Fiercely independent rapper Tech N9ne took over the capital Sept. 23 as part of his tour for his 14th studio album Strangeulation.
The club was full of fans, some who showed up in facepaint. Tech N9ne said he was grateful they all came to party and supported him while mainstream outlets have given him little attention.
His first major network performance happened this last summer on Jimmy Kimmel after nearly a quarter century of rapping.
The Ottawa show was a raucous affair with strangers throwing their hands over one another to yell along to party standards like “Caribou Lou.”
The Charlatan chatted with him before the performance.
The Charlatan (TC): What kind of reaction do you get when you are performing on stage?
Tech N9ne (TN): Everybody always asks me that question. One thing about Tech N9ne is that all the fans all over the world . . . are connected as one—mind, body, and soul. So when I go all around the world, it’s not a bad thing because if they can’t even speak the English language, they know my music.
TC: What about Ottawa, specifically?
TN: Same thing with Ottawa. All the Technicians are sort of tied together as one, so there’s no difference. Only thing different about Canada is there’s more women (laughs).
TC: So you’re excited to come back to the nation’s capital?
TN: Totally, man. I can’t wait to come back.
TC: You’ll likely be playing some stuff of your new album, Strangeulation, for those in attendance. What makes this new one different from your other albums?
TN: Every album is different because I try and top what I did last time. I try to be better than I was . . . All of my albums are different things, and they will continue to be that way I have to get better every time I go. I have to. It’s mandatory.
TC: You’ve put out an album every year for the last three years, in an industry that is dominated by singles. What is your reasoning behind this?
TN: I like my life and I’m not just basing my career off a single. The radio never gave us love until “Fragile” with Kendrick Lamar. We’ve never built our structure on radio play or videos. A lot of people do it for a quick buck but I’m here for longevity . . . I’m going to keep making albums ‘till I die.
TC: You’ve been in the rap game for almost 25 years now. How are you still managing to keep fans engaged?
TN: The more I do in music, the younger my fans are getting. I don’t understand why (laughs). But I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing because obviously they’re connecting with it . . . Whatever it is I’m doing, I’m going to keep doing it because it’s spreading like a forest fire still to this day.
TC: What makes you feel proud to be in this position and to write this music?
TN: A lot of things make me feel. My mom passing after being sick for years. Now that I realize I have a real guardian angel watching over me it makes me feel so much better, right here in my heart. I can feel it.
TC: You’ve had to adapt to all these changes in the music business over the years. How do you think you’ve been evolving as a performer?
TN: I evolve by living life. Every day is a different day. So indeed if I do write my life, then it is going to change . . . Whichever turn my life takes, that’s what I write. And I’m evolving every day—musically, spiritually, physically because I’m getting fatter the more I drink (laughs). But it’s a wonderful thing to keep evolving and I will do so as long as I stay alive.
