I was concerned that doing a phone interview with Tech N9ne would make it difficult for him to open up to me. Luckily, when the first words out of his mouth were in the form of a freestyle about the origins of my name, I knew I had nothing to worry about. With his new album, Everready The Religion in stores and fans who have been loyal since day one, Tech N9ne, charismatic personality always apparent, is ready for what lies ahead.

Tech N9ne, an offbeat rapper from Kansas City has been called “underground”” and “alternative” since he first hit the scene in the late eighties. A far cry from pre-packaged rhymes about girls, money and fly cars, Tech N9ne’s lyrics deal with the emotional and sometimes dark side of life. “You listen to my pain, me as a father, my victories, me almost dying……you hear all my fuck ups,” he says about his songs. It’s not surprising that an honesty such as his has been rejected by the mainstream. But as he suggests somehow modestly, “Wouldn’t the mainstream be wonderful with a bit of Tech N9ne?…I want the rest of the world to hear my story too!”

Tech N9ne, who has been promoting almost non stop is at a mall signing tennis shoes for fans. He seems to enjoy the attention, but at no point does he become full of himself. He’s talkative and a social flirt, but between signing shoes and cracking jokes with his friends, he takes the time to thoughtfully answer my questions. He shows a pure and constant love for his family, “I do this [music] for the love of my children…my kids are my biggest fans.” Along with his family, he points to his local fan base as fundamental in his success, ““You have to rep where you’re from--if you’re not a superstar at home, how you gonna’ blow up?” Tech N9ne seems to understand the local and national hip-hop scene. Being a rapper for so long he exudes a natural understanding of the industry and of his art, “I’m an original b-boy,” Tech asserts about his experience.

One of Tech N9ne’s greatest strengths is his honestly. He shares with his fans very personal experiences and private moments. “Tech N9ne is the instruction book on what not to do. You can learn from me.” He doesn’t mind showing the world his failures and his fears. He calls his new album “schizophrenic…a rollercoaster ride” that serves as a self-reflection as well as a kind of internalized therapy. “This is a long, hard road. I have ‘liberate me’ on my arm” he says, “to remind me, keep on keeping on.” Tech promises that Everready is the most truthful album he has made, with better beats and an all around tighter sound, the album a way to “dig deep inside myself,” he claims.

Tech N9ne doesn’t seem overly concerned with all the drama happening within hip-hop, rather he looks towards the future and senses a change, “I like to see people united--everyone’s starting to get older. It’s happening right before our eyes.” With such an upbeat attitude towards the sometimes chaotic industry, Tech’s love for his art is undeniable, “I have a ball doing what I do!” Although he spends much of his spare time creating, he tries to spend as much time as possible with his children and is always searching for “a female friend.”

Somewhere beyond mainstream, alternative and underground rap Tech N9ne waits to tell his story to the world. It’s just a matter of time before his determination pays off! If it isn’t faith that will provide him continued success, then it must be religion. Everready The Religion manages to put together so many aspects of Tech N9ne’s life and growth as an artist and as a person, it is impossible for listeners to deny the honesty and creativity in his storytelling. Taking every opportunity to succeed, sharing his most personal moments with the world and loving his fans and family everyday, Tech N9ne leaves me with the words he lives by “Celebrate life. You never know when this shit house will go up in flames.”

--By Shirani Jayasuriya