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/
Why You Ain't Call Me
Tech N9ne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Chorus]
Why you ain't call me?
You know I'm the hardest, you know that my art is applauded
Why you ain't call me?
I'm not broken-hearted, but I could've been old when I started
Why you ain't call me?
Why you ain't call me?
You sleep on my music and that's a damn shame 'cause I slam my bang
[Verse 1]
I've been inside every hip-hop circle you could imagine
Gangster or Pop, even backpackers know that I'm real good at rappin'
I was strugglin' back in the day when my hood was lackin'
Yo so I'm 'bout to talk about what shoulda, would'a and could'a happened
If music was about inovatin' and penetratin' generations by generatin' musical intergration
It wouldn't be about limitation and demonstration
Imitation within a blatant looks just disentigratin'
It ain't about the music, it's just about the fame
If you ain't popular homie, then you just out the game
If video and radio don't frequently announce your name
They don't know your music even though you blow most out the frame
But a closed mouth don't get fed when it stays shut
Lay cuts with Tecca Nina 'cause he can straight bust
Say what? You ain't heard of me gettin' paid bucks?
Torrent y'all see me rippin' the stage up
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
I've been on tour with Hov, 'bout 27 shows
Why he ain't have me on a record only heaven knows
Maybe he missed us, missin' the big picture
That this is a fixture, aw yeah, he got Twista!
Well Twista's my homie and we both from the Midwest
And I guess Hov ain't lookin' for another speedy rapper kid yet
Me collaboratin' with them was all in me dreams
Matter fact the only one of 'em called me was Beens
He told me he played you The Industry Is Punks
And you loved it so you know Tech is what the industry would want
I started down at the bottom, got with TOG and then it payed
But I wouldv'e loved to been on the third verse of Renegade
They must think I'm a stick of dynamite with no stem
That's probably why I got D12 but no Em!
But I burst flame and I bet that y'all know my first name
'Cause I'm the hardest this side of Earth mane
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
This ain't no hate-mail, this a love letter
I love you niggas' music and I hope is does better
I just wish you woulda hit a brother that love cheddar
But I'm ballin' now and I'm better than I was EVER
Space age flows like Jesse and Primrose
Tin-fold, I used to open-up, now I end shows
Grim road, when you one of the best with slim dough
And you ain't got Dre, Storch, Pharrell and no Timbo
I've met almost half of the DTP
But the couple times I spoke to Luda, don't think he see me
Had never met I-20 but he spoke at BET
Shawnna love me, Field Mob and Chingy decently speak me
So I'ma re-inaurate the game, it's all fame
And you don't get no play if you an emcee with a small name
If I wanna get on TV I guess I gotta call Pain
And Nelly, my great-grandmother's name is Maud Haynes
Maybe I'm trippin', full of delusion
Maybe it come from all the drugs I was usin'
Maybe I am the best thing that you ever saw
Maybe I'm wrong and you don't know me at all
I guess I'm blinded, I got reminded
That none of you just will ever know who the N9ne is
And you never heard of the homie from the Show-me
Punk that! I know you niggas know me
[Chorus: x2]
The song "Why You Ain't Call Me" by Tech N9ne is a plea to the music industry, asking why he has not received the recognition he deserves. In the chorus, he laments being overlooked despite his talent and the quality of his art, wondering why he has not been called upon for collaborations or given more exposure. Tech N9ne boasts about having been in every hip-hop circle, whether gangster or pop, but still feels like he is not getting the recognition that he deserves.
In the first and second verse of the song, Tech N9ne laments the state of the music industry, where promotion and fame take precedence over talent and innovation. He speaks about how imitation within the industry is contributing to the decimation of the quality of music. He mentions how artists are only recognized if they are popular and frequently announced on radio and television. He boasts about his collaborations with other well-known musicians and wishes that he had been considered for more.
In the third verse of the song, Tech N9ne goes beyond addressing the music industry and makes a personal appeal to individual artists who have overlooked him. He reflects on his own journey from the bottom to where he is now and how much he has accomplished despite not having ample recognition. He also admits that he may be full of delusion but believes that he is one of the best in the industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Why you ain't call me?
Why didn't you reach out to me considering that you know that I am the best and that my art is appreciated?
You know I'm the hardest, you know that my art is applauded
You know that I'm the best and that my art is appreciated.
I'm not broken-hearted, but I could've been old when I started
I'm not upset, but I could've been successful at a younger age if I had received the attention I deserved.
You sleep on my music and that's a damn shame 'cause I slam my bang
You don't give my music a chance, which is a shame because it's great.
I've been inside every hip-hop circle you could imagine
I've been a part of every hip-hop group you can think of.
Gangster or Pop, even backpackers know that I'm real good at rappin'
People from all different hip-hop sub-genres know that I'm a good rapper.
I was strugglin' back in the day when my hood was lackin'
I had a hard time getting started back in the day when my community didn't have a lot of resources or opportunities.
If music was about inovatin' and penetratin' generations by generatin' musical intergration
If music was truly about innovation and making an impact across generations through creative musical fusion...
It wouldn't be about limitation and demonstration
Then it wouldn't be about limiting oneself or showing off without substance.
Imitation within a blatant looks just disentigratin'
Copying with no originality is leading to the disintegration of hip-hop.
It ain't about the music, it's just about the fame
The music industry is more concerned with fame than with making good music.
If you ain't popular homie, then you just out the game
If you're not well known, then you're not in the game.
If video and radio don't frequently announce your name
If your name isn't played often on video or radio...
They don't know your music even though you blow most out the frame
Then people won't know your music, even though it's better than most others' music.
But a closed mouth don't get fed when it stays shut
If you don't speak up for yourself, you won't get what you want.
Lay cuts with Tecca Nina 'cause he can straight bust
Collaborate with Tech N9ne because he's a great rapper.
I've been on tour with Hov, 'bout 27 shows
I've been on tour with Jay-Z for around 27 shows.
Why he ain't have me on a record only heaven knows
It's a mystery why Jay-Z never invited me to be on a record with him.
Maybe he missed us, missin' the big picture
Maybe Jay-Z missed the opportunity to work with us because he's not seeing the big picture.
That this is a fixture, aw yeah, he got Twista!
He saw Twista instead, who's also a great rapper.
Me collaboratin' with them was all in me dreams
I always dreamed of collaborating with them.
Matter fact the only one of 'em called me was Beens
Actually, the only one who ever called me was Beens.
He told me he played you The Industry Is Punks
Beens told me that he played my music for you.
And you loved it so you know Tech is what the industry would want
Because you loved it, you know that the industry would want to work with me.
I started down at the bottom, got with TOG and then it payed
I started from nothing, but then got with my label and improved my situation.
But I wouldv'e loved to been on the third verse of Renegade
I would've loved to be on the third verse of Renegade.
They must think I'm a stick of dynamite with no stem
They must think I'm full of energy but without direction or control.
That's probably why I got D12 but no Em!
That might be why I worked with D12, but not with Eminem.
But I burst flame and I bet that y'all know my first name
Regardless, my music is still amazing and most people know who I am.
'Cause I'm the hardest this side of Earth mane
I'm the best rapper in the world.
This ain't no hate-mail, this a love letter
This isn't an angry message, it's a message expressing my love for hip-hop.
I love you niggas' music and I hope is does better
I love your music and I hope that you will become more successful.
I just wish you woulda hit a brother that love cheddar
I just wish that you would've helped me out, a fellow musician trying to make a living.
But I'm ballin' now and I'm better than I was EVER
But I'm successful now and better than ever.
Space age flows like Jesse and Primrose
I have an incredible, unique style of rapping.
Tin-fold, I used to open-up, now I end shows
I used to be an opening act, but now I'm a headliner.
Grim road, when you one of the best with slim dough
It's tough when you're one of the best but don't have a lot of money.
And you ain't got Dre, Storch, Pharrell and no Timbo
And you don't have the support of legendary producers like Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, Pharrell, or Timbaland.
I've met almost half of the DTP
I've met almost half of the Disturbing tha Peace crew.
But the couple times I spoke to Luda, don't think he see me
But the few times I spoke to Ludacris, I don't think he really noticed me.
Had never met I-20 but he spoke at BET
I've never met I-20, but he spoke at BET.
Shawnna love me, Field Mob and Chingy decently speak me
Shawnna likes me, and Field Mob and Chingy speak positively about me.
So I'ma re-inaurate the game, it's all fame
So I'm going to try to change the game, which is all about fame.
And you don't get no play if you an emcee with a small name
If you're a rapper with a small name, you won't get much airtime.
If I wanna get on TV I guess I gotta call Pain
If I want to be on TV, I'll have to call Pain, a well-known producer.
And Nelly, my great-grandmother's name is Maud Haynes
And just so you know, my great-grandmother's name is Maud Haynes.
Maybe I'm trippin', full of delusion
Maybe I'm just being crazy or overly hopeful.
Maybe it comes from all the drugs I was usin'
Maybe this comes from the drugs I was using at one point in my life.
Maybe I am the best thing that you ever saw
Maybe I am the best rapper you've ever heard.
Maybe I'm wrong and you don't know me at all
Or maybe I'm wrong and you don't really know who I am.
I guess I'm blinded, I got reminded
Maybe I've been blinded by my own ambition, but something reminded me of the truth.
That none of you just will ever know who the N9ne is
It's possible that many of you will never really know who I am or how talented I am.
And you never heard of the homie from the Show-me
But you've probably never heard of me, the rapper from Missouri.
Punk that! I know you niggas know me
Forget that! I know that many of you do know me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind