak it out loud.
A lot of drug seekers, they couldn’t influence me
The singer was around a lot of people who used drugs, but they didn't succumb to peer pressure and use drugs themselves.
They fluently spew it but you couldn’t do it influently
The people that the artist was around could talk about drugs easily, but they couldn't convince the artist to use them.
So I learned culture
The artist learned about different cultures.
Rock, is it rock n roll?
The artist is questioning the difference between rock music and rock 'n' roll music.
Rock up that polka, walk on my poster
The singer is mixing different genres of music and creating their own unique style.
So now I’m part of it, right now it’s the villain
The artist identifies themselves with a group that's considered the 'villain' or the outsider.
I learned a lot of shit but most with no feeling
The singer learned a lot of things, but they didn't have any emotional connection to what they were learning.
Someone scared of me but when I come in this
Some people are scared of the singer, but when they perform music, it lifts people's spirits.
People tell me but music lifts my spirit
The singer receives many compliments for their music and it brings them joy.
They’re writing on the walls, writing in my halls
People are leaving graffiti on the walls of the school, including in the halls that the artist frequents.
They take but it’s different, it’s not true or false
People might take what the artist is doing out of context or misinterpret their intentions, but it's not necessarily right or wrong.
But I am in the class, why you’re in here?
The singer is questioning why someone who hates school is there in the first place.
You hate this place so then you must come in with me
The singer is suggesting that they can provide a way out for someone who doesn't enjoy school.
You’re in my head
The artist is influential in the way someone else thinks and views the world around them.
You’re mine til I’m dead
The artist will have an impact on someone else's life for as long as they live.
I am my mother’s child
The artist accepts that they are a product of their upbringing and are similar to their mother.
I wish I knew what I know now
The singer wishes they knew everything they know now when they were younger.
I am my teacher’s favorite
The artist had a good relationship with one of their teachers and was likely a favorite student of theirs.
I made it and I don’t know how
The singer is successful in music and didn't necessarily plan to be or know how they got there.
First day is a bitch
The singer is saying that the first day of school or class is usually difficult to deal with.
Didn’t want to ditch
The singer didn't want to skip school or class, even if they didn't enjoy it.
Yea, teachin me shit
The artist is acknowledging that they did learn some things in school, despite what they previously said.
I was born with the classes they gave me
The artist was born into a certain socio-economic class and was given the educational opportunities that were available to them.
So I stole the books that I wanted
The singer took the initiative to educate themselves outside of the curriculum by stealing books they were interested in.
And I taught myself to think different
The singer learned how to think in a unique and different way from what they were taught in school.
I’m the number one, independent
The artist sees themselves as the best in their field and as someone who is self-sufficient.
Rather for the world, Tech T9ne
The artist is making music for themselves and for the world, representing their stage name Tech T9ne.
Contributed by Carter W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Keaton Libengood
This is why i love Tech! He aint a rapper! He is everything! TECHNICIANS!
Jekyll Hyde
Hes a damn magician
Jacob Meeks
Ooouw ooouw ooouw
Aaron Terrell
Man, it really fits with my experience back in my old school
chekoisowned
Me too. Lesrned rock when I moved to a class where it was all whote kids, learned about rock and guitar hero .... lol adds more variety to ones and opens ones mind
Doozy
Tech Always done things he wanted too, But he's done so much shit that people love for so long, I don't think anyone here has the right to bitch about they hate therapy, He had a personal need to do this, and I FUCKING LOVE IT!
XiEViLiX
I love rap metal!
Maze Bell
SmileMore Magee
HA
LuciferMorningStar
Love 2 dislike me is really good
JamesLatch
This new EP was absolutely FUCKIN GREAT! Right when I think Tech has done it all and has nothing left he always suprises me. #StrangeMusic