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 time 2025 problem of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and accessible on the market on the XXL web site.

The album is named 5816 Forest. 5816 Forest is the deal with 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 residing 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 turn into 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 It was an outdated buddy of mine.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 a couple of years in the past. He’s the one which gave me my identify in 1988. His identify is Black Walt, and someday final yr, he instructed me, “Hey, man, actual Tech N9ne followers don’t wish to hear all these collaborations that you simply be doing, man. We wish to hear an album of all you rapping.” I’m like, “That’s boring as f**ok.” The subsequent day, I instructed my associate, 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 youngsters having conversations with me all through the album. Simply pure conversations. On the third verse of “J6’s,” I speak about after I received the rap contest. The very first thing I ever received 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 predominant components of hip-hop: storytelling. I do it so nicely. It’s a particular album this late in my profession. I’ve completed all of it. If you happen to ask LeBron [James] what retains him taking part in, he’s going to say he loves the sport. We bought the cash already. I’m a multimillionaire. I’ve been that method for some time. I nonetheless get excited for a dope beat. After 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 pupil 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 yr. By the tip of my profession, I would like folks to do not forget that I gave all of it and I did all of it.

I’ve completed music with folks in all genres, from Blues with Gary Clark Jr., R&B with Marsha Ambrosius, or R&B with Boyz II Males. On the metallic facet, 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 perpetually.

I’m so embellished and I’m so glad about what I’ve completed through the years. And what I’m nonetheless doing. I wish to be often called the person who didn’t give a f**ok about what folks considered what number of genres I’ve been in. That I simply liked music and provided my life and my coronary heart to the world. So, I anticipate the world again. And I’m going to get it.

Hearken to Tech N9ne’s 5816 Forest Album

The summer time 2025 problem of XXL journal that includes Tech N9ne’s interview is out there to buy right here. The problem additionally contains interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Received 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 greatest and finest XXL Freshman ever.