Tech N9ne, one of the hardest working men in the rap game, is back with the six-track EP Klusterfuk — though he never really went anywhere. (His album All 6’s and 7’s debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 last June, and Welcome to Strangeland hit stores in November.)
From the jump, Klusterfuk is exactly what its title suggests. The title track, “Klusterfuk,” quickly moves from the rapper’s conflicted religious past to the devotedness of his fans, his ability to rhyme like no one else and his strangeness — all of which are common themes for the Kansas City native.
The EP continues its incongruity with “Blur,” the electronic-influenced thumping jam about waking up after a debauched house party. Though partying is definitely a common trope for Tech, “Blur” showcases his deftness at drawing vivid narratives while simultaneously keeping his trademark rapid-fire, multi-syllabic flow intact.
Conversely, the bluesy organ/keyboard-driven “Can’t Stand Me,” featuring Krizz Kaliko, whose haunting crooning always complements Tech N9ne’s music so well (even in Spanish), finds Tech rapping about facing racism in past relationships with white women. The hook, in true Tech N9ne fashion, is both hilarious, catchy and dead serious — “These are people who can’t stand me / Your momma / Your daddy / Your greasy-ass granny.”
Overall, Klusterfuk is no more of a “clusterfuck” than any of Tech N9ne’s other releases, and covers much of the same terrain. But none of this thematic sameness detracts from the EP’s incredible production or the level of skill and candor the rapper brings to each of his audibly addicting projects, especially this fantastic grab-bag of “fuk.”
