[Si] TV

Immortal Technique is back to educate the masses. In the four-plus years since releasing his last album, Revolutionary Vol.2, Tech has toured the world, bought a farm in his native Peru and continued to be the voice of the disenfranchised like the late Sean Bell. Teaming with DJ Green Lantern for his third opus, The 3^rd World, Tech returns to form by touching on a multitude of society's ills. SiTV.com sat down with the Peruvian MC to dissect his ideas about music, his view of Barack Obama and, of course, life as a farmer in the land where the Incas were once kings.

SiTV.com: Why did you wait four years to return?
Immortal Technique: Well, a lot of things happened. I have my own distribution deal now and I was also touring a lot. I just put my sister through college; that was a big investment for me that definitely kicked me in the pocket. I also bought a 350-acre farm in the northern part of Peru. So if this s**t collapses, I got a perfect place to fall back. And I was sick for a little while; I had perpetual strep throat for like six months! From not sleeping, staying up late in the studio, running around the country.

SiTV.com: What can we expect from The 3^rd World?
Tech: In terms of conceptuality the whole idea was to relate the streets in America to the streets in the Third World and to illustrate to people that no matter how rough we think we have it here it's in no way comparable to the ghettos [out there]. The other [aspect] was that in the Third World the super powers of Europe, America, have continuously exploited their natural resources. It is exactly the type of relationship that major labels have with the underground or the Third World of hip-hop. These major labels say, "Look the only way you're going to be successful is by giving us your publishing and masters." People are selling themselves.

SiTV.com: What's your take on Barack Obama; is he more relatable than other politicians?
Tech: Anyone who's looking at Barack Obama like he wasn't a politician like the rest of them got a rude awakening when he denounced [Jeremiah Wright] who he's known for 20 years. [Wright] felt like there was a stain on the eternal soul of America because this country had been based on so-called principles of freedom and the incredible hypocrisy was that they were committing genocide against Native Americans. What was the freedom in that?

SiTV.com: How do you feel relations between blacks and Latinos are in the U.S.?
Tech: There's a lot of confusion because we don't realize how closely those communities are linked. Slaves were dropped off in the Caribbean because of sugar production and conditioning. Latinos by in large have a lot of African influence and because we're a society that's based on Euro-centric ideals we have these ridiculous things like when you marry somebody who's lighter skinned some people say, "you're bettering the race." When you educate people of our Afro-Latino background and how it has been integral in the struggle for independence then it sheds light on the situation.

SiTV.com: How do you feel about the public's obsession with celebrity drama?
Tech: I think celebrity is the new crack! People are addicted to it. That whole aspect of privacy is just gone. Then there's the argument about "that's the price you pay for fame" and people breaking into your house just to photograph your child. Those are the types of things that I disagree with but then again you make like $12 million on one film.