By Odeisel

The enigmatic Tech N9ne has crafted quite the career as an independent emcee and his take no prisoners style has won him a legion of loyal fans. Coming off the longest tour in his illustrious career, Tech got back to the studio and came back with his fourth EP, E.B.A.H – Evil Brain, Angel Heart. The work, entirely produced by Seven, is more of his trademarked frenetic bombast and enough to keep his fans satisfied and maybe pick up a fence straggler or two.

The title track spells out exactly what E.B.A.H. means and roars with haunting atmospherics and a high-powered boom that envelopes Tech’s patented high-powered lyrics. “Earregular” has a whimsical, fantastic Wizard of Oz, delivered with a measured even-toned voice. After his initial run he flips that high speed slow and bounces back and forth. The spaced-out echo on the chorus will have you looking behind the curtain for the wizard.

“Don’t Tweet This” recalls Willy Wonka’s rules before walking through the candy factory. Despite the surrealist track, the aim of the song is to get people to anchor themselves in reality and experience it before they get so ready to put it on blast and put it out there. TechN9ne lives vicariously through his dick on “Rock Yo Head.” It’s got all the prerequisite synth and bass to get those asses clapping. Guest stars, the 816 Boyz manage to keep up but there’s nothing here but your standard strip club jam with a little flavor.

“Boy Toy” interpolates the intro and approximates the drum of the classic BDP track “Super-Hoe,” but brings it up to new millennium musicality. The premise is similar and Tech is more advanced at this point than KRS was at that point, but it does a credible job at being its own song while tipping its cap to its ancestor. Homie Krizz Kaliko drops by on “KJOMD.” Over a satirically saccharine R&B backdrop, the duo explain to the latest conquest that they are Kinda Jealous Of My Dick. It’s the kind of song that would make you frown if you didn’t know they were clowning and they play straight well enough that if you’re not familiar you may not be in on the joke. Rapid-fire rhymes save the song from pure novelty and reminds you of songs like N.W.A’s classic “I’d Rather Fuck You”…if Eazy could rhyme.

Closing track, “A Real 1” takes the music forward in the digital lane. Tech steps away from the sex talk and gets into that hardcore shit with lines like, “While you hide behind your tweets, I’ll be finding out your street,” Cementing his status as a hardcore individual.

E.B.A.H. is a compact work that delivers the TechN9Ne music that you know and are familiar with. There isn’t much new here but sometimes the best thing is to stay in your lane, especially when that lane is one that few others can duplicate.

Out of 5

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