Tech N9ne – Killer (7-1-2008)

Posted on Jul 09 in Reviewsby adminPrint

Before the likes of Twista, Eminem, and even Bone Thugs-N-Harmony repped for the mid-west a spitter by the name of Tech N9ne ruled the middle of the map. With exactly twenty years in the game Tech has made a solid case for himself but he has yet to come close to cracking the mainstream code of conduct. With his eleventh album Killer Tech hopes to at least soundscan a million records independently. No stupid, not with just this record but with all of them combined.

The album’s opening point “Like Yeah” provides enough fire to pull the listener in for the long two hour ride of horror to come with ease thanks to Young Fyre’s clever misarranged backdrop. Young Fyre returns on the Shawna assisted sexcapade fiasco “Wheaties” with some stunning violin strums throughout the standout track. After the first two offerings the following two are more or less, for a lack of better words, bullshit. Both “Everybody Move” and the Paul Wall assisted “Get The Fuck Outta Here” seem to be filler material on an overly long album.

After a slew of sleep over joints Tech comes back to square one on the hip hop love / hate ballad “Crybaby” where he pokes fun at all the rappers who continue to contend that hip hop is dead. Ice Cube steals the valor from Krizz Kaliko, Tech N9ne, and Brother J from X-Clan on the activist inspired “Blackboy.” Upon first hearing the Scarface assisted “Pillow Talkin” I said thank you; it’s about time somebody addressed these dumb ass niggas who tell their chicks everything about the dope game after they’ve pulled out of some ass. Stop loose lippin about shit bitch!

Producer Seven comes with one of the album’s grittiest beats with the convincingly deranged “Paint A Dark Picture.” Tech N9ne opens the second disc of the collection with some sour sentiments for his so called friends on “I Love You But Fuck You.” On the college game day band inspired “Drill Team” Tech invites some of his dudes to describe some past and future gang bang scenarios on your chick. On the Elmo produced “Why You Aint Call Me.” Tech takes time to ask some industry insiders why they never reached out to him over his twenty year career.

On the not so romantic “Seven Words” Krizz Kaliko and Skatterman assist Tech N9ne in dedicating a sarcastic love jam to all the dome doctors in the world. Tech continues his question about life with the almost suicidal “Happy Ending” where he comes with a sometimes rapid flow over a slow grooving background.

Much like most other double disc albums Killer suffers immensely from an overpopulated track list. Too many joints make most of the album seem like a drag to sit through. Luckily for Tech N9ne he managed to infuse some witty songs as well as some crazy themes that work just enough to wake the bored listener up from time to time throughout the collection. At the very beginning of the collection Tech jokingly contemplates making Killer his last album. Luckily for his fans he seems to have a ot more still left in the tank.

VERDICT – 11 / 20 
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 3
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 2