DX: Where did you pick that up?
TN: I don’t recall. When I got my name in ’88, it was because I spit fast like a semi-automatic tech nine, and I was in a group called Black Mafia. I read a lot when I was younger. As far as when and how I ran across numerology back then, I could not tell you. But, I’m so glad it happened because it put me in a spiritual place. With my name being Aaron, off top, that’s Moses’ brother the high priest. So I got that and the number nine to symbolize completion, and it made me feel like I’m supposed to be here doing this.

Now if I feel like king of all kings, imagine how it feels when the whole world isn’t getting it. I’m watching 50 Cent on MTV Jams right now with the mute button on—he’s in Africa. I love it. G-Unit is in Africa enjoying life, doing music and learning new shit. When I was on tour with Paul Wall, he had just come back from Sierra Leone with Raekwon doing [Blig’d]. That’s what it’s all about with this music thing. We’re from the hood. Who the fuck chose us to do this?

It’s got to be a spiritual thing, man. I pray every night, and I want to believe that. If this is just something like how they say The Bible is just a parable and it contradicts itself, and man contradicts himself…if there is not anything higher than us, then it’s going to be a problem. What happens when people start knowing that? We’ve been knowing it for a long time. This is divine that we can stick our genitals inside of a woman, bust, and then another human being that looks like you comes out. Creation versus Darwinism? This shit grew like a plant. Creation tells you that God created everything, and yet Darwinism sounds more logical. Niggas don’t know what to think, but we pray daily. We need all the good luck in the world, because we’ve had dark days so many times in our lives. I’ve got too much to say to the world, man.

DX: I see. It’s pretty obvious that you’re well-read. Is there any particular book that stands out?
TN: A lot of my reading went on in the past. After this Tech N9ne thing sped up, I had no time. I haven’t rebooted in years. Everything that I’m speaking right now is over the years from reading about the Illuminati, Message to the Black Man, The Celestine Prophecy…it keeps going. This is shit I picked up years and years ago, and it broadened my way of thinking. I had all these different religious beliefs and I was kind of screwed up. My mom was a hardcore Christian and my step-dad, who was a Muslim, married her when I was 12. That made me question Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto. It made me think that there were all these different places and languages. It’s like how the Christians thought Allah was a different man, but it was just a different language for God. It’s just a misunderstanding. People are different, but we all have something in common. We’re human beings.

I have never seen something supernatural. When they say some place is haunted I go stand right there. We’ll be on tour, and someone will say one of the basements in those old venues is haunted. It’s one of those things like a little girl died there, and you can still hear her playing with her ball or some shit. I’ll go in the basement and stand in the corner for like a minute and see if I feel anything different. It never happens. It’s kind of eerie, and you never know if there’s a psycho down there who just wants to fulfill everybody’s dream and kill you. But, I’ve never seen anything supernatural.

Can you imagine how drastically my music would change if I saw something higher than a human being? When you hear people like Floetry sing, that’s divine. Talent is divine to me. Nobody can sing like Marsha Ambrosius. The way Jimi Hendrix played was divine. The nigga played with his teeth! But, I’ve never seen anything higher than a human being. I’ve seen towering human beings, like Shaq, but I’ve never seen anything spiritual. That would be validation. I’d think, “Okay, I really need to get my shit right.” But what’s really right—the stuff that’s in The Bible or The Koran? Then you go crazy. You’re so smart, yet you go crazy.

DX: That’s ill. I’ve never heard you mention The Celestine Prophecy in any interview or song, but I just had this feeling you were gonna say something about that book and energy.
TN: Yeah, man. You can feel my energy through the phone. I’m calm. This is my life. It’s not a thing, but it’s some thing for me to be that way and it exudes happiness. Sometimes it exudes confusion or madness, but right now I’m in a quiet place. My children are out of school, they’re kicking it and they don’t want for anything. I’m taking my son to the movies after awhile. You can feel that energy and it’s me all the time.

DX: Do your kids know what you do for a living? And if they do, what do they think of your music?
TN: My kids are the biggest Tech N9ne fans ever, man. I let them listen to whatever they want to, and they’re really eclectic. I’ve got two 13-year-olds and one nine-year-old. They listen to me, and they’re so proud of me. My two little girls live in Los Angeles and my son lives here in Kansas City with his mom. They love me and my music. They have been on stage with me since they were born, introducing me on the mic at the age of three. There’s no shyness or nothing. They are my reason for growing up and they’re the reason I stopped doing Ecstasy, acid, ‘shrooms, GHB and all that shit. I can’t be killing my body because I need to be there for them. I still drink, but I stopped smoking weed in ’98. I’m working to take them to Hawaii in mid-July. They call me everyday asking, “Daddy, are we still going to Hawaii.” I have to keep telling them, “Yes, I just have to find the correct time.” They are why I do this. Continued on page 6 »