Entertainment

Andrew’s Judgmental Album Reviews: Tech N9ne – Asin9ne (2021)

The JAR makes its foray into Hip Hop! Tech N9ne always presents something unique, how is the newest album Asin9ne?

Published

3 years ago

November 14, 2021

Andrew Balaz

The JAR makes its foray into Hip Hop! Tech N9ne always presents something unique, how is the newest album Asin9ne?

So I’ve been a fan of Tech for a while. Which checks out right? Since Tech is constantly told he makes music for white people. It also doesn’t help that I was actually marginally excited when I learned that Tech N9ne was in Devil’s Carnival II (a gothic musical, think like Rocky Horror) and I went to go see a live showing of it. His part was well done, but that whole story is also very white…so again, boxes have been checked.

Prior to Patrick Mahomes joining the Chiefs and making them relevant, Tech was probably the biggest to happen to Kansas City since they acquired Joe Montana. But with Strange Music having some artists leave and a bit of drama last few years, I guess people have been curious how Tech would respond.

It’s safe to assume this is his response to some of that. So let’s get going!

Artist: Tech N9ne
Album: Asin9ne (2021)
Label: Strange Music
Total Track Time: 63:00

The Herder starts with a rewind effect before kicking in with a ominous beat and then Tech utilizes his quicker flow, even throwing in a symphonic effect to punctuate the chorus. The song goes over a lot of the names he’s worked with and helped into the business, basically equating himself to something like Jesus by shepherding and herding many names in the rap game. I Don’t Fit this is a little too simple. It’s got that West Coast Choppers fast as hell flow, but the lyrics are vapid and the beat is just a very simple drumbeat. I would expect this from like a college demo tape. Kickiter is another minimalistic song, but it keeps a really nice bass kick and electronic snare hit. So it sounds menacing and cool, I really enjoy the siren/mechanical sound through the simple instrumentation as well. The lyrics red off a bit like a resume, but the beat was cool, the flow with Tech and Shao Dow was cool, so can’t really complain.

Too Good starts with an interesting James Bond-esque intro from Mumu Fresh, and it stays very subtle. There’s a really cool light drum kick and piano effect helps to keep the vibe like a really interesting Jazz club atmosphere. Lil Wayne’s verse kicks in and he’s not nearly as smooth as Tech, and I’ve never really enjoyed Wayne, but it seems to fit with playing as a different side in the story it’s telling. Like a buddy cop movie where they are different, but Mumu Fresh ties things together nicely with her great vocals. No See Umz decides to address all the people that thought Strange was dying when they had a few people leave the label in the last few years. But it’s a good concept of Strange is still around and they can’t see the haters. Snow tha Product is a nice element to this collab, it just makes the vibe really chill. The song is really just vibin on existing and keeping it straight, and Tech is hollering his verses calling people out. So it cuts through nicely.

Face Off so this is the song that many people have been aware of because of Dwayne Johnson being involved in it. This is a great fight song, it keeps the energy up, the verses have a chant that feels like the crowd cheering along and there’s a lot of lines for different wrestlers and fighters. King Iso even drops a Nicholas Cage line referencing the movie Face Off. Also a lot of Jackie Chan references in this album. Dwayne gets the last verse and it punches. Even if you haven’t heard the song, I’m pretty sure it’s one of those popular TikTok clips, but Dwayne smashes it. Wrestling fans of course knew he’d be fine in the rap game and this ended things well. Clydesdale can be chalked up to a club banger about thicc girls. E-40 adds to the old school chill vibe. Thicc girls getting love on this song, and it bops, so I’m not mad at it. “Woah now, it’s enough for them to go ’round, Those sounds like a packing clap in showdown, Hell yeah that’s what I came to see, I dig strippin’ on TV, I ain’t Jermaine Dupri” – this made me laugh, it’s a good line. Still Right Here starts with some falsetto airy vocals from Garrett Raff and another song that has a bit of a stripped down back beat. This seems to be a little more somber, reminding people that you’re still here even if you went through stuff you had to survive, you’re still right here.

Take Your Halo kicks off with the intro line of “You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain”. Given what we know about all the drama and comments with Strange the last few years, this is obviously another song about all that. Basically just discussing how people try to vilify Tech for personal gain when they weren’t complaining when the money was lush. Spiteful, but a cool vindictive little song. Knock That Noodle starts with a new bulletin about murder rates going up in Kansas City, so the song revolves around that concept. The chorus seems to be pleading to stop the violence while Tech’s verses embrace it and talk about how to roll with whatever happens, to give as good as you get. It’s interesting with the dynamic and the flow. Heightened is basically a Hitchcock movie in a rap song. The instrumentation, even adding Exterior into his opening verse like when we’d get an old Hitchcock film or Twilight Zone with the spoken start. It almost feels like a filler song, but the Hitchcock aspect was cool.

What Rhymes with Threat’ll Kill Ya well this kicks with an altered voice that sounds like a little kid sorta, reminds me of Insane Clown Posse and then keeps with this Dark Trap beat, reminds me a bit of Corpse and it works really well. Just this cool Dark Trap/Techno/Underground sound that is awesome. The last line brings the song to a poignant finish where they say “You really wanna know what rhymes with threat’ll kill ya, it’s pedophilia” – so the lyrics seem to be more about killing pedophiles. So that put things into a different perspective from just being dark and cool, to more of a call to arms in a way. I Been Thru A Lot the title gives away the song. Which that’s not bad, it’s definitely a very tempered song, just expressing a bit of self-doubt, surprise at people that don’t treat you like trash and thoughts of suicide. It’s not a new concept for Tech, but it has the correct tempo to just vibe along and deal with things. Dial it Back starts off more like an R&B love song, minus the vernacular he uses initially. The song seems to be discussing how he sees the person as better than everyone else has forced in their head. So it comes off like when someone thinks you’re giving them advice from on high, instead of because you care about them and are trying to lift them up. It’s like a realistic love song, where “you’re great, but excuse the fuck outta me for trying to help you”.

Zaza the end of the last song says “if you don’t like sex, skip the next song”, and yeah it wasn’t lying. This whole song is euphemisms and analogies for sex. The beat is kind cool and drives in a cool way, I feel like the chorus loses the beat a little. Feels like it tries to mimic like an old Ginuwine kind of beat and flow in the chorus, but it doesn’t quite fit. Still definitely a good song to play during the deed, but I don’t like how Marcus Yates transitions the first half of the chorus to the second. Close Your Eyes Kiddo Ai does the chorus here and she ties things nicely. She’s got a very typical vocal tone nowadays, like Skyler Grey from Dr Dre’s I Need a Doctor. This song seems to really just be that she’ll always be there even if he has no one to trust, so the close your eyes and I’ll be here kinda vibe is cool since most things have been dark or vindictive on the album.

Special ends things with an odd tone. It opens like a biography with how things started and he’s thankful for all the fans that stuck with Strange. The chorus hits with the “everyone’s special” which is a stupid term. So it’s supposed to be uplifting, and it’s not objectively awful, just in context of the album it doesn’t work and the lyrics are stupid.

What to say, it was definitely a little less fun and energetic on whole it seemed to be much more moody, angry and sad. Some songs like Clydesdale and Zaza were the expected level of raunchy word play and subject matter, but I’ll admit with 17 songs to pick from, only like 6 or 7 stick out to me. Which is rough. This really felt more like Tech had to get shit off his chest, so this album was more therapy than music.

All that said, nothing was offensive, just things lingered or missed the mark at times. So Tech and Strange Music fans will probably enjoy this, Face Off will keep this album relevant for a little bit and here’s to hoping the next one returns to more of what Strange was known for.

Final Judgment: 6.15/10

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Entertainment

Mitchell’s Hyrule Puro-Resu News Report! (5/9/25)

June will be electric!

Published

1 day ago

May 9, 2025

Steven Mitchell

Prepare for the most electrifying even of the HPW calendar!

While the stage is set for Blood & Thunder 4 and the HPW World Trios Championships, HPW must also address the return of KAGE!

Thundra Plateau is ready.

Wrestling is Life, but life has its stormy weather. The rain is going to be hot in June, but will the reign continue through the Summer? The Dark Forces may have failed to take the Undisputed Triforce World Championship from Zelda, but they still have the World Trios Championships. Harlequin, Lupay & Glutko will step inside the double ring, double cage to defend their gold. On one side, Arrow Club’s special combination of Fin Balure, Torbevito & Bad Croc Scaly. On the other, a new combination of its own in Cia, Lana & Midna.

Speaking of Cia, Lana & Midna…

The three of them are together, dressed in workout attire, in what appears to be a dance studio. This is a collaboration stream for Midna and Lana as they’re both big presences on the internet, aka “influencers.” Lana and Midna wave and say hi, and they give introductions, including Cia, who is reluctant to be standing there. Cia doesn’t know why they need to do this. Lana says they have to improve their teamwork. They may have won against Los Taros Locos, but it was really sketchy there for a second. Midna adds that doing a dance routine together is great for their timing and coordination.

Cia says she didn’t mean that, she meant having to stream it! Oh, well obviously, combining Midna’s viewing audience with Lana’s, and HPW’s overall, this makes huge numbers! So? And huge money…! Cia raises her eyebrow and says, “Oh really?” The trio sets up, and Lana says obviously they first have to learn the steps. Midna brings up, “Wait, what song are we dancing to?” Oh, good point. Lana was thinking something from Lulu. Cia asks, “Lulu? From the Indigo-Go’s?” Midna says Lulu’s got a great solo album. Lana agrees! That’s so great that they like the same music. Cia isn’t as familiar with her solo stuff, so she’ll rely on them for this.

Lana suggests they go with Energetic Me. For one, it has the most energy, duh. And it still has a dance vibe, which is the whole point. Midna says she might’ve gone with Royal Discotheque or Ten Outta Ten, but she sees Lana’s point. Lana shows them the dance moves she has in mind. Left arm up, bent at the elbow, and the hand up against the side of the chest. Then they switch so the right arm goes up to mirror that position while the left hand goes back to the hip. Maybe add a little hip pop as that happens. Do that a couple times, and then turn to the right. This puts the left hand on the back of the hip, right hand on the back of the neck for a sexy pose.

Then you turn to flip it the other way, then do a 360 with a big neck whipping, hair flipping move. Then finish with feet apart and double V’s up by the eyes, maybe with a wink. Cia says, “Yeah, okay…” while Midna says, “I like it!” Midna says she’ll set up in the middle. Cia asks why Midna is in the middle, and Midna says it’s symmetry. She’s the tallest, Cia and Lana are about the same, it makes sense. Yeah, but it also means Midna is the center of attention. Well, that’s just coincidental. Lana says it doesn’t matter, the point is them doing it all in synch. Cia sighs and says, “Fine.” Midna is in the middle, Cia is on her right, and the music plays.

Left arm, right arm, left arm, right arm, pose to the right, pose to the left, 360 spin and neck whip, then double V. Midna nailed it, but Cia was lagging. Cia defends she was not, but Lana says it’s alright, they’ll just keep trying. They run through it a couple more times, they do tighten it up, and all three feel really good about how that went.

The Dark Forces are watching.

They aren’t impressed by the “little dance party.” Harlequin says the Faces of Evil are way better anyway. Especially with the classics like the Thriller dance and Macarena. Zant says, “The Macarena? Pfft, and people think I’m a dork…” Harlequin says, “Don’t you dare mock the Macarena!” Harlequin changes tabs on the computer and starts playing the song! After the introduction, he lifts his right arm up flat, then his left. Then he turns the right hand up, the left hand up, puts his right hand on his left shoulder, left hand on right shoulder, then moves right hand up behind his head, and then his left.

Now his arms crisscross, right hand on left hip and left hand on right hip, to then switch so right hand on right hip and left hand on left hip. And of course, he swivels his hips in one big circle to go with “HEY~ Macarena! AIGHT!” Zant rolls his eyes while Harlequin keeps going, jumping 90 degrees to his left. Ganon walks in, Ghirahim following behind, and he tells Harlequin to “turn that crap off.” Harlequin pouts but he does as told. Ganon seethes as he takes a seat in his big arm chair. “Needless to say… Wrestling is Life didn’t go how I’d hoped. What was Kage even doing there?! Did either of you have any idea he was going to betray us?!”

Zant and Ghirahim are a bit flustered. Zant isn’t even sure Kage was part of The Dark Forces at the time Ganon took ownership. He’d kinda gone rogue at some point, didn’t he? Ghirahim agrees, it didn’t seem like he was even aligned with Cia and the others. All the more reason for Kage to keep his nose out of Ganon’s business! If Kage cared about the Dark Forces, then he would’ve helped them fight back at HyruleMania, or any time since. Kage clearly just wants the title, same as Ganon, so he’s a dead man walking. Speaking of that… Where’s Kevin? He came back in April, why isn’t he here?

Somewhere dark and spooky…

Heavy footsteps can be heard echoing as Kevin Gibdo moves down the hallway. He speaks with a low, airy voice, “Majora… Your madness… spread like wildfire… You thought by setting me ablaze… I would crumble into ash… You were wrong! Instead, I have been purified…! Purged of flaws and weaknesses… I now come forth… as gold!” There’s a light at the end of the hall, and Kevin enters a grand hall, with treasure gleaming in the light. At the center is the sarcophagus. Kevin walks up to it, opens it, and then his burnt and tattered bandages fall away before he steps inside. The sarcophagus closes, then the eyes on it begin to glow… Then the entire thing glows!

The glowing becomes a shining light, and that shining becomes so bright that nothing can be seen. It is clear things between Kevin and Majora are not over. Will the Masked Monster even stand a chance once the Gibdo of All Gibdos is restored to full strength?

Back to the Dark Forces…

Shabonne says, “I’m sure Kevin is just fine doing whatever Gibdos do on their time off.” Tali says, “What matters is what I’m about to do to that tiny little weasel with the Goddess Championship. If The Dark Forces is gonna have all the gold, then I need to squash her like a bug and take that title off of whatever’s left!” Ganon nods and says he likes the initiative. Tali will start on her own Triple Crown as the Dark Forces will make Hyrule Pro-Wrestling their kingdom! The group cheers while raising a toast! And then Harlequin gets Glutko and Lupay to join in on the Macarena, to which Ganon groans and facepalms.

And so, the ThunderStruck card is set!

The double ring, double cage will rattle with Blood & Thunder as the HPW World Trios Championships are on the line! The Gerudo Ace looks to settle a grudge with the Hero’s Shadow! And now, the Million Rupee Championship and HPW Goddess Championships will also be on the line! Will the Dark Forces absolutely dominate the Summer? Be ready to endure the heat on Friday, June 20th!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Bandwagon Nerds

Bandwagon Nerds #287: Filling A Void

The Nerds review Thunderbolts*, check out the latest trailers, and celebrate Star Wars Day as only they can!

Published

5 days ago

May 5, 2025

PC Tunney

The Bandwagon is stripped down this week as Dave and PC Tunney helm the ship for a big week in the Nerdosphere. Naturally, we are covering Thunderbolts as Dave, Tunney (and the rest of the Bandwagon, for that matter) all saw the latest entry into the MCU. What was the consensus, and did the longest post-credit scene in MCU history push the Universe in the right direction? In other MCU News, we discovered why Hawkeye had no second season. From there, the guys head into the Trailer Park to look at the latest, including a sizzle reel for Netflix’s TUDUM event, Dwayne “The Rock ” Johnson’s latest movie, The Smashing Machine, and a very creepy look at Weapons. GTA 6 got delayed, again….but could that be a blessing in disguise? But this Episode was recorded on Star Wars Day, and to commemorate the event, Dave tries his best to convince Tunney to watch Andor, while Tunney tells Dave what he likes most about one of the most successful franchises of all time. All that, plus Dave tells you why The Last of Us is the best show anywhere on TV. Dave & Tunney cover a lot of ground in an action-packed episode of BWN, so make sure you tune in!

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PROWRESTLINGTEES.COM/TheChairshot – Makes a GREAT GIFT!!!

About Bandwagon Nerds

Join Patrick O’Dowd, David Ungar, PC Tunney, Rey Cash, and DPP as they keep everyone up on all things nerd and maybe add some new nerds along the way. It’s the Bandwagon Nerds Podcast!