Tech N9ne Cuts Out The Middleman

When the panel was revealed at the Rock The Bells Press Conference last week, there were a number of artists we sought interviews with, simply because we’re huge fans of their music- KRS-One, Murs, Raekwon, and Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, to name a few. And then there was one artist we tracked down that fit into a different category altogether: Tech N9ne. Don’t take that the wrong way- he’s a talented artist. But the reason we wanted to talk to him had little to do with how we feel about his albums and everything to do with what he represents- an undeniabley successful, completely independent artist.

Tech N9ne has sold over a million units between his last four albums. He’s had record deals, but never sold with the majors like he does now on his own.

When artists like Trent Reznor talk about ditching the labels, skeptics are quick to point out that it’s easy when you’ve had years of major label support generating a massive, global fan base, willing to pay for your records no matter how they’re available.

And that’s a valid point, but there are success stories that prove anything is possible. We talked to singer / songwriter Joe Purdy last year, who, with songs in Grey’s Anatomy and ads for Kia, managed to sell 500,000 singles online, completely on his own.

And last week we talked to Tech N9ne, an even more impressive example. Like Purdy, Tech has busted his mother loving ass over several years to build a fiercely loyal fanbase all on his own terms. Last year he was the third highest grossing urban touring act- behind Kanye West and Jay-Z.

All the Rock The Bells stuff we’ve posted on our Vimeo and YouTube channels so far have brought Tech N9ne fans out of the woodwork. In the crowd at the press conference you could hear them hollering- Tech Niiiiiine! Tech’s fans are religious- you see them react to him, and you stop wondering how he did it.

Shining the spotlight on Tech N9ne today, our goal is not to make you a fan of his music. You may dig it, and if so, then all the better. But what we’re really exploring is Tech N9ne the man- the artist who takes his job seriously, who has built a following by nurturing his audience through twenty years of loyalty. Tech proves that you don’t need that middleman… Just as long as you’re willing to work at least as hard as he would.

Tech Niiiiiine!