Tech N9ne Takes Tacoma (by Jhantu Randall)

In the past you've seen articles on Gerald “Realife” Beamon, Lazerrick Holiday and George Cain, well tonight it all comes together as 03 Entertainment brought Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko to Tacoma for the first time with the Independent Grind Tour 2018! They’ve all had a heavy presence on social media promoting this show for the last couple months and finally after all the hard work, its officially showtime.

With halloween just around the corner, fall is playing its song and on October 19th, Tech N9ne and Strange Music gave a voice to that song as they preached their sermons at the Temple theater in Tacoma. With the show slated to start at 7, I pulled up to the theater off of 4th and St Helens Ave to a large crowd of Strange fans, Juggalo’s, and other groups that Tech’s music unites together. Talking to local group, the Lab Rats, we discussed the energy we expected the show to bring as we all shared our stories on how Tech’s music has made an impact on our own lives. It may sound confusing to some, but Tech N9ne is proof that an artist can build his dream from just an idea to a major independent label who’s roster is adored worldwide, and more importantly, he built it by creating trends as opposed to just following them. Staying true to who himself not only drew fans from all walks of life but gave Strange Music the ability to put other up and coming artists on the bill. In the

world of hip hop, Tech N9ne’s blueprint is a pathway to the holy grail.

As soon as the doors opened we made our way into the venue. Walking down a wide hall that lead to the main theater, the bar was set up and staffed while the stage awaited all the acts who would later bless it by giving a piece of their hearts to a sold out crowd which stretched from the main floor to the seats above.

To kick off the show, a local group OTD took to the stage to hype up an already hyped up crowd writhing with anticipation for the nights events. Considering the acts on the bill, OTD’s double time delivery fit in well as you could see the crowd start to feel the energy as it moved from one end to another. After about 10 minutes and a roar of cheers from the crowd it was time for Futuristic to grace the stage. Standing in the crowd I can say that I may have passed on Futuristic in the past, but hearing him live I fell in love with his verses, concepts and beats. Although small in stature (Futuristic stated he’s only 5’4) he walked on the hands of the crowd and stood as a giant as he connected with everyone in the theater. Next up was Dizzy Wright. His set commanded attention as he controlled that stage with ease. Jumping from each end he made sure each and every audience

member felt him on an individual level multiple times through is words. After exiting the stage, it came time for the main event…

The lights dimmed as the Strange logo on the projector screen began to play a video. In it Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko were taken prisoner by a group of rebels with bandannas covering their faces. Tech breaks away from his captivity as the lights begin to flash to Tech running out on stage and immediately breaking into “Am I a Psycho?” Anybody who listens to Tech knows he’s an expert chopper, but to hear and see it live is otherworldly! From there, we return to the video screen where Krizz has now broken free and taken out the captors. Making his way to the stage they break into “Urayla” Krizz’s strong, raw vocals pierce through the crowd as Tech’s speed amplifies the ecstatic energy. Kris then breaks into his songs “Kill Shit” and “Schizophrenia” in which he shows off his chopper skills as well as highlighting is light opera trained singing voice. Then as the crowd reaches a crazy, sweaty level, Tech stops the music and tells the crowd he’s about to do the song that kicked off the MGK vs Eminem beef, but said he was gonna show the original song in full by presenting the original Krizz Kaliko verse that got replaced for MGK’s. The song that hyped me personally was “Welcome to the Midwest” where they both bounce their verses back and forth in-between each other while posing in comedic stances during the assorted bar breaks. Taking the song to another level, Krizz sings the chorus in which he mimics Dean Martin’s delivery from his song “Sway.” From there, they gave a shout out to all the acts that came before them and then broke into a variety of songs that only cover

maybe a quarter of his consistent 20 year career. With the collective energy at an all time high, the lights come on fully as Tech takes a step back raises his hands and connects with a sold out venue who all love him for different reasons. After screaming that he loves us as part of his Strange Family he sits down on a speaker and cracks open his new drink “Bou Lou” which is a mix of 151, Malibu Rum, and Pineapple Juice. As the audience takes a drink with him, he brings out Krizz Kaliko one more time to perform. As the music stops, Krizz announces a surprise gig in Seattle telling everyone who can to come with them and experience this event twice. As the crowd takes a second to collect themselves from the amazement they just witnessed.

As we all walked out, I witnessed people from all walks of life, all ages young and old, all different colors and creeds united by their love of good music that has energy that resonates with us all on some level. I have always been a fan of Tech N9ne as I say he’s in his own tier, but after seeing it all

come together in person, I can state for a fact that I am forever going to be a fan of anything Strange Music puts out.