All Tech N9ne Everything: Can “Something Else” Go #1? Posted by Nathan S. on 07/29/13 | Filed under Opinion, Tech N9ne, Sales, Strange Music

First and foremost, I've seen too many examples of what hardcore Tech N9ne fans are like to claim I'm a hardcore Tech N9ne fan. But while I may not be able to recite the pledge from memory, I've had the chance to see Tech and Strange Music operate over the last few years, and over those years I've come to look at the the Strange Music operation as the blueprint for indie music; give fans something they can't get anywhere else, supply them with it consistently, and maintain as much control over your own business as possible. Remember, it's better to have 100% of $100 than 1% of $1000. (Hmmm...it's almost like....the blueprint for this site.)

Now, This being RefinedHype Nation I can't imagine there are many folks who aren't at least familiar with Tech and Strange. But the fact that your average rap fan on the street might still not know Tech, and I'm seriously asking if Tech's upcoming album, "Something Else", will go number one when it drops tomorrow, should be all the proof you'll need that in 2013 you can compete with major labels by truly building a fan base.

Here's the math. Tech's last full album (as opposed to "Welcome to Strangeland", which was more of a compilation album, and "Boiling Point" and "E.B.A.H.", which were EPs) was 2011's "All 6s & 7s", debuted number four on the charts and sold about 60K first week. Tech's unquestionably more popular than he was two years ago, so I fully expect "Something Else" to do more than 60K, but how much more? I think something in the 80K ballpark is reasonable, let's go with 80K. Where would that place him?

Last week's number one, Jay-Z' "MCHG", sold 127. Frankly, while "MCHG" sales should continue to fall, it's hard to see them falling by enough for Tech to overtake him. (Although by no means impossible if Tech does significantly better than I think, and "MCHG" does significantly worse.) But, last week's number two, Sara Bareilles' "Blessed Unrest" and number three, "Kidz Bop Vol. 24" both sold about 60K, so Tech should be able to top them and land at number two. On a related note, I'm just excited by the prospect of seeing a Tech N9ne album and a "Kidz Bop" CD on the same chart.

So those are previous releases, what about anything dropping with "Something Else"? The only real competition there is Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" album, which based on previous album sales - his last album, 2011's "Love After War" sold 40K - isn't a serious threat, but lead single "Blurred Lines" is a massive hit. I wouldn't be shocked if Thicke overtook Tech, but still, trying to be as objective as possible, I still see "Something Else" debuting at number two overall.

Regardless of where the charts shake out, it's fucking amazing that we're seriously considering if an indie rapper from Kansas City who makes purposefully aggressive, counter-culture music is going to top some of the biggest mainstream acts around like Jay-Z, Robin Thicke and, yes, the almighty "Kidz Bop" empire.

I know all my fellow rap sales nerds will be watching the charts closely, go ahead and hit me with your predictions as well. And in the meantime, I'll throw in a huge dose of new Tech-related material to keep all the Strange Music heads out there occupied. Enjoy...

So Dope


"Thizzle" ft. Danny Brown


Tech N9ne on Juan Epstein (skip to 41 minute mark)

See Also:  Tech N9ne’s “Fragile” Might Be The Dopest Song I’ve Heard This Year
See Also:  The Immersion: Tech N9ne Destroys Rap With “Sickology 101”