“I am not an artist, I’m a vessel” is a concise way of saying you understand neither of those nouns. Ekoh is a fascinating case study in pure fan service as business strategy. From his humble blog era beginnings, he’s always articulated a clear vision: he wants to create whatever his fans want to hear. As many of them as possible, too.
I’m not making shit up, here. This is a young man whose own bio states “Ekoh has a sound that will appeal to almost any music listener.” It gets better, too: “After paying attention to the lyrics, it’s impossible to deny his ability to put feelings and emotions into words and relate with his audience.” I disagree with everything there but that last bit. No question, the kid relates. Ekoh is a world class salesman, destined for success in the booming personality cult industry that has driven America’s economy since the Revolution.
For all the polymorphous forms these cults take, it’s always the same pitch: I’m just like you & we’re different. Evolved for predation via bottom-feeding, they target alienated youth, loners, outsiders, low-hanging fruit.
It’s easy, even natural, to have contempt. Yet it’s important to remind ourselves that cults work because they provide meaning to people who desperately need it. It’s easy to see that Jeff Thompson truly cares about his customers, and that love is reciprocated exponentially. Whether it’s Strange Music or Strange Famous, these insular indie rap sub-subcultures are vibrant communities extending from social media to meatspace itself. There’s a level of mutual respect and fan access that simply doesn’t exist in the conventional rap game. At least, not outside of awkward photo-op “VIP Meet & Greet” sessions for those wealthy (or obsessed) enough to part with the extra money. They are sad, ugly scenes.
Tech N9ne exists beyond critique. To his fans, he stands alone as the greatest rapper of all time, blessed with a level of technical skill that approaches godhood. To everyone else, he’s a Juggalo-adjacent fast rapper with a huge indie following. Both narratives are more or less true. His chopping is incredibly clear & precise at any tempo, on par with rappers like Tonedeff, Twista and Rittz. He’s also a standup guy who does good business & never phones in a feature. Tech is certainly giving 100% here.
All that effort is being exerted to perform some decidedly sub-par bars, though. Ekoh: “I just be up on another level, killed the angels, friended all my devils.” Tech: “coming up with flows in my sleep, I guess I’m a wet dreamer.” Take away the blistering speed and there’s nothing much there, two regular guys trying to re-write the same hollow boasting & reflexive pop culture references they’ve built their careers on. The audience for that is astronomical and all of these people deserve each other.
So when Ekoh stands on set and lip-syncs along with his line about being a vessel, not an artist, does he actually believe it? Or is that just something he’s convinced his fanbase wants to hear? Humans are complicated, but there’s no way that someone this savvy isn’t in on their own joke. I can’t hate the player or the game, but I cannot co-sign such boring-ass bars. Two Dickies.
