May 9, 2025 (Los Angeles, CA) After decades of rapping at an elite level without comparison, Tech N9ne decided to open up more than ever before on his 25th full-length album and most poignant, personal, and poetic body of work yet, 5816 Forest, out June 27, 2025 via Strange Music. Pre-order/Pre-save HERE. The pre-order notably unlocks a private link to an exclusive listening party for fans with the man himself.
Setting the stage for the arrival of 5816 Forest, the chart-topping multiplatinum hip-hop legend and the most successful independent rapper of all time just dropped an introspective and infectious new single and music video entitled “This I Know” out now.
Across the song, bright piano blinks beneath triumphant horns and loose bluesy guitar. A soul sample punctuates Tech’s rhymes as he reaches back into his earliest memories and paints a big screen-worthy picture of his formative years. It builds towards an affirmation on the hook as he proclaims, “I might not be a wonder with the numbers, but that music, this I know,” going on to profess, “I know you show the love…this I know…I gotta go because, this I know.” The video says it all though. Donning a debonair black suit, Tech spits the lyrics accompanied by Kevin Church Johnson on the piano. It’s as simple and impactful as the song is. He teased the LP by sharing a popular performance video last week on Instagram.
Recently, Tech sat down with Bunnie Xo for an episode of her Dumb Blonde Podcast and gave a fascinating interview to Bootleg Kev for his Bootleg Kev Podcast. TMZ spoke to him about the album and Esquire just looked back at how Dwayne Johnson also “‘put in the hours’ on a song with Tech N9ne.” The Kansas City Star reaffirmed, “Tech N9ne’s story is deeply woven into Kansas City’s vibrant music and community fabric.”
He previewed this era with “J6’s” last month. In its wake, HotNewHipHop declared, “Tech N9ne, one of the most slept MCs in terms of pure technical ability, is going to be reminding everyone real soon of his storytelling skills.”
Prior, Kansas City’s The Pitch hailed another staple “RDV,” stating, “With that intro and stripped-down production, it’s as though Tech and his squad stepped back in time to the ’90s. The black-and-red soundstage aesthetic throws back, too, letting the lyrics do the heavy lifting while Tech and company flex onscreen.”
Thus far, songs from 5816 Forest has generated millions of streams. It has all the makings of a Tech N9ne classic.
Check out the track listing below.
Right now, he’s finishing up his co-headline tour with Hollywood Undead tonight at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ.
This summer, he headlines festivals such as Boulevardia in Kansas City on June 13 and Summer Daze in Elko, NV on July 18.
The next phase is underway now…
Tech N9ne changed everything the world knew about hip-hop. He didn’t follow the rules. He didn’t need a major label. He didn’t wear the uniform. He didn’t even call one of the coasts home. Instead, he turned Kansas City, MO into ground zero for the evolution of the culture, sending aftershocks through not just music, but also sports, video games, television, film, and fashion. With billions of streams, dozens of RIAA gold and platinum plaques, and hundreds of sold out shows under his belt, he’s easily the hardest working artist and entrepreneur in the game. He has notched four Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200 and clinched the record for “most Top 10 albums on the Billboard Rap Chart.” He has delivered hits in three decades—whether it be the platinum-certified “Caribou Lou” in the 00’s, the gold-certified “Fragile” [feat. Kendrick Lamar, ¡Mayday!, Kendall Morgan] in the 10’s, or his biggest smash yet in the 20’s with “Face Off” featuring Joey Cool, King Iso, and Dwayne Johnson. In 2024, he shook the Billboard Rock charts by linking up with Falling In Reverse and Alex Terrible of Slaughter To Prevail on “Ronald” and sold out a show with the Kansas City Orchestra. If you trace the origins of Kendrick, Jelly Roll, and more, you’ll find Tech as an early champion and collaborator on pivotal tracks. Beyond sold-out headline tours, he has performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! Plus, he has graced the cover of XXL and caught the attention of Variety, People, TMZ, NY Post, Today, and Entertainment Weekly. He co-founded Strange Music as a home for his output. Now, the company’s Kansas City headquarters stretches across six buildings: Strange Music (label offices), Strangeland (recording studios, soundstage), Strange World (merchandise manufacturing plant), Strange Box (vehicles), Strange Carwash, and Strange Works (construction company). It’s no wonder the Forbes “Cash Kings” list boasts Tech’s inclusion year-after-year. Not to mention, he teamed up with KC’s own Boulevard Brewery for his craft beer Bou Lou. 35 years into an unprecedented journey, he’s picking up the pace in 2025 with more to come.
5/9 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom (w/ Hollywood Undead)
6/13 Kansas City, MO Boulevardia*
7/18 Elko, NV Summer Daze*
TECH N9NE WEB AND SOCIAL LINKS
