The last word most fans would use to describe Tech N9ne is "gimmicky," in fact, it seems he tries to be quite the opposite. Although more recently Tech has gotten some shine in the mainstream, he's still remained true to his sound, and in his own words, he's made the mainstream come to him rather than vice versa. Nonetheless, music critics say what they will about the rapper, and that sometimes gets under his skin-- as is evidenced in his new single with Kendrick Lamar, Kendall Morgan and Mayday "Fragile."
This single was the starting point of an in-depth conversation with Tech Ninna and Hardknock TV. The rapper explains how one man's review of Tech's performance at the Paid Dues festival inspired him to do the song, and explains how the journalist misunderstood him.
After dropping some bars acapella, Tech went on to talk about the journalist who called his lyrics and face paint "gimmicky."
"Another thing, talking about my lyrics are gimmicky, okay then it must be the face paint," said the Strange Music rapper (via HHDX), before going on to explain why he wears face paint. "When my dead homie Brian Dennis painted my face back in ’94 and he died years later to a crime of passion, I wear the face paint in memory of Brian Dennis. So, don’t say I’m gimmicky. I don’t need no face paint to bust my nigga. But I wear it because of my homie. You know what I’m saying? And redundant, it sounds like it would come from somebody that doesn’t listen to my music."
Tech went on to comment on the negativity the critic put out. "When you put shit like that in the air it’s negative man and I don’t need that. 'Cause everybody’s looking at me, but at the same time mothafuckas are scared of me because at the same time because I’m kinda to the left sometimes. But I think the real shit will always shine, but I told him ‘thank you’ for inspiring that wonderful song," he said.
Watch the first part of the interview below. Tech's album Something Else drops on July 30th.
