Tech N9ne Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
Remarkably, Tech N9ne's second release of 2009 is as driven, ambitious, and satisfying as his first, the collaboration filled Sickology 101. The big difference here is that K.O.D. is a concept album at its core, telling the story of Tech was the "King of Darkness" and dividing it into three acts: Anger, Madness, and The Hole. Coming before the official intro, the opening "Show Me a God" is one giant highlight of a prelude as Tech deals with his mother's failing health and offers a more humble examination of despair than the heavy-handed epic that follows. Guests Three 6 Mafia prove a perfect choice to set the tone with their eerie work on "Demons," while the fantastic foursome of Big Scoob, Kutt Calhoun, Skatterman, and Bumpy Knuckles are just as welcome on Tech's version of guys night out, "B. Boy." It gets shockingly dark from here, with victims being thrown "In the Trunk," while past acquaintances are addressed in "Killing You," but you don't come to a Tech N9ne album for sunshine and light. Fans who feed on the rapper's Eminem-meets-Freddy Krueger style are going to find that Tech is communicating his inner demons as vividly as ever, and that the dark carnival music still holds strong with returning favorites Ruben Armstrong, YoungFyre, and Robert Rebeck handling most of the production. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A sequel to 2007's Misery Loves Kompany, Sickology 101 is underground rapper Tech N9ne's second album of collaborations, but the concept is entirely secondary. The driving force behind the album is still the Kansas City madman's love of ill behavior, be at the club, on the weekend, with the ladies, or hanging with his goon squad. Names like Krayzie Bone, Crooked I, and Chino XL represent the outside world of hip-hop while Big Scoob, Kutt Calhoun, and Krizz Kaliko are family, all signed to Tech's Strange Music and all sounding perfectly in tune with their label boss. From the regional horror sound of "Midwest Choppers" to the strings and Bad Boy-flavored riffs of the very pop-rap "In the Air," Tech is the anchor, adding his sleazy wit and rebellious punch lines to all tracks. Production comes primarily from the creative crew of Jonah "Matic Lee" Appleby, Rob Rebeck, plus Tramaine "Youngfyre" Winfrey, and the hooks are both numerous and grand with about a third of cuts qualifying as lunatic anthems. This well-rounded effort could also serve as an introduction to Strange's odd corner of the underground, but the curious should be warned that Tech is as fond of shock tactics as ever and takes fetishes to a whole new level with his obsessing on women's areolas. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Misery Loves Kompany'
Release Date 7/17/2007
Tracks 17
Label Strange Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
One of the most unique lyricists and performers in the underground rap universe, the enigmatic Tech N9ne (aka Aaron Yates) has put Kansas City on the hip-hop map both through his work with stars like 2Pac and Eminem and with a handful of his own hardcore solo efforts. Tired of getting ripped off by fly-by-night indie labels, Tech N9ne took matters into his own hands with Absolute Power, releasing the album on his Strange Music label. Expressing disdain for the music industry, its immoral business practices, and the de facto segregation of the radio airwaves, Tech N9ne opens Absolute Power with the powerful "The Industry Is Punks." The song is delivered with the rapper's trademark rapid-fire rhythm, hitting the listener like the business end of a sledgehammer and matched with an almost operatic chorus. "Here Comes Tecca Nine" is a shout-out to Kansas City, "Imma Tell" uses a strange repeating vocal sample that sounds like it was taken from an old Italian comedy film and thrown behind a tale of hometown high jinks. "Slacker" provides a new definition to the fabled lifestyle while "Slither," based on N9ne's experiences in K.C.-area strip clubs, is a theatrical horror story complete with sexy vampires. Tech N9ne's self-professed insanity (crazy like a fox, actually) manifests itself in cuts like "Trapped in a Psycho's Body," the artist struggling with personal demons, and on the Middle Eastern-flavored "She Devil" (with Detroit crew D-12), the song's protagonist yielding to temptation with disastrous results. The high point of Absolute Power is "Worst Enemy," N9ne's vocal gymnastics punctuated by anger and confusion as he reveals the shocking identity of his "enemy" at the song's conclusion. What sets Tech N9ne apart from his hip-hop counterparts is an unusual ability to change the flow of his rhymes, from scattershot, machine-gun styling to absurd, almost DJ Screw-like vocal molasses. Paired with his intelligent, cinematic-oriented poetry, Tech N9ne is a cerebral assassin using words as his weapon and music as his medium. An important and groundbreaking release, Absolute Power is as original in its delivery and all-encompassing in its scope as the early Public Enemy albums. A bonus DVD disc included with Absolute Power offers six previously unreleased songs and live performance and interview video footage. ~ Rev. Keith A. Gordon, All Music Guide
'The Worst'
Release Date 3/28/2000
Tracks 17
Label Midwestside Records
See Album Tracklist and Review
'The Calm Before the Storm'
Release Date 11/9/1999
Tracks 15
Label Mekah West
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