Westword in Denver shows N9ne love!

Slowly emerging from the self-imposed hell he was living in, Tech opted to head in the opposite direction on his latest release, The Gates Mixed Plate, the third album in his "Collabos" series. Featuring guest appearances by Brotha Lynch Hung, Devin The Dude, Big Scoob and Yukmouth, Gates bumps with up-tempo beats and playful lyrics that, surprisingly, caused a rift with Tech's die-hard fans.

"Recording the Mixed Plate did lift the clouds, but my fans hated it. Well, not all of them," he clarifies, adding a laugh. "Most of them actually like the darkness, but I just didn't want to be in that
space anymore. It just hits me every once in awhile. This time, there
was nothing really dark. It was good to be in a better space."

Fan reaction aside, Tech N9ne is just doing Tech. His impeccable polyrhythmic rhymes have recently caught the attention of superstar rapper Lil Wayne, and, once Weezy's released from Rikers Island,
the possibility of a collaboration between the two will most likely
become a reality. And to those who consider the prospect of such a
pairing to be "selling out," Tech scoffs at the mere mention of such a
notion.

"I can't stand people who say that," says Tech. "You can't not like Lil Wayne because he's mainstream. I think my fans are mad at Lil Wayne because he said he's the greatest rapper alive. What I do is
something totally different. I've always felt like I'm the best at what I do. Fans want to keep me to themselves, but my dreams are coming true.

"Why wouldn't that be flattering?" he goes on. "My quest is to get my music to the rest of the world. Lil Wayne is a premier MC. He has things that are fucking wonderful, and I'm going to love working with
him. My fans are going to watch me do it because hip-hop is supposed to
grow. It's supposed to expand."

That part made me laugh.