Tech N9ne talks new music and Midwest rap scene

Kansas City, Missouri rapper Tech N9ne commands one of the most devoted fan bases in the music industry...

Kansas City, Missouri rapper Tech N9ne commands one of the most devoted fan bases in the music industry.

The 41-year old emcee is a man of the people and what some would consider to be a “rapper’s rapper” for populating and perfecting the staccato flow of rapping called “chopping.”

“That’s what I became known for doing back in the day,” recalled the Strange Music CEO. “I had a song in 1997 titled “Questions” from the 2Pac movie Gang Related.”

Ever since then it’s been his calling card.

Bone Thugs N Harmony, Twista, and Eminem have all flirted with chopping, and all are Midwest artists. Tech believes no affiliation to one set style of rapping makes the Midwest emcees more open to experimenting with their sound.

Releasing his 13th album, Something Else this week, Tech N9ne linked up with Hip-Hop’s current man of the hour, Kendrick Lamar. The two collaborated on the reflective single “Fragile,” where Tech explains why he’s so emotional when critics pass judgment on his music.

“I signed his label mate Jay Rock to my imprint Strange Music while Kendrick was his hype man,” said Tech N9ne. “I loved his flow. When I reached to him for “Fragile” I knew his love for music would shine through and it would be perfect.”

Check out what else Tech N9ne had to say in the video interview and let us know what you think in the comments below.

For the latest music news, follow Kyle Harvey on Twitter at @HarveyWins.

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