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/
Til I'm Gone
Tech N9ne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you can choose to stay and live with that mistake
Or you can beat me over the head with it over and over
'Till I'm gone
Beat it 'till it's broke and closed
'Till I'm gone, til I'm gone
This heart is just a fallen rose
You know you're my highlight
Fell into the limelight
Break me, I'll be all right
Know that I'll be all right
You know you're my highlight
Fell into the limelight
Break me, I'll be all right
Know that I'll be all right
If you're blinded by the limelight that shines bright
On this individual's residuals fond slitch
Your mind might rip up the mess to design fights
To cry heif, destined to plummet in hindsight
If you feel you in my shadow and females'll get you rattled
With every tale they tattle, you raise hell in battle
Let us jail and hassle when the Queendom fails the castle
She unveils the shackles trying to bail is natural
You still here but complaints they stick
'Cause my life is too complicated and ain't basic
So the saint may split
Stay after that hiccup, you can't play vict
No you can't say sh
Beat it 'till it's broke and closed
'Till I'm gone, 'till I'm gone
This heart is just a fallen rose
So I'm gone, so I'm gone
You know you're my highlight
Fell into the limelight
Break me, I'll be all right
Know that I'll be all right
You know you're my highlight
Fell into the limelight
Break me, I'll be all right
Know that I'll be all right
You chose to ride on this carousel
Anything petty, I para sail over
You stay where there is hell
I'm drowning in Ceroquel
Embarrassed this resembles marriage under a terror spell
Running free even though the cerebel isn't parallel
I do something you think is shady and you stay
Says you agree with us moving forward and we like okay
But a year later that means you can't take us back to that day
If so, better watch what you say 'cause it'll have us in disarray
Aye, so beat it 'till it's broke and closed
Break me down it won't be smooth like lotioned bows
Chosen souls meet the love potion flows
But when the oceans froze that's when we get ghost and rogue
Baby
Beat it 'till it's broke and closed
'Till I'm gone, 'till I'm gone
This heart is just a fallen rose
So I'm gone, so I'm gone
You know you're my highlight
Fell into the limelight
Break me, I'll be all right
Know that I'll be all right
You know you're my highlight
Fell into the limelight
Break me, I'll be all right
Know that I'll be all right
Break it, I'll be on my own (just me)
Back home, I'll be good (where I belong)
(Yeah) Break it, I'll be on my own
Back home, I'll be good
Don't do it
Move forward
You keep nagging me over and over
'Till I'm Gone
In Tech N9ne's song "Til I'm Gone," he talks about making mistakes, and the choice his partner has after he makes them. The song tells a story of someone trying to make amends for their mistakes, but ultimately realizing that they might have to face the consequences. The chorus repeats the phrase "beat it 'til it's broke and closed, 'til I'm gone," which could be interpreted as the person wishing for their partner to either forgive them entirely, or just end the relationship but without dragging it out or making it painful for both of them.
The verse that starts with "If you're blinded by the limelight" talks about the consequences of being with someone who is successful and famous. Tech N9ne warns against letting jealousy and insecurity ruin relationships and cause unnecessary fights. He acknowledges that his life is complicated and not easy, but those who stick with him through the hiccups will be rewarded.
The second verse, starting with "You chose to ride on this carousel," is a reflection on a past relationship that didn't work out. Tech N9ne seems to be saying that he is moving forward and trying to forget about the past, but his partner is still holding onto it. He emphasizes that he is willing to be broken down and beat down, but he won't compromise who he is or his beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
I made a mistake
Acknowledging a mistake has been made
Now you can choose to stay and live with that mistake
Options presented to the other party involved in the mistake
Or you can beat me over the head with it over and over
Offering the other party the option of punishment for the mistake
'Till I'm gone
Willing to endure the other party's punishment until it is too much to bear
Beat it 'till it's broke and closed
Causing damage to the point where it can no longer be fixed
'Till I'm gone, til I'm gone
Commitment to endure punishment until death
This heart is just a fallen rose
Comparing oneself to a dying flower, withered and defeated
So I'm gone, so I'm gone
Accepting defeat and death as an inevitable reality
You know you're my highlight
Acknowledgement of the other party's significance in their life
Fell into the limelight
Entering into a privileged position where they are in the public eye
Break me, I'll be all right
Conveying the resilience to withstand being broken
Know that I'll be all right
Self-assuredness and confidence in one's ability to recover
If you're blinded by the limelight that shines bright
Warning others not to be sidetracked by glitz and glamour
On this individual's residuals fond slitch
Alluding to negative consequences of being famous
Your mind might rip up the mess to design fights
Referring to the potential for damage to one's mental state
Running free even though the cerebel isn't parallel
Taking risks and living life to the fullest despite a mismatch in brain hemispheres
You chose to ride on this carousel
Acknowledgement of collective and mutual decision-making
Anything petty, I para sail over
Confident attitude in being able to overcome minor obstacles
You stay where there is hell
Highlighting the other party's tendency to remain stuck in difficult situations
Embarrassed this resembles marriage under a terror spell
Describing a situation that feels like a bad marriage
But a year later that means you can't take us back to that day
Emphasizing the importance of moving forward
If so, better watch what you say 'cause it'll have us in disarray
Cautioning the other party to be mindful of their words and actions
Chosen souls meet the love potion flows
Love prevails when two people are meant to be together
But when the oceans froze that's when we get ghost and rogue
Implying a situation where love has failed, leading to separation
Break it, I'll be on my own (just me)
Expressing independence and self-reliance
Back home, I'll be good (where I belong)
Feeling a sense of belonging and safety at home
(Yeah) Break it, I'll be on my own
Reiterating self-sufficiency
Don't do it
Warning the other party against inflicting punishment
Move forward
Encouraging the other party to progress rather than remain stuck in past mistakes
You keep nagging me over and over
Voicing frustration with repetitive behavior
'Till I'm gone
Accepting that punishment may continue until death
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Aaron Yates, Amanda Ibanez, Gianni Perocarpi, Ralfy Valencia, Antonio Olivera, Daniel Perez, Keith Cooper, Leonardo Zapata
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind