Tech N9ne is now recognized as one the underground's most prolific boundary pushers. He helped define what it meant to be an independent artist. But like all stories, this one had a beginning and rough one at that. Fans can hear all about it on his latest single, "This I Know."
It's potentially the fourth offering from his upcoming album 5816 Forest, aka the address of his childhood home. The Missouri spitter is building this up to be one of his hardest hitting and personal records of his decorated career.
Prior to this, the 53-year-old shared "J6's." On it, he alluded to it being the moment in which he knew he made the right choice to run away from home and pursue hip-hop. At just 17, he won a rap contest while wearing a pair Jordan 6 Infared's. He dubbed them his "lucky J6's" and from there, Tech N9ne grew out his Strange Music brand.
But on "This I Know," we are traveling back to a time when things weren't looking up for the rapper. This one reads more like the moment where he decided to leave his family. Tech N9ne talks about how school wasn't really his thing and was constantly getting in trouble.
His hunger to become a rapper was so strong that he ultimately decided to pack his bags and set out on his own. Instead of going to Thanksgiving at a family member's house, he wished his parents well and ran out into the open world to do whatever it took to become a star.
Thanks to the raw emotion and detailed storytelling, it's easy to decode that it wasn't an easy choice to make. But Tech knew he loved music enough and was what he knew best. Check out the incredible story below.
Tech N9ne "This I Know"
