Tech N9neCollabos

Love him or hate him, Tech N9ne still reigns as Kansas City's best-known rap export. Fittingly, he has used this fact to provide a platform for other local rappers on Misery Loves Kompany. Recorded in just one month but far from a slapdash effort, MLK offers the best of three worlds: the usual heat from Tech himself, contributions from the rest of the Strange Music family, and bonus shots featuring everyone from KCK's D-Loc and Dalima (on the double-time opus "Midwest Choppers") to Bay Area kingpin Yukmouth. Generosity aside, this album still belongs to the lead dog. Showcasing a wild array of styles and cadences, Tech barrels madly through tracks such as the hyphy-snap hybrid "Gangsta Shap" and the giant stepper "You Don't Want It." The harsh truths Tech details on "Message to the Black Man" are secondary in their impact only to the arresting "P.A.S.E.O." More than a trip down memory lane, this love letter ends with Tech saying, Throw my ashes in the Missouri River. Haters: maybe it's about time to have some Kompany over.