Tech N9ne’s latest album, N9NA, may be one of his finest releases since All 6’s and 7’s back in 2011.  This one is lean, mean, and takes listeners back to a time when all that mattered was the music.  It’s Tech N9ne at his finest and won’t disappoint even the most discerning of Technicians.    We rate this one a solid 9.4 out of 10 and it’s Hunnypot Approved!

For those that know me, it would come as no surprise that I am a huge Tech N9ne fan.  I’ve followed him for nearly 15 years and been to more Tech shows than I would care to admit.  I even have the Strange Music’s “Snake and Bat” represented on my arm courtesy of LA Tattoo legend, Mr. Cartoon.  When I heard that we were in for another Tech N9ne release, I was cautiously optimistic because I wasn’t sure if he could continue to improve upon releases like The Storm and Planet (which I thoroughly enjoyed).  After taking N9NA for a spin around the block a time or two, I can honestly say that this one was in a class all by itself.  It’s a “No-frills” Tech release that took me back to his early releases that were raw, witty, and most importantly real.

N9NA’s 21 tracks are collectively some of Tech’s best work in years.  Listeners are immediately transported to classic Tech N9ne cyphers that hypnotize and mesmerize listeners simultaneously.  In addition to instant classics such as “N9NA” and  “I Caught Crazy!”, this one is chock full of amazing collaborations with up-and-coming artists such as JL, King Iso, and Futuristic.  I especially liked “Hit the Ground Running”.  It’s loaded with cool flows, powerful orchestration, and lyrics that simple yet hard-hitting.  Listening to it a few times, I’d swear that I hear piano samples from Bonnie Tyler’s Total “Eclipse of the Heart” (but that may just be in my own crazy mind).  And I’d be remiss not to call out the amazing contributions of the uber-talented Krizz Kaliko.  Track’s such as “Don’t Let Me Fall”, “You Line!”, and “Rata” illustrate just how special Krizz is to Tech N9ne and the Strange Music label. Straight fire if you ask me.

Bottom line, Tech N9ne has hit a bases-loaded home run with his latest release, N9NA.  It has everything you would want in a Tech N9ne album, and so much more.  Rhymes are solid, mixing is best in class, and each song is special in its own unique way.  Listening to N9NA is like reading an autobiography of Tech himself.  It’s full of stories that tie together one amazing journey – and one that many of us can relate to in one way or another (“Like I Ain’t” is a great example of this). 

My only beef with Tech would be that the killer metal collabs of the past have somehow been put on hiatus over his last few albums. “Starting to Turn” (with Jonathan Davis of Korn) was the last one I can recall, and it was brilliant. Time to get Travis on the phone with James and Kirk of Metallica and make that next metal masterpiece happen.  Until then, pick up a copy of 2019’s N9NA.  You’ll be literally blown away by a once in a lifetime artist that’s hitting on all cylinders and continues to get better with age.

As always, rock on my friends.     Hunnypot Approved!     Overall Rating:  9.4 out of 10

Artist: Tech N9ne, Album: N9NA, Release Date:  April 19th, 2019,  Label:  Strange Music, Inc.