With 18 albums to his credit and another two more coming soon (set for Oct.13 and February 2018, respectively), Tech N9ne is one of the highest-grossing independent rap artists of all time. And 鈥� good news for us 鈥� he's back on tour once again, hitting Vancouver鈥檚 Harbour Event Centre on Oct. 7.
We caught up with the 听CEO midway through his Strange Reign Canada Tour to discuss the inspiration he gained from The Doors, his consistent collaborations, and his missed encounter with the late Hugh Hefner.
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How is the Canadian tour going so far?
There is a lot of love so far. It is me, Krizz Kaliko and Stevie Stone on tour, just us three, a microphone and the crowd.
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Are you touring exclusively with Strangeland artists these days?
No, I have done other tours, but I like to take my Strange crew out. They need the exposure. I lead my people to more exposure. I have a label to blow up.
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You have cited The Doors as being a pretty large influence on you growing up?
Yeah man, me, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore [of The Doors] got into the studio and did 鈥淪trange 2013.鈥� We were able to get the permission to get Jim (Morrison) on the chorus, so I have a song with The Doors.
All of The Doors were healthy as hell in the studio. Ray and I had Pinot Noir while talking about Jim. Everything was cool, and then a short time after that Ray passed, you never know, man.
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You were probably on your way to saying to Manzarek, "Let's start a band and make a million dollars, man.鈥�
[Laughs] Yeah, we were going to get together and make more music because I wanted to do "," that was the song that I had originally intended to record. I wanted to freak "Spanish Caravan" out, but then Robbie [Krieger] said 鈥渓et's do 鈥楽trange Days,'" so we did the song right there on the spot.
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It鈥檚 not like you鈥檙e going to argue with Robby Krieger...
Yeah man, I was like, "Shit, let's do it." As you said, I ain't going to battle Robby Krieger. I'ma do what he said he wants to do.
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Was your record label Strange Music named after "Strange Days," or "People Are Strange"?
Both, everything strange. I always reference both songs when I talk about my love for The Doors and why I wanted to name my record label Strange Music. Anything strange, that was me, I was always different. So, 鈥渟trange鈥� fit me perfectly. I loved the fusion of sounds that The Doors put together; it sounds like a dark carnival with a bit of light to me. With me being a killer clown, I love carnivals. Both of those songs are the reason that we are Strange Music.
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You were the highest-grossing independent rapper of all time when last you rolled through VanCity. Is that record still holding up?
I don't know, man. I stopped counting. Since last I was in Vancouver, there have been so many indie artists that have come out. We helped lay the groundwork for the people that were scared to use their own money, but now you have people like Macklemore and Chance The Rapper. If I am not the highest-grossing indie rapper after this year, I will be again. I am about to knock everybody's head off this coming year.
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You release Strange Reign six days after your 麻豆传媒映画tour stop. How much of that album will you tease at the show?
I am not doing many of those songs. I am leaking a couple of songs that are coming out after the show. One of the songs that is out Oct. 13 is the pre-show song called "Let Go." The song that I leave the stage with is called "Drink Up" and is off of the (2018) album, Planet, which comes out in February.
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Speaking of "Let Go," how is your collaborator on that track, Big Scoob, doing these days?
He is doing a lot better now; he has lost a lot of weight, so he is not Big Scoob anymore, he is Little Scoob. We are trying to get him back out on tour, but the money has to be right. The man has a life outside of music; he has four daughters, so it has to be worth everything to get Scoobie out here.
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In the song "I Love Music" from your All 6's and 7's album, who performs the vocal part 'If it wasn鈥檛 for my music, I wouldn't be standing here'?
That is Krizz Kaliko. 鈥淚f it wasn't for my music, I wouldn't be standing here. If it wasn't for my music, I wouldn't have nothing to hear.鈥� Yeah, that's Krizz Kaliko. 鈥淪o much to give.鈥� Krizz is a church boy, man. He's got the pipes. That Kaliko is going to church on 'em baby.
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That's just good vibes. The instant I hear that song it evokes positivity.听
Nobody knew Kendrick Lamar when I put him on that track.
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Are you doing any more 鈥淲orld Wide Choppers?鈥�
The first "World Wide Choppers" was epic. I had people from Turkey and Germany on 鈥淲WC;鈥� it was just going around. I had plans to let the song travel again when Speedom came around to do "World Wide Choppers II," but after Eminem got on it my label was like, "Nope, nobody else is on it." It was just me, Krizz Kaliko and Eminem. I said that 鈥淲orldwide Choppers II鈥� was going to be the last one of the series, but, you never know man.
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Did I just scoop another WWC?
I don't know, man; I don't have plans for it. Maybe before I turn 50, which will be a long time from now. Maybe I'll gather up some more choppers in the next couple of years, we'll see. Although, I do have some choppers onPlanet thus far, and whew... A couple of people know these choppers, but the whole world is about to know them.
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With all of the collab work that you have done, is there any artist out there that you would still like to work with at some point?
There are a lot of people that I would like to work with, but my fans are complaining about me collaborating too often. Right now there are only three other rappers on Planet that not a lot of people know quite yet on the album.
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Just tell any fan that complains that ... every rapper works with others.
My fans keep saying that they only want to hear me, and I am like, "Jesus, that is boring, okay here we go." I am going to make it exciting, though. I still want to work with Lana Del Rey; I love her. I can't think of any other artist right now; I want to work with her so badly.
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Lana Del Rey just did a track with A$AP Rocky in the past couple months, ""
Did she? I am going to be pissed if she did. Holy shit, I missed it! If he [A$AP Rocky] did it I don't want to do it; I don't want to copy anyone. But I love what she does; I can't wait to catch Lana Del Rey at a show.
I am not sure who else I want to work with, there are so many people.
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Did you ever get a chance to meet Hugh Hefner before he passed away?
No, I didn't meet Hugh Hefner. But, when I went to the Grammys two years ago Travis [O鈥橤uin] and I were invited to come to the [Playboy] Mansion, and we messed up. We went to change clothes after the Grammys and then went to the Mansion, but it was so crowded that we had to get our money back for the $25,000 cabana that we rented.
The fire marshall would not let us in; we fucked up.
We were standing outside of the gates like, "Fuck, we can't get in. I was about to meet Hugh.鈥�
We should have just gone straight from the Grammys in our suits to the fuckin' place. We thought that because we bought the cabana we had time, we had the reservation. We changed, we went by the TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) party at The Roosevelt. We stopped by Kendrick鈥檚 party, said "What's up", and then we went to Hughes...didn't get in, baby.
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Kind of like the with the car reservation? "You know how to take the reservation; you just don鈥檛 know how to hold the reservation...鈥�
Yeah, man, so fucked up. So now Hugh is gone, and it's not going to be the same. Maybe someone else will take over, another Hef maybe? But there is only one Hugh. We lost Michael Jackson; we lost Prince, Jerry Lewis, now Hugh?
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鈥� Tech N9ne plays The Harbour Event Centre Saturday, Oct. 7. Tickets available听.
