Tech N9ne
Greater than 30 years within the sport, Tech N9ne displays on his new album, 5816 Forest, and his illustrious profession.
Interview: Peter A. Berry
Editor’s Be aware: This story seems within the Summer season 2025 subject of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and accessible on the market on the XXL web site.
The album is known as 5816 Forest. 5816 Forest is the tackle the place I lived the place my mother married a Muslim named Abul Hassan Khalifah. He moved us to 5816 Forest after I was 12. On the album, I’m speaking about all of the tales that occurred whereas dwelling in that place. I name this album my audio collection with 17 episodes about my life on 5816 Forest from age 12 to 17, the age I ran away from residence on a quest to grow to be Tech N9ne.
I had no plan to do the sort of album in any respect. It was an outdated buddy of mine. He simply bought launched from jail just a few years in the past. He’s the one which gave me my identify in 1988. His identify is Black Walt, and someday final 12 months, he instructed me, “Hey, man, actual Tech N9ne followers don’t need to hear all these collaborations that you simply be doing, man. We need to hear an album of all you rapping.” I’m like, “That’s boring as f**ok.” The following day, I instructed my accomplice, Travis O’Guin, what Black Walt stated, and Travis stated, “Tech, he’s proper.”
So, after I got here up with the title 5816 Forest, I stated, I’m going to inform these tales that occurred on this home. You possibly can hear my kids having conversations with me all through the album. Simply pure conversations. On the third verse of “J6’s,” I speak about after I gained the rap contest. The very first thing I ever gained was that rap contest in ’91, man. And I solely had on my fortunate [Jordan 6’s], and that’s all I needed to my identify. It was a drought. And at the moment, I used to be promoting dope for my relative, and the story got here forth. It’s a particular album.
5816 Forest is particular to me. It’s like I really feel energized to faucet into one of many essential parts of hip-hop: storytelling. I do it so nicely. It’s a particular album this late in my profession. I’ve achieved all of it. When you ask LeBron [James] what retains him enjoying, he’s going to say he loves the sport. We bought the cash already. I’m a multimillionaire. I’ve been that approach for some time. I nonetheless get excited for a dope beat. Once I hear 2 Chainz and Larry June with Alchemist. I nonetheless am a lover of hip-hop.
I used to be a dancer. I used to be a pop-lock breakdancer earlier than I began writing in ’85. I wrote my first rhyme in seventh grade. So, it’s like, I’ve been a scholar ever since. I’m nonetheless studying. I nonetheless bought my thumb on the heart beat of hip-hop. I’m older than hip-hop. I’ll be 54 this 12 months. By the top of my profession, I need individuals to keep in mind that I gave all of it and I did all of it.
I’ve achieved music with individuals in all genres, from Blues with Gary Clark Jr., R&B with Marsha Ambrosius, or R&B with Boyz II Males. On the steel aspect, I’ve labored with Slipknot and System of a Down. I’ve labored with The Doorways and Deftones. With hip-hop, don’t even begin. Me and Tupac. Me and Ice Dice. Me and MC Ren and Spice 1. Me and C-Bo. Me and Yukmouth. Me and E-40. Me and Wiz Khalifa. Me and Eminem. Me and Kendrick Lamar. It simply goes on eternally.
I’m so adorned and I’m so pleased about what I’ve achieved through the years. And what I’m nonetheless doing. I need to be generally known as the person who didn’t give a f**ok about what individuals thought of what number of genres I’ve been in. That I simply cherished music and supplied my life and my coronary heart to the world. So, I anticipate the world again. And I’m going to get it.
Take heed to Tech N9ne’s 5816 Forest Album
The summer season 2025 subject of XXL journal that includes Tech N9ne’s interview is on the market to buy right here. The problem additionally consists of interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Obtained Wings, in addition to conversations with Key Glock, Larry June, Aminé, Monaleo, Fredo Bang, Nardo Wick, Molly Santana, X-Video games snowboarding champion Zeb Powell and extra, plus a glance again at what the 2024 XXL Freshman Class has been doing and a deep dive into who’s the most important and greatest XXL Freshman ever.
