With a new album on the way, led by the massive single "Hood Go Crazy" featuring B.o.B and 2 Chainz, Tech N9ne continues to tap into the powers of the mainstream in ways most underground artists aren't able too. The rapper recently broke down some of the more anticipated records on his upcoming album Special Effects, and to follow that up, we had Tech Ninna also speak on five collaborations from over the years where he dipped his toe in the mainstream pool.
Tech goes into great detail when describing "Hood Go Crazy," as well as "See Me" with B.o.B and Wiz Khalifa, "B.I.T.C.H." with T-Pain, "Fuck Food" with Lil Wayne & T-Pain, and finally "Demons" featuring Three 6 Mafia.
Check out the full interview below, or click through the galleries for his explanation on each track.
Hood Go Crazy Feat. B.o.B & 2 Chainz (2015)
"It always starts off like this, when I deal with B.o.B's camp. I hit his manager B. Rich, and I say B. Rich, send me something man I'm doing my album. The last album they sent me "See Me" and the album before that, they sent me "Am I Pyscho?" They always send me like five beats, man, and I choose two or three. This time B. Rich sent me some, and I heard one that went with the theme of my album, Special Effects... Cause I told people that we're gunna fuck with the beats and the lyrics on this album, and it seemed like they messed with the bass line a bit."
He continued, "B.o.B already had his chorus on it...My first idea was to put Problem on it, I told my roommate, my brother Maxilla, man, I'ma put Problem on it. He said Problem's dope but if you really want the hood to go crazy, put Chainz on it."
"When you hear his [2 Chainz] voice, it's turn up, it's turn-up time. When I sent it to Chainz, he sent it right back, so wonderful, real dude."
See Me Feat. B.o.B & Wiz Khalifa (2013)
"The funny thing about 'See Me,' it's almost the same story, like I said about 'Hood Go Crazy.' I called B. Rich, he sent me a couple of tracks, I choose 'em. When I heard 'See Me,' I said who did this beat? They said Drumma Boy did the beat. I was like damn, Drumma Boy killed it. The bass is just humongous in that beat.
"Once again, B.o.B did the hook. I was like ah, that's beautiful, cause they don't really see me. I've been doing this music for so long, tryna bang into peoples' heads that I am the truth, but they don't really see me though, all these years. So it's perfect for me."
He continued, "Wiz Khalifa, I kinda favor him, cause that's my mom last names. We linked backstage at Paid Dues, and he told me whenever you need me I got you. And I said that would be the one to put him on. I sent to Wiz and he did it."
B.I.T.C.H. Feat. T-Pain (2013)
"'B.I.T.C.H.' was something that we had too. I told him, I gave him a pep talk, I want you to do this hook. Cause me and Krizz Kaliko really do all the choruses for my music, but on this particular album, Something Else, I wanted to let people do it. Like when I sent it to Cee-Lo Green, I let him do "That's My Kid" with Big K.R.I.T. I took chances with people, I took chances with the right people cause they delivered."
"A lot of these black folks think I'm a devil worshipper. Because I used to have red hair, which has nothing to do with devil to me, I was just from a Blood neighborhood and I gave myself a red crown, I was the king Blood I guess. I told him because of these things I've done in the past, my imagery, a lot of people when I came out with Anghellic, a lot of people when they saw me in the devil suit at the end of the booklet, cause I was tryna say I went from angel to evil demon cause I was doing drugs and everything, but in turn I lost a lot of my black fans."
He continued, "So I told T-Pain, you have to be my vehicle to drive me through that TV of these black people fuckin' living rooms. In order to do that, you probably shouldn't curse in the chorus. This nigga sent it back...'It must suck to be you niggas, cause it don't suck to be this rich/If you not fucking with me brethren you can suck upon this dick' [Laughs]."
Fuck Food Feat. Lil Wayne, T-Pain & Krizz Kaliko (2011)
"After I did Tha Carter IV for Wayne, and he put me on there with Andre 3000, I was so surprised. I always wanted to work with OutKast, and Wayne made it possible for me to work with Three Stacks. When it was my turn to do my album I sent him "Fuck Food." And my peers were like why would you get Lil Wayne and T-Pain on a song, and call it 'Fuck Food.' Guarantee no radio play. Because I had no choice but to bring them into Strange Land."
"When me and Wayne were talking at Riker's Island when I came out here to visit him, in the three hours we were talking, we were talking about our love for women. So when I got that beat, and I called it 'Fuck Food,' I knew it was something Wayne could speak on cause we spoke on it before. I sent it to him and he sent it right back. T-Pain did that massive hook like he always does, and he spit on it too."
Demons Feat. Three 6 Mafia (2009)
"When I added that hook, 'there's a demon inside of me, can I kill it? Hell nah!' I said ah, that's Three 6 Mafia all day. So I called DJ Paul, cause that's the homie, and I said hey man, I want you and J on this one, it's for my dark album K.O.D., and it's gunna be the first song on my album. It's a really important song to my fans cause for so many years, way back to the MySpace days, fans were always saying I had a song called 'Demons' but I never had a song called 'Demons.' So for my fans, I named the song 'Demons,' 'cause of them, and I put Three 6 Mafia on it."
"Paul got real fucking graphic and J talked about drugs. I think it was a beautiful combination."