Audio By Carbonatix
Tech N9ne has a gun. File that little detail under “No shit.” After all, the Kansas City-based rapper (below) is named after an illegal semi-automatic weapon. Yet the guy with the red Medusa hair and penchant for color coordination says he hates being strapped, but as an upshot to his feats in the Heartland, it’s become a necessity. His latest effort, Absolute Power — that spawned “Imma Tell,” which broke into BET rotation — coupled with guest appearances on compilations with the likes of Tupac, RZA and Eminem, have earned him a rabid following of not just fans, but haters who’d like to tuck him in for a dirt nap. Even so, subtlety is not one of his strong suits. Those who cross him can still expect a vitriolic reply on wax, as he throws out dis tracks to antagonize those he suspects of wanting him to push up daisies, either brilliantly calling their bluffs or brazenly painting his own bullseye. Live, he’s equally as reckless and lethal. A red blur of electricity, he’s like a downed power line — hissing, flailing and completely unpredictable, with the pummeling sound of a hardcore rapper and the devilish showmanship of a rock frontman. And after spending much of the past year emitting a trail of sparks from New York to New Zealand performing alongside Jay-Z, Ludacris, Chingy, Insane Clown Posse and, most recently, crunk kingpins Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boyz, Tech is cocked and loaded.
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