Album Review: Tech N9ne, 5186 Forest

Written By James Magill, OOTB Publications

I will admit that, usually, rap is not a genre I tend to get excited about. But there’s always an exception to every rule, and for me, that exception is Tech N9ne.

I’ve enjoyed his music for a long time now, ever since one of my brothers-in-law played me some tracks from Absolute Power back in the early 2000s.

5186 Forest is his latest album—releasing tomorrow, June 27, via his label Strange Music—and can only be described as a concept album. It tells a story, with songs interspersed with snippets of conversations with his children. It’s a tale of how he grew up and became the artist he is today.

I listened to it twice in a row—just absorbing the music and trying to comprehend the narrative being spun.

He talks about the trials and tribulations of growing up in a rough environment, shifting his focus from beatboxing to rapping, struggling with his parents and their expectations, love, and disappointment.

With a mix of the fast-paced lyrical blitzkrieg he’s known for and some mellow R&B grooves, it’s not just an album, but a lyrical autobiography.

Best listened to loud, with the windows down.

Rating

4.2/5

Favorite Songs

“RDV”

“Sacrifice”

Tracklist