Tech N9ne – “5816 Forest” review

Kansas City, Missouri veteran Tech N9ne kicking summer in full gear with his 26th studio LP. Starting out 3 decades back as a member of the groups Black Mafia as well as the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians & the Nnutthowze, his profile began to increase in the late 90’s after landing a spot on the Gang Related soundtrack & becoming among the first to join Yukmouth’s then-newly formed collective The Regime. But after having issues with Interscope Records & Universal Music Group following the release of his iconic 3rd album Anghellic, that’s when Tech decided to form his own label with the help of a man at Paradise Originals named Travis O’Guin. Together, they would call it Strange Music & solidified itself as one of if not the biggest indie label in the world. Tech has made it a tradition to drop a project or 2 every year since Everready (The Religion) back in ‘06 except for 2022, returning the next summer with Bliss to mixed reception. C.O.S.M. (Class of Strange Music) became the best Collabos entry since my personal favorite Welcome to Strangeland & 5816 Forest looks outdo himself even more with only 2 guests on it because of people clowning him for overloading his projects with guests in the last 2-3 years or so.

After the “Donnie Call” skit, “The Birth” takes a trip down memory lane over some keyboards from Matt Phoenix speaking candidly on his mother’s health struggles whereas “Fridee to Sundee” (Triality)” demonstrates his storytelling abilities & unique slang taking a darker trap approach to the beat. “Yoda” featuring Lil Wayne finds the 2 likening themselves to the Jedi Grand Master from The Walt Disney Company-owned Star Wars franchise until “Ball” recalls another story from his household growing up.

“RDV” after the “Alyia Call” skit throws it back to the days of old school hip hop instrumentally harking back to his 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians days & “Lola” takes it a step further remembering the woman to convince him to go from beatboxing to MCing. “Black Walt Street (The New Breed)” dabbles with hyphy a bit reminiscing of his middle school days when he took on the original moniker Black Walt, but then “Excited” cheerfully talks about making his days the brightest.

Wrapping up the first leg, “The Nice One” cloudily remembers when the “white ones” used to come up to his locker telling him what people have said regarding him while “The Punishment (Lockdown)” paints a picture of a formative childhood memory backed by some thick bass & organic percussion. The chipmunk soul-based “What I Do” recalls beginning to steal during his freshman year of high school & after the “Reign Call” skit, “No Rub” takes it back to a hyphy vibe suggesting he should’ve smashed raw.

“Fish Captain” remembers when his stepfather gave him a summer gig because of the kids he was rolling with at the time of his adolescence while “Sacrifice” featuring Strange Music signee Jehry Robinson acoustically admits to working on their craft instead of what regular kids did. After the “Bella Call” skit, “Livin’ in the Sky” brings a trap flare back refusing to write sad songs for those in his life who’ve passed on & can’t be with us today.

After the “Call with 2 Year Old Alina” skit, “This I Know” blends bright piano blinks beneath triumphant horns along with a loose bluesy guitar & a soul sample reaching back into his earliest memories to make a big screen-worthy image of his formative years prior to the closer “J6’s” finishing up talking about not knowing his life would change at some point when life deals you bad hands lot of times & avoiding these issues by coming up with a plan.

Maybe the most I’ve enjoyed a Tech album since N9na, it’s such a deeply personal & sonically ambitious LP that marks a significant chapter in a legendary career for the indie titan. 5816 Forest reminisces on legacy, loyalty & the roots of independence in hip hop revisiting the foundational moments that shaped him & Strange Music resulting in a raw, reflective body of work that combines hard-hitting lyricism with moments of vulnerability, grit & growth.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tech N9ne – “C.O.S.M. (Class of Strange Music)” review

Kansas City, Missouri’s very own Tech N9ne returning for his 25th full-length studio album although the 9th in his Collabos series & the first since Strange Reign roughly 7 years ago. Starting out 3 decades back as a member of the groups Black Mafia as well as the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians & the Nnutthowze, his profile began to increase in the late 90’s after landing a spot on the Gang Related soundtrack & becoming among the first to join Yukmouth’s then-newly formed collective The Regime. But after having issues with Interscope Records & Universal Music Group following the release of his iconic 3rd album Anghellic, that’s when Tech decided to form his own label with the help of a man at Paradise Originals named Travis O’Guin. Together, they would call it Strange Music & solidified itself as one of if not the biggest indie label in the world. Tech has made it a tradition to drop a project or 2 every year since Everready (The Religion) back in ‘06 except for 2022, returning last summer Bliss to mixed reception. C.O.S.M. (Class of Strange Music) on the other hand had me hoping it would be the best Collabos entry since my personal favorite Welcome to Strangeland.

After the “Greetings” introductory skit, the first song “No Popcorn” hops over a fun old school instrumental so he can get everyone rockin’ on whereas “Bigger” featuring King Iso & Zkeircrow works in strings & hi-hats to talk about their desire for growth ever since they were children. “ZOD (I Win I Always Win)” featuring Joey Cool, Kevin Gates & Snow Tha Product kinda has a trap metal vibe to the beat with plinky keys thanks to Mario Casalini forever catching Ws while the ghostly “Disgusted” featuring Hopsin & Killer Mike brings the trio together to catch bodies with Tech & Killer Mike both going harder than Hop.

“Roll Call” featuring JL, Joey Cool, King Iso, Lex Bratcher, Rittz & X-Raided was a wicked fresh Strange posse cut produced by Wyshmaster allowing the alumni to come out to play like The Warriors just before “Let It Bang” featuring Y8$ having a futuristic trap flare instrumentally to hop in the whip & the bass go. “Sour Dough” featuring Keak da Sneak & LaRussell comes through with a hyphy banger despite an awkwardly unintelligible hook from Stunnaman02 leading into “I’m Just Tryna Get” featuring KC Young Boss, Miss Kush, Roblo Dastar & Shay Lyriq being another posse cut this time revolving around Kansas City over a guitar & fingersnaps.

X-Raided returns accompanied by The Popper for “Walter Sobchak (Am I Wrong?)” hooking up a gospel sample asking if they wrong for letting the gat off of anyone who breaks into their homes, but then “P.O.W. (Prisoners of War)” featuring Marley Young is a decently cloudy trap cut with Freek van Workum formerly N4 behind the boards talking about being saluted when they come around their parts. After the “Bathroom” skit, “Drippy Drop” featuring Skatterman & Snug Brim feels like an aquatic club banger reuniting the first duo to sign with the Snake & Bat while “The Ghost of Rosetta Tharpe” featuring Ako Mack & Lajon Witherspoon goes trap metal again delivering politically conscious subject matter.

“Sin Miedo” by the Nnutthowze featuring G-Mo Skeewas one of the most anticipated tracks here that lived up to my expectations since the 6688846993 & the filthiest Majik Ninja Entertainment artist talk about making mean fellas including a reference to TKO Group Holdings co-founder Vince McMahon being under federal probe for human trafficking & sexual battery over grisly boom bap production while “I Got Time Today” featuring ¡MAYDAY! serves as a colorful ballad simply about having the time today that NonMS cooked up. “Take That L9ve Back” featuring Marcus Yates formerly known as Oobergeek explaining what they should’ve said on top of his-hats & vibraphones while “Boomer Rang” featuring K.A.A.N., Stevie Stone & Ubiquitous formerly of the CES Cru atmospherically warns that they don’t fuck around.

After the “L.9.V.E. 4EVA” skit, “I Know the Real” featuring C-Mob somberly disses those who ain’t walkin’ it like they talkin’ it out here while “Sniper’s Remorse” featuring King Iso & Trae tha Truth has a heartbreaking tone aesthetically talking about not being unable to fight anymore & being caught up the guilt of a sniper. “Underdog” featuring Head da Don & X-Raided nears the conclusion of the first Collabos offering in 7 years with a trap metal cut tackling the theme of being misunderstood & “Ain’t Gon’ Be Another” featuring Jehry Robinson ends on an acoustic trap note discussing uniqueness.

Wasn’t sure if Tech was ever gonna give us another Collabos album again considering the gap between this & Strange Reign, I have to admit that I found myself enjoying C.o.S.M. (Class of Strange Music) more than the last couple albums of his own Asin9ne & Bliss. This new one has much more consistent production than the other 2 & as a Strange Music fan since my adolescence, it’s amazing that he got a bunch of artists from the label’s history past & present alongside some notable artists outside of Strangeland.

Score: 3.5/5

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Nnutthowze – “Siqnaling the Siqly” review

The Nnutthowze is a trio from Kansas City, Missouri consisting of Phlaque the Grimstress, Tech N9ne & Zkeircrow. Formed by the future Strange Music founder 3 decades ago already, their only full-length LP to date Welcome to My Asylum would go on to become incredibly pivotal in the development of Tech’s image & rap style that would carry him to success. But after reforming once the pandemic started to clear up, the 6688846993 is officially making their Halloween to be Siqnaling the Siqly as their debut EP.

After the “Enter Nnutthowze Soiree” intro, the first song “The Siqnal” starts off the EP with a trap/rock crossover dedicated to all of those who have been outcasted whereas “Wanna See Me Fall” featuring X-Raided finds the quartet over a darker instrumental talking about how people wanna see you fail. “Wind Me Up” featuring King Iso morbidly cautions that they’ll get ghostly if you approach them just before “Death Tries Like an F5” addresses mass killings over a trap metal beat.

“Glitch Up” takes a cloudier boom bap route sending a message to those they be hearing doing fuck with them leading into the quirky but still eerie “What Happened to You?” talking about being at a loss for words after noticing an off-putting occurrence. After the “Whispers in the Dark” skit & prior to the “Enter the Clergy of Crays” outro, the final song “We’re Home” featuring Seuss Mace joins Tech N9ne & Zkeircrow providing music for the soul over an atmospheric trap instrumental.

I generally enjoyed their reunion cuts on Tech’s latest couple albums & 30 years after the Nnutthowze’s debut album, they outdo themselves on a 10 track EP preluding their sophomore album Clergy of Crays. The production is better than it was on Welcome to My Asylum, the chemistry between all 3 members is still strong & solid feature choices on top of it.

Score: 4/5

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Tech N9ne – “Bliss” review

If anyone’s been following me long enough up to this point, you probably already know that I’ve covered Tech N9ne quite a bit around here. Starting out 3 decades back as a member of the groups Black Mafia as well as the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians & Nnutthowze, his profile began to increase in the late 90’s after landing a spot on the Gang Related soundtrack & becoming among the first to join Yukmouth’s then-newly formed collective The Regime. But after having issues with Interscope Records & Universal Music Group following the release of his iconic 3rd album Anghellic, that’s when Tech decided to form his own label with the help of a man at Paradise Originals named Travis O’Guin. Together, they would call it Strange Music & solidified itself as one of if not the biggest indie label in the world. Tech has made it a tradition to drop an album every year since Everready (The Religion) back in ‘06 but after a taking a year off when Asin9ne came out a couple falls ago, N9na’s returning from the snake & bat-cave to unleash his monstrously long 24th full-length album.

After the introductory “Welcome to the P.I.T.S.” skit, the first song “Badge of Honor” is a trap/rock crossover produced by N4 talking about never needing exactly that whereas “Knock featuring Conway the Machine as well as X-Raided & Joyner Lucas all come together for a boom bap-inflicted tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Conway steals the show with his verse followed by Tech’s, then X-Raided’s & Joyner’s being the weakest in my respectful opinion due to his triteness. “KC Huh? KC What?” goes back into trap territory shedding light on Kansas City, Missouri up-&-comers King D, Lil’ Ava & Roblo Dastar leading into N9na reuniting with The Popper on the catchy “They Know Meh” laced with the help of Dominique Sanders of The Xtraordinaire$ talking about being known everywhere they go.

After the “Y’all Having a Good Time?” skit, “Tell Everyone” is another highlight for me personally as it’s a victorious ode to the Kansas City Chiefs winning this year’s Super Bowl & I acknowledge Pat Mahomes as the best QB in the league even though I’m more of a Pats/Buccs guy leading into “Things I Like” is a groovy rap rock banger talking about everything he enjoys. “3D” has a more atmospheric flare to it declaring he can see you in 1-dimension, but then “W H A T (We’re Hungry & Thirsty)” by BL1GHT featuring Kim Dracula is a decent trap metal “Riot Maker” callback in contrast to Tech & HU$H’s damn-near unlistenable eponymous brostep EP couple years ago.

After the “Crowd Participation” skit, “Wess Paul Bennett” featuring Joey Cool & King Iso find the trio attack everyone who downplays them over a rich trap beat from Wyshmaster while “Pull Out” might be the worst cut on the whole album. Not saying Tech can’t make love songs, he’s done it numerous times in the past whether it be “The Beast” or “Love Me Tomorrow”. It just sounds almost as corny as “Fish in a Pita” back on the Dominion collabos album. “Fatha Fig Ya (Food For Thought)” makes up the cringe with some pianos & hi-hats talking out how days will come while the “Reach Us” featuring X-Raided, 2Gunn Kevi & Head da Don is a cavernously decent trap cut with a lazy hook about haters.

“Red Aura” with Qveen Herby has to be another standout with it’s kicked-back sound & a way better chorus dedicated to his favorite color (& mine personally too) prior to the “Screen” remix featuring Jehry Robinson gives a more heinous trap approach asking why motherfuckers be knocking on the door of their properties. After the “That Was Dope!” skit, “Drill Sergeant” works in some creepy piano chords comparing himself to a noncommissioned officer that trains soldiers in basic military skills prior to “Bro So Mo (Lemony Snicket’s)” getting in his storytelling bag paying homage to Daniel Handler over synths & hi-hats.

The final leg of the album starts with Ubiquitous of prior CES Cru fame coming into the picture for “I Met a Morph” looking back on the old versions of themselves accompanied by symphonics & after the last skit “Problem at the Pump”, the song “Deer Alley” somberly details how much of a super inconvenience it is when you roll in the titular place while the penultimate track “2 Happy” by the Nnutthowze sees the 3 joyfully talking about being proud of being fucked up. “Got What I Wanted” ends the indie hip hop veteran’s 24th full-length with a warm ode to give him what’s his since he’s been all over the world

As a long-time Tech N9ne/Strange Music since high school, what else can I say other than Bliss has left me torn much like Enterfear & Asin9ne? The way he exemplifies just how far away he feels from conflict of any sort comes from a genuine place & the production’s cool, but it didn’t need to be 25 tracks/76 minutes long & the guests all perform on his caliber at best or mid to unlistenable at worst. If he left half of what we got here on the cutting room floor, I would’ve most likely enjoyed what we got here but that’s ok when you have that much of a extensive discography.

Score: 2.5/5

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Tech N9ne – “Asin9ne” review

This is the 23rd full-length album from Kansas City icon Tech N9ne. Getting his footing in 3 decades back as a member of the groups Black Mafia as well as the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians & Nnutthowze, his profile began to increase in the late 90’s after landing a spot on the Gang Related soundtrack & becoming among the first to join Yukmouth’s then-newly formed collective The Regime. But after having issues with Interscope Records & Universal Music Group following the release of his iconic 3rd album Anghellic, that’s when Tech decided to form his own label with the help of a man at Paradise Originals named Travis O’Guin. Together, they would call it Strange Music & solidified itself as one of if not the biggest indie label in the world. Tech has made it a tradition to drop an album every year since Everready (The Religion) back in ‘06 & given that’s been going on at Strange throughout 2021, I was very curious to hear how Asin9ne would address it all.

“The Herder” kicks the album off with Tech villainously proclaiming himself as just that with production from Wyshmaster whereas the King Iso & Seuss Mace-assisted “I Don’t Fit” has a symphonic trap vibe with the help of N4 talking about not fitting in even though they’re the shit. “Kickiter” has a bit of an EDM flare encouraging the crowds to riot leading into the spacious “Too Good” produced by Ervin Pope & featuring Lil Wayne tackles the idea of being too good for their own good.

Meanwhile on “No See Umz”, we Snow Tha Product tagging along with a poorly sung Russ hook for an anthem going at their doubters just before King Iso returns alongside Joey Cool & even former 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and 5-time WWE tag team champion The Rock (although you can definitely tell Tech wrote his verse) with the combative “Face Off” serving as MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7’s only production credit on the album with Joey referencing Reality of Wrestling (RoW) founder, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE world champion, 14-time WWE world tag team champion, 4-time WWE United States Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WCW World Television Champion, ROW Tag Team Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Booker T during his verse. E-40 comes into the picture for the explosive strip club anthem “Clydesdale”, but then “Still Right Here” with X-Raided serves as an emotional ballad about loyalty.

“Take Your Halo” reveals itself as an angry response to those who’ve been talking shit on Strange Music as of late while “Knock That Noodle” speaks on the violence in KC over a cavernous beat. “Heightened” despite it’s brevity feels like something you’d hear in the trailer of a good horror movie just before the horribly produced dubstep/rap fusion that is “What Rhymes With Threat’ll Kill Ya?” by the Nnutthowze despite the subject matter of dissing all the sick fucks out there.

If you couldn’t tell by the title, “I Been Thru a Lot” delivers one of the more vulnerable moments on the entire album & “Dial It Back” has a more cloudier sound talking about how he ain’t bragging. The song “Zaza” with Oobergeek meditatively gets sensual while the penultimate track “Close Yours Eyes” is a more boom bap-tinged pleading to keep faith in him. “Special” finishes it off with a powerful, feel-good guitar ballad.

I’ve been a huge fan of Tech N9ne since my senior year of high school & his music has helped me through some dark times, but I’m kinda indifferent towards Asin9ne. He definitely proves that he can hold an album without 7 but much like ENTERFEAR, he overdid it on the features & their contributions are either hit or miss.

Score: 3/5

BL1GHT – Self-Titled review

BL1GHT is a newly formed duo consisting of HU$H & Tech N9ne. One is a rapper/producer from Los Angeles known for his work in the EDM scene under numerous aliases & the latter being amongst the biggest independent hip hop artists of all-time. Now I’m not really sure exactly how these guys’ paths crossed, but my morbid curiosity for this eponymous debut EP of theirs got the best of me given how much of a N9na fan I’ve been since high school. Especially off the strength of albums like Anghellic, Absolute Power, Everready (The Religion), K.o.D. (King of Darkness), All 6’s & 7’s, Welcome to Strangeland and Special Effects.

”Let Lost Happen” starts the EP by going into a brostep direction as BL1GHT tell the listener that “false starts isn’t how they play” whereas the next joint “Noise Baby” sounds like a rehash of your generic EDM track from 2011 with it’s repetitive structuring. We go into a more glitchier sound on the lyrically aggressive “Move Back Right Now” before fusing elements of dubstep & trap metal with “Smiley”.

Meanwhile on “Wear U Down”, the instrumental for some reason sounds like the theme music you’d hear whenever a Blacklight: Retribution match would end as BL1GHT rap about the way they show love while the penultimate track “41 Days” is much more melodic & the lyrics are more depressing. The closer “Suffering” is a lot similar to “Smiley” in terms of the production with the duo rapping about wanting their opposition to suffer.

I have nothing against dubstep or EDM as an entire genre, but boy was it a struggle for me to sit through this entire EP for 22 minutes. The chemistry between the duo seems to be hamfisted rather than natural because as a performer, Tech N9ne is just washing HU$H on every song. On top of that, the latter’s production isn’t as invigorating as someone like Burial’s

Score: 1/5

Tech N9ne – “FEAR EXODUS” review

Tech N9ne is a Kansas City, Missouri veteran who’s music I’ve covered countless times up to this point. From founding the independent powerhouse Strange Music alongside his manager Travis O’Guin to his insane work ethic & an incredibly lengthy discography, the man really has done a lot to the culture to solidify himself as one of the all-time greats. He just put out his 22nd album ENTERFEAR back in April, which was followed up by a great outtakes EP MORE FEAR just a couple months ago. However with the Halloween season approaching quickly, Tech is finishing the FEAR trilogy by releasing his 8th EP.

After the “Rally the Troops” intro, the first song “EPOD” with JL sees the 2 talking about being the illest over a woozy trap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 whereas the next track “I Think” is a fresh showcase of the current Strange Music roster over a grimy instrumental. The song “Sprocket” with Krizz Kaliko is yet another addition to Tech’s long list of club bangers backed by a vigorous beat from N4 while the track “Tech’s Mex” talks about his originality over a spacious instrumental.

The penultimate song “Becoming Too Famous“ talks about the crazy amount of press coverage he’s received recent years over a settle trap beat & after the “Exodus” skit, the closer “Making a Killin’ (I Ain’t Scared of Shit)” talks about moving on from the FEAR trilogy as he announces his upcoming 23rd album Asin9ne dropping next year over a ghostly instrumental.

Man, what a good way to segway into the next chapter of Tech’s career. He gives listeners an introspective look at where’s at currently whereas 7 & N4 both continue to prove both of their own sounds compliment Tech the best. Beyond excited to hear where he takes things next year.

Score: 3.5/5

Tech N9ne – “MORE FEAR” review

This is the 7th EP from the ever-hardworking Kansas City veteran Tech N9ne. He’s fresh off his 22nd full-length ENTERFEAR that just dropped back in April & it turns out so much material was recorded for that particular album, that N9na has seen fit to release some of those cuts in the first of 2 EPs.

After the “Heist” skit, the first song “ENTERFEARENCE” talks about feeling disoriented over a groggy beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 whereas the track right after “Bitch Slap” with Corey Taylor, GreatDaeg & Hopsin sees the 4 talking about hitting anyone who tries to harm their personal spaces over a trap metal beat. After the “Report” skit, the song “I Don’t Give a Pho” talks about not caring for bullshit over an eerie trap beat while the penultimate track “Inside” talks about giving himself a pick-me-up over an unexpected boom bap instrumental that works pretty fantastically. The EP finishes with “Specter”, where Tech talks about being a ghost over a melancholic beat from N4.

Personally, I think I might enjoy this EP a bit more than the album itself. As dark as ENTERFEAR was, most of these cuts should’ve made it onto that album because they would play into it much more solidly than the weaker cuts on there. Can’t wait for FEAR EXODUS at the end of the year.

Score: 4/5

Tech N9ne – “ENTERFEAR” review

Tech N9ne is an MC from Kansas City, Missouri who really doesn’t need an introduction at this point. The man has put in an insane amount of work over the course of his nearly 3 decade career from starting up the most successful independent label in hip hop Strange Music to a lengthy discography including Anghellic, Absolute Power, Everready [The Religion], K.o.D. (King of Darkness) & Special Effects. The last we heard from Tech was just about a year ago with N9NA & with the 1 year anniversary of that coming up, he’s back with his 22nd album.

The album kicks off with “Just Die?”, where Tech takes aim to those saying it’s falling off over a rap metal beat. The next song “Suckseed” with King Iso sees the 2 telling everyone to suck their dicks over a rock/trap fusion while the track “Outdone” talks about going from rapping for the first time in 1985 to being co-signed by some of the greats & I love how layered the beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 gets as it progresses. The song “Look What I Did” with the Flatbush ZOMBiES talks about making it in the industry over a cavernous trap beat while the track “Yeah No!” talks about being reclusive now over a dark instrumental.

The song “Dr. Sebagh” with Landxn Fyre sees the 2 showing off their skills over a spacious beat while the track “Question Mark This!” with Lex Bratcher sees the 2 talking about backstabbers over a druggy beat. The song “Snake & the Batman” is a short yet merciless flex over a slow yet suspenseful instrumental while the track “Feel So Sad!” talks about how he isn’t perfect over a dreary acoustic instrumental.The song “Leave It on the Flo!” talks about hooking up with 2 women over a sensual beat & an awkward Landxn verse in the middle while the track “Phonk” with Merkules & Scru Face Jean is a decent sequel with a soulful boom bap beat.

The song “Angel Baby” talks about all the times he’s survived death over a funereal instrumental while the track “On the Outside” talks about getting money over an upbeat instrumental. The song “Smell Good” with Krizz Kaliko sees the 2 getting flirtatious over a smooth instrumental while the track “Stoli Doli” continues the same themes over a more meditative beat.The song “For Ya Love” talks about this woman holding a grudge over an intoxicating beat while the track “B.I.B. (But I’m Blessed)” sees Tech & Krizz talks about being grateful despite their shortcomings over a calming yet atmospheric beat. The song “Saw Somethin’” with Iso sees the 2 talking about the supernatural over a ghostly instrumental & then the closer “KC Smile” pays tribute to his hometown over a jazzy beat.

Tech has always been one of my favorite artists in all of hip hop & this just goes to show why. A couple of the features could’ve been better at points, but I really like how the album takes a much more darker approach than N9NA did.

Score: 3/5

Tech N9ne – “N9NA” review

This is the latest full-length outing from the highest-selling independent hip hop artist of all-time; the King of Darkness himself: Tech N9ne. If anyone is far behind in his catalog, the dude has made himself one of the hardest working men in the culture by dropping at least 1 or 2 albums a year since 2016 & his previous one Planet ended up being one of his best ones yet. However with a new tour starting earlier this week, he’s celebrating by releasing his 21st album.

After the “Le Horde” intro, we dive straight into the first song “Lord of Weird”. Where Tech pretty much proclaims himself as just that over a gloomy trap beat. The title track serves as a reintroduction for N9na’s new fans with MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7’s trunk-knocking production fitting like a glove while the song “Hit the Ground Running” with JL & King Iso sees the 3 talking about how no one can stop them over a trap beat with some acoustic strumming over an eerie beat. The track “Like I Ain’t” reflects on his accomplishments while the song “Green Lit” with Iso alongside Tech’s latest Strange Music signee Maez301 sees the 3 calling out people who double crossed them over an infectious instrumental.

The track “Chuki Fever” is a shot at everyone jealous of his success over a somber trap beat while the song “Fuckin’ Do It” with Futuristic & JL is a decent alcohol anthem with a skeletal trap beat. The track “Don’t Let Me Fall” is a boring diatribe of a 1-night stand with a simplistic beat while the song “You Line!” with Krizz Kaliko viciously attacks frauds with a perfectly suiting beat. The track “EDI’s” serves as a tribute to edibles with a monstrous beat while the song “Rata” takes a surprising direction in Latin territory & it somehow works.

The track “F.T.I. 2.0” serves as a vicious sequel to the iconic “Fuck the Industry” off his 2001 classic Anghellic while the song “She Fell” is a moody sex tune with a horrendous hook. The track “Sink” talks about depression with a gorgeous bass-line while the song “H.O.B. (History Of Bitches)” talks about crazy chicks trying to come back into his life over an atmospheric beat. The track “Ion Memba” recalls his past addiction with an average C-Mob verse over a spacey bass-heavy beat while the song “Active” talks about gang life over a nocturnal instrumental.

The track “EF U (Easier For You)” with Jelly Roll is a heartfelt dedication to the broken with a pretty guitar passage while the song “I’m Caught Crazy! (4Ever)” is essentially Tech embracing his insanity over a nocturnal instrumental. The closer track “I’m Sorry” is a triumphant ode to his family & then there’s the bonus track “Disparagement”, where he & King Iso diss their haters over a generic trap beat.

While I personally prefer Planet, this is still a solid listen. Of course Tech brings his A-game lyrically & I like how he kept the features minimal just like that previous album, but some of the production choices on this one in comparison could’ve been better.

Score: 3.5/5