When it comes to the music on his label, Tech N9ne doesn’t settle for anything less than elite.

With Wrekonize’s The War Within right around the corner, we talked to the Strange Music general to get his thoughts on Wrekonize and why it’s a great move to get his solo project off the ground and into the hands of fans everywhere.

Tech was able to share with us the distinguishing characteristics behind an elite artist and your typical emcee, explaining how Wrekonize fits into the first category. He also spoke about the making of “Freak”, revealing a detail in his personal life that explains a lot about Tech’s uncanny ability to write songs on that subject matter.

What is it that you respect about Wrekonize as an artist and as an emcee?

I respect him because he is an artist and emcee. Everybody who does music is not considered an artist to me. I respect that he is an artist and he takes pride in his work. He actually knows music, which makes him an artist to me. He’s a fucking majorly intricate emcee when he wants to be. He usually is. He can slow it down, he can speed it up, he can do all that shit. He can do what I do plus, and that’s what I look for in my artists.

He has something special with his voice also. Even when he’s talking he has a distinctive voice. When he’s rapping he has a distinctive voice. When he’s singing he has a distinctive voice. It’s artistry at it’s finest and it makes for a wonderful artist I think, to have everything in one, and he got that shit.

Everything that they give me for my LPs are fucking major, everything that they give me, even for my collab CDs, everything that they give me, when I say “they” I mean ¡MAYDAY!, but most of the time it’s Wrekonize singing on the song, like “The Noose”. So it’s like, whatever they send me it’s always fucking one hundred. He even does beats man. He’s a musician. Yeah he’s an artist, yeah he’s an emcee, but he’s a major, wonderful musician. That’s what I have to say about Wrekonize and that’s why I have him here with us on Strange Music because I love wonderful artists.

You said that he understands music, what are some little things that you pick up on from people like him that help you distinguish between someone who understands his craft to someone who doesn’t?

If you listen to radio, TV or whatever, you’ll hear a lot of the music that’s being played and some guys are singing off key and they get away with it. Some guys don’t know harmony and they get away with it. What I pick up on is Wrek knows harmony, he knows octaves, he knows music – period. I’ve never heard him sing flat. I’ve never heard his harmonies off, ever, since we’ve been in business together. Those are the things I pick up on, harmony and or rhythm. To be able to do the triple-time flow or double-time flow or the quadruple-time flow, you have to have rhythm. It’s mathematics. You have to have rhythm. I’ve never heard him fall off beat on one song. I’ve never heard him off-key. I’ve never heard him do the wrong harmony, never none of those things that I hear a lot on the radio

Obviously for a lot of us and the fans out there, we were introduced to Wrek through ¡MAYDAY! and now we’re getting a solo project. Why was it a good move for Strange Music to put out a Wrekonize solo project?

It was a good move for us to put out a Wrekonize solo project because he wanted it. He felt like he wanted the world to see that he was an artist by himself and I’m sure Bernz will do the same thing. I’d put out a fucking breakdance DVD on NonMS. I’d put out a drum DVD on how to play just Neil Peart by Terrell.

It was important because he really wanted to do it and he’s an incredible artist so why wouldn’t Strange Music do it? We believe if an artist has an idea that we’re going to motherfucking execute that shit. When I have an idea we execute mine, he said he wanted to do a solo project, The War Within, and I said “Fuck yeah, let’s go”. We’d do the same for Bernz, we’d do the same for the rest of the group if they want it.

What expectations do you have for this project?

My expectations for this project is for everybody to know that he’s a real artist. As far as sales I don’t have any expectations. I expect it to spread to everybody because real shit always shines. I just expect everybody to take it in and love it.

Tell me about the song “Freak”, were you given that with his verse and chorus already in place? Was it pretty much set up for you?

Totally it was set up for me. He knew that I could speak on that subject (laughs).

Obviously from listening to your music it’s easy to gather that the subject is very familiar to you, how easy was it for you to write your verse?

Um…very easy. I wrote it on the road and I recorded it in Seattle the day of my second show there. He already knew that it was right up my alley. I had a song called “Freaky” back in the day. I can speak on a freak all day, all night. I’m a Scorpio male: that’s me. He knew that and he knew that once he sent me that banging ass beat and that wonderful chorus and him fucking chopping the fuck out me that I was going to do my thing, and he did chop the fuck out of me on that one. (Laughs)

With the rise of your fame and notoriety is there an increase of freaky shit in your personal life?

Nah, there’s no increase. I’m 41 years old so what I’ve been doing I’ve been doing since birth. I was trying to fuck when I was five. I first came when I was twelve. I’ve always been that way (laughs).

Back to the Wrek album, if someone were to ask you why they should buy The War Within, what would you tell them?

Because he’s dope and they already know that he’s dope and that’s the reason that they should buy it…because he’s dope. Everybody ain’t dope nowadays. Motherfuckers listen to bullshit a lot so…buy some dope! Let’s get high motherfucker!

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE WAR WITHIN

• What are your favorite qualities about Wrek as an emcee?
• What’s your favorite Wrekonize verse?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.