Tech N9ne Discusses Doors Collaboration and Forbes Rich List ::Tech N9ne News ::antiMusic.com

Tech N9ne Discusses Doors Collaboration and Forbes Rich List

06/18/2014
. (Radio.com) When Forbes released its latest list of hip-hop's 20 wealthiest artists for 2014, many were surprised to see independent Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne sitting pretty at No. 18, having generated $7.5 million over the past year. The business publication was even inspired to feature Tech N9ne in a separate article, coining him "Hip-Hop's Secret Mogul," emphasizing how he was able to achieve such meteoric success without the benefit of a major label behind him.

"I wanted to keep it a secret. When people feel like to won the lottery, they call you," the rapper himself laughed when asked about the Forbes article during a recent interview with Radio.com. "When you make that much money, I guess they have to report it. I'm proud of it. We're steadily on the incline, and it's a blessing to be able to do it independent."

Currently performing across America on the "Independent Grind" tour with a collection of high-profile opening acts including Freddie Gibbs and Krizz Kaliko, Tech N9ne is supporting his latest full-length release of collaborations, Strangeulation, featuring appearances by Serj Tankian of System of a Down and Murs.

It was on 2013 artist album, Something Else, however, when the rapper was able to pull off the once in a lifetime collaboration of working with the surviving members of The Doors on the track "Strange 2013," which utilizes the voice of frontman Jim Morrison with a sample of the Doors' 1967 song, "Strange Days."

"Their music and fusion of sounds is so dark carnival, and that's so me, the killer clown. I've been a fan of their music since way back, since I can't even remember when. I had no idea that I'd ever get the chance to work with them," Tech N9ne remembered of the collaboration. "Right before Ray (Manzarek) passed, we did this. I had no idea that he was sick or anything. I don't even know if he knew. But we were drinking wine and everything in the studio, John Densmore was so laid back, Robby Krieger was cool as hell. I went to go visit Jim Morrison in Paris at the P�re Lachaise Cemetery in 2010. I told him thank you. I had no idea I was going to work with his homeboys. It was a dream come true, because I named my label Strange Music because of their music. back when I was smoking weed hella�I stopped smoking weed in '98, but back then, I was really listening to the Doors, really going in. But you don't have to be high to listen to the Doors." more on this story

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