XXL premiered Stevie Stone’s “808 Bendin” featuring Tech N9ne, the debut single from Stevie’s debut Strange Music album Rollin’ Stone.

The result is nothing short of a banger. For those of you looking for a track to put your subs to the test, look no further.

Over a beat of perfectly-tuned 808 drums, Stevie Stone and Tech N9ne drop a verse each. Stevie’s trademark growl unquestionably establishes him as someone who possesses one of the most distinctive voices in hip hop. Tech N9ne’s verse features him playing with his cadence and delivery in a fashion that is rarely heard (which for Tech N9ne is saying a lot).

Look for “808′ Bendin” to be in a club, sub or a party near you very soon.

Until then, click here to hear the premiere on XXLMag.com.

Click here to pre-order Rollin’ Stone featuring “808 Bendin”.

• What did you think of the track?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Opening up for the 5/20 show at The Mansfield Civic Center in Great Falls, Montana, and the 5/21 show at the Al Bedoo Shrine Auditorium in Billings, Montana, is Koshir.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – how long you’ve been in the game, your inspirations, and your aspirations.

Back in 2007 I dropped out of school and started making music in 2008. In 2009 I started to work on my first CD White Girl Diaries which was released in 2010, featuring Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Potluck, Luni Coleone, Cool Nutz and many more. I also just released my new mixtape Muffin Man and I’m currently working on my new album [which is] yet to be titled.

I’ve been doing a lot of big name shows lately such as Stevie Stone, Brotha Lynch Hung, E-40, San Quinn, and coming up I will be co-headlining with DMX, and rocking with Method Man.

I’ve always been into music, but more rock and techno than hip-hop. My ears gotta have their Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie fix otherwise I get in fucked up moods. Rap can be so boring some times. I just love making music that me and my people can lose themselves to. However, this is my job and in order to keep making music, I need to keep making money. Know what I’m sayin?

How does it feel to be part of a legendary, world-record setting hip-hop tour?

I’ve always looked at Tech and Krizz as some of the more talented individuals in the game, so  when I heard I was on these shows, I was like, “Thats what the fuck’s up!” Plus the whole line up is just fire! I’ve done music with a couple artists from Strange, worked with their producer Seven, who’s a fucking genius, and been in this circle for a couple years now. It’s about time!

How long have you been down with Strange Music?

First time I heard Tech was 2004 in Anchorage, Alaska, which is where I’m originally from. But I’ve probably been down-down since late 2006.

What can the Technicians expect out of your show?

What can Technicians expect from my set at the shows? Loud music, high energy, and a performance that won’t be easily forgotten!

Anything you would like to say to the Technicians coming out to the show?

Get ready to be a part of history my nigs! And if you ain’t got a ticket, eat an AIDS-cake bitch! Koshir, out.

Like Koshir on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @koshir

Click here for tickets and VIP Packages to Hostile Takeover 2012.

A woman from a small town with big goals, Cassie Mari Isza took her opportunity to get out of Elkhart, Indiana and took a trip to Kansas City, Missouri to witness the jump off of Hostile Takeover 2012 as soon as it came about.

Currently bottled up in a job that she describes as “just a paycheck”, Cassie files invoices and uses her iPod and the music in it to prevent herself from self-inflicted harm.

“If I didn’t have Tech, Brotha Lynch Hung, Krizz, and Kutt in my iPod, I’d probably stab myself in the eye with a pencil. It gives me the ability to feel something during the day, even if it is madness, sad, sexy or dangerous.”

After scoring two tickets and getting a friend to tag along, Cassie took the long road to the beginning of an even longer one: Hostile Takeover 2012, the longest tour in the history of hip hop.

We interviewed Cassie to get her thoughts on the experience, one that she says she would do again “in a heartbeat.”

What possessed you to drive all the way to Kansas City to see Hostile Takeover 2012?

Okay, first off, Tech is my absolute favorite rapper, so that was motivation enough, but to see him in his domain and it being the jump off to his 2012 tour was the main reason. Plus I’ve always wanted to visit KC, MO–Killa City.

Who did you go with?

I went with a good friend of mine Christopher. He loves Tech and met him in Chicago and when he heard I was going he had to go. Plus, I gotta get mine y’know (laughs).

What was your favorite part of the show?

I think the best part of the show is when Tech performed “It’s Alive”. I think it was the 2nd song on the set list. It got the whole fucking place pumped. People got out of their seats and just went crazy with themselves.

What was your favorite part of the KC experience outside of the concert?

Ok this is the best question you could of asked me. So we get there like thirty minutes before checking in to our hotel, The Hilton on Baltimore, and I look at Chris and say “Lets go check this shit out.” We valet the car and we walk to 12 Baltimore Cafe and Grill. We have a few drinks and proceed to walk back to the hotel. On the way back I run into Strange Music Inc. himself Travis O’Guin. I got to introduce myself to him and tell him how much I respect and appreciate him and what he’s done. I told him that I’ve watched from the outside looking in how he and Tech have built Strange Music Inc from the ground up, that he’s beautiful and that I love his business sense. I didn’t want to be a crazy, obsessed fan so I let him get back to whatever he was doing and walked away. Oh my God, highlight of the trip for sure.  I got to kick it with Prozak and Big Scoob for awhile. Scooby is the best! I met Makzilla, JL BHood and DJ Kitty as well. Good people. Oh and I can’t forget Stevie Stone, I chopped it up with him too.

Would you do it again?

In a fucking heartbeat. I would of changed one thing though: I would of made it a point to get a mixed plate from fucking Gates Bar-BQ! I didn’t have time.

If you could say anything to the artists what would you say?

Oh my God, that they are beautiful people as individuals. The main thing I would let all of them know is that I appreciate all of them taking the time away from their families and personal lives to entertain me! That honestly means so much to me that they would give up all that for their fans, and for that I’m grateful to the extreme.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND VIP PACKAGES TO HOSTILE TAKEOVER 2012.

Looking to get a new perspective on the tour, Stevie Stone jumped on TheRealTechN9ne.com and personally reached out to fans and encouraged them to share their favorite stories from the tour. From meeting the artists to watching their favorite songs live, fans have been posting the very best moments from the tour so far.

As the tour continues to make its way across the country, there’s no telling what will happen next. Don’t miss out on Strange Music history!

Head over to the discussion on TheRealTechN9ne.com and share your stories, photos, and videos with Stevie Stone!

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND VIP PACKAGES TO THE HOSTILE TAKEOVER 2012 TOUR.

Watch this preview of the reckless insanity that is a Machine Gun Kelly performance in this highlight clip for Hostile Takeover 2012. Machine Gun Kelly also speaks on the tour, calling it one of the best tours hip hop has ever seen in the past decade. All it takes is one show to understand why.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND VIP PACKAGES FOR HOSTILE TAKEOVER 2012

With few breaks in between shows on the record-breaking Hostile Takeover 2012 Tour, the crew is finding ways to let loose road and from the looks of  this snapshot, it’s a war out there.

Machine Gun Kelly and his EST crew recently joined in for a round of laser tag with members of ¡MAYDAY!, Team Stone, and even Prozak.  The only question that remains is, who is the best shot?

Stay posted for more updates from the Hostile Takeover 2012 Tour!

Click here for tickets and VIP packages to the Hostile Takeover 2012 Tour.

• Are you keeping up with the artists on tour?

Let us know in the comments section below!

The following is in the words of Dave Weiner himself…

—

So a friend of Strange Music, Dana Mason, is next door neighbors with Kether, one of ¡MAYDAY!’s managers. Dana hit me up like “Yo Dave, you gotta meet this dude Kether. You’ll like him and you’ll love his group.” Dana has worked with Strange back in the JCOR days and she’s been alongside us this whole time. So I went and checked them out, fell in love with them and played their album all summer of 2010. Stuck On An Island was just a demo at the time but I loved it.

Then all along I was kind of pushing Tech and Trav on it. They liked it and they saw the talent, but we had so much on our plate that they – at one point I was so aggressive with Travis, that he told me to back off. He said “Dave I know they’re dope, no doubt, but we don’t have time for that. We’re too busy, focus on what’s on our plate. Back off.” This was the first time I’ve been told that by Travis so I did what I was told and I backed off. I told Kether “Hey man, it’s just bad timing homie. Sorry. I’d love to do this but it’s not going to work.”

A few months went by and then on the Independent Grind Tour I quietly had ¡MAYDAY! open the dates for Florida. I called up the tour manager, Cory, and said, “I’ve got this band I want to have open for Tech in Florida. What’s the status of the local openers?” and he said “Yeah, we’re good, what do you want to do?” I told him “I’ve got this group ¡MAYDAY! that I want to have open in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale so treat them good because they would sell that venue out on their own.”

I don’t think anyone knew at the time what my intentions were, I just figured it would be a good opportunity for them to play for our staff and see what they’re about. I had still never seen them live at this point.

They did their show and everyone hit up Travis that night and in the morning: texts, emails, phone calls. “Yo Trav, I’ve done 900 shows with you and I’ve never seen a band as dope as ¡MAYDAY!.” So he got bombarded with calls from everybody: from the tour crew to Tech himself. Then they did it again in Orlando or whichever city was second.

Travis forwarded me all these emails and texts like “Alright Dave, you made your point. Go ahead and start that discussion up again.” It was really a result of those two shows that sealed the deal and from that point on everything has just been moving forward.

Back in the nineties there was a huge surge in live hip hop and there were a lot of local groups in LA – bands with emcees. I always wanted to think that would work and was a no-brainer of a concept but it never worked. Either the band was too talented for the emcees or the emcees would eclipse the band. There was never the chemistry between band and emcees that worked for me. When I heard the ¡MAYDAY! album I didn’t even realize that there was a band backing them up.

My interest was really the result of a beautiful summer in LA, a new smoker and me out there barbecuing twelve-hour briskets all summer long. That album just ended up getting the most play in my CD carousel at the time. I just fell in love with it and lyrically they blew me away. They’re just the whole package. I think where they’ve gone from there until now is that much more incredible. I love Stuck On An Island but what they did with Take Me To Your Leader is over the top. They’re peaking with their talent right now. It’s an amazing album. I couldn’t be more proud of that record and being involved with it.

The way I see it is what I saw in Tech more than ten years ago: I was blinded by his talent. People were like “What happened to Dave, man? That’s all he talks about is Tech N9ne!” But I had no doubt and I never questioned what my beliefs were in Tech’s talent. That’s the exact same feeling I have with ¡MAYDAY!.

Even though I’m not a fan of Adele and really could care less about her music, I see the talent and bow down, as I should, and I think that’s how everybody should react to a group like ¡MAYDAY!. Whether you feel them or not you have to respect their talent. You have to appreciate what they’re doing even if it’s not your thing. That’s how I always felt about Tech: it’s undeniable.

There’s an enormous amount of investment behind this group and when you listen to the record you feel good about that investment. Even though we’re walking into a shit-storm of an industry we know that we’re putting out quality music that, in my opinion, is in a league of its own. I don’t really know who I can compare to ¡MAYDAY! and what they’re producing in music at this point.

—

Click here for the free download of Darker Shades for Brighter Nights.

Click here to purchase Take Me To Your Leader.

Giftid Mindz consists of two artists, Verbal Trikz, and his “partner in rhyme” Big Shot. Using their words as weapons, Verbal and Biggie lash out at the music industry with the words of wisdom and warning. With an interesting mix of a Tech N9ne/ICP sound, they like to call their genre of music “real life relevant” meaning they speak on their own experiences as individuals and a group in hopes to better connect with fans who can take away the true messages in their music. Sounds familiar, right Strangers?

As the opening act for the Hostile Takeover 2012 Tour in Rapid City, South Dakota on Friday May 25th, 2012, Giftid Mindz expresses their excitement about being able to perform with the best in the underground scene and what they’re going to bring for their upcoming performance.

Have you played at any other venues, or have you opened for any other artists before?

We have done a lot of local shows around Rapid City. As far as opening up for big names, years before I [Verbal Trikz] met a big shot. I opened up for Tone Loc. That was actually the second time I was ever on stage. I also did a show in Pocatello, Idaho with the Mastermindz and a few other groups.

Will Tech and the Strange Music Crew be the largest emcees you’ve opened for thus far?

Yes, without question. It is without a doubt the biggest honor so far in our careers. We look up to Tech as an artist and an inspiration, and for us to be a part of a record breaking tour with an artist that we look up to — there aren’t words in our language that express how truly blessed we, as a group, feel to have this opportunity.

As an opener for the Hostile Takeover Tour, do you feel the pressure to step up your performance?

Honestly music is what we breath and bleed. I would say yes for the most part, but somehow I feel like that would insinuate that the rest of the time we only come 90%. Giftid Mindz comes 150% giving it our all at every show. This is our lives here, you feel me? Not just a hobby. But, the tension is a little higher because, like I said, we look up to Tech.

What can fans look forward to seeing from you that night?

We were only allotted a 10 minute set, but trust me, man, every minute of our set is nothing less then dope. We start it off hype as hell, then bring it down a little bit for some real life shit, then end it with a sick back-and-forth. I don’t want to give too much away but, trust me, it’s going to be dope!

What kind of expectations do you have for the Hostile Takeover tour in SD?

Tech has never done “bad” in SD, or anywhere for that matter. Giftid Mindz has been out promoting the hell out of this show. Come on man… it’s Tech N9ne! Everybody loves Tech. It’s gonna be off the hook.

As a final statement, Giftid Mindz writes:

We look up to Tech N9ne because, as he has said in the past, “For my fans, I’m inside out.” We like to believe that we share that common ground with Tech and give our fans everything that we are and let them know every aspect of our lives through our music. We would would also like to give a shout out to our marketing and merch manager, Justin Vargas, who has never stopped believing in us, and every single person who is reading this interview. If you ain’t heard of Giftid yet, trust me… you will.

Opening up for the 5/18 show at The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado is BLKHRTS.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – how long you’ve been in the game, your inspirations, and your aspirations.

BLKHRTS is Yonnas, FOE, and Karma. We’ve been making music our entire lives. We are inspired by Sex, Drugs, Violence, Money and Death. We worship Mozzie and Siouxsie (Morrissey and Siouxsie) and we want to cover the whole world in rich, black gold.

How does it feel to be part of a legendary, world-record setting hip-hop tour?

It is truly in an honor.

How long have you been down with Strange Music?

This will be our third show with Strange but I remember first listening to TechN9ne on the Gridlock’d Soundtrack. Questions was the song. To this day, that is still one of the most impressive rap recordings I’ve ever heard.

What can the Technicians expect out of your show?

An orgasm.

Anything you would like to say to the Technicians coming out to the show?

Thank you for supporting independent hip-hop. We owe you our lives.

—

Like BLKHRTS on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (@BLKHRTS)

Click HERE to find more information about BLKHRTS at their website .

Click here for tickets and VIP Packages to Hostile Takeover 2012.

Opening up for the 5/14 show at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming is Y-O.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – how long you’ve been in the game, your inspirations, and your aspirations.

As far as being in the game I have been writing and recording music since 2008….but I grew up as a child of music. Obviously coming from Wyoming I was introduced to the country music genre at an early age. But my parents choices in music were the reasons why I gained such a diverse musical background. My mother always played and listened to disco and funk music like Earth, Wind, and Fire and The Ohio Players. My father, on the other hand, was a die hard rock and roll fan and so I also grew up with a big rock influence with artists like KISS and AC/DC. When I was about 6-years-old I came across the Sugar Hill Gang in my parents’ music.

I heard the song “Rappers Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang and from then on hip-hop was like an obsession. I was quickly into artists like Run DMC and Kurtis Blow thanks to all my parents’ albums. From then on I just grew up listening to everything hip-hop I could get my hands on. It was hard to do living thirty miles from the nearest city, on a farm, as a kid, not to mention coming from a place like Wyoming where hip-hop is almost non-existent. I was always memorizing songs and rapping them to myself, but in a small rural town and school I really had no friends that had the same dreams as me. So I really had no outlet or way to get my sound out. It wasn’t until I got to college when I met Glenn Springthorpe aka G-Spring that I started writing and recording. He had some beats and a little mic setup and so I wrote my first song in 2008. From then on I had just found what I was meant to do in life and so I just never stopped. I never even thought that anyone would ever know a single lyric to my songs, and now I’m playing shows and people are out in the crowd singing along.

My number one inspiration would have to be Kanye West for the way he came up and his genius. Also artists like Biggie, Sugar Hill Gang, Eminem, and  Ludacris…all the way to new young artists like Wiz Khalifa, Chris Webby, and MGK who really sent a message out that represents following your dreams no matter who you are or what you want to do. That is also what I represent, because as you can see rappers in Wyoming are few and far between. So my aspirations are to simply just let people hear my music…maybe it influences or speaks to people in a great way, and maybe it doesn’t. Either way I just want everyone to know that I’m here and I do what I do coming from the place I come from. It is possible to be anything you want no matter who you are or what you represent. Drive and just being you is all anyone needs. I guess a world tour and millions of fans wouldn’t be too bad either (laughs).

How does it feel to be part of a legendary, world-record setting hip-hop tour?

When I got the call and found out I was going to open up for this show my mind was blown! Not only is it a huge show, but it’s Tech N9ne! Then I found out about MGK coming and I was floored even more. And the fact that this is biggest hip-hop tour ever – I can’t even put it into words. I still can’t believe that I am going to have my time on that stage, with those artists, and on this tour. It’s really a dream come true in itself and its a great honor and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

How long have you been down with Strange Music?

I have alway been a big fan of Tech’s music ever since the first time I heard one of his songs. His style is one of a kind and few can be compared. I was always bumping “Caribou Lou” when I was partying and probably my most favorite song of his is “Red Nose” for its message and just the rawness of Tech N9ne. He has definitely been a big part of my hip-hop and rap influence along the way. I always hear that Tech’s shows are amazing and one of the best shows to ever see. I myself have never had the privilege to see one of his shows…so I guess it’s fitting that my first Tech show is one that I am performing in!

What can the Technicians expect out of your show?

Technicians that come to the show are obvously coming to see Tech N9ne, and I wouldn’t say that my style of music is the same style that Strange Music does. But what they can expect is a raw, upbeat, live hip-hop performace with great lyricism that will definitely keep them entertained. I guess you could say that I use my life experiences and the way I was brought up and mix it with music – it’s great hip-hop coming from a very unexpected place.

Anything you would like to say to the Technicians coming out to the show?

To all the Technicians coming out to the show I just want to say that you are some of most loyal and best fans out there, if not the most loyal and best. It is an honor to play for you all and open up for some of your most beloved artists in Strange Music. I will do what I always do and what I love to do and that is play hip-hop music and put on killer shows. I can’t wait to see you all out there and hopefully I can show you a side of hip-hop that is exciting and opens up the show in the best way possible!

Like Y-O on Facebook and be sure to catch him open on the 5/14 show of the Hostile Takeover Tour.

Click here for tickets and VIP Packages to Hostile Takeover 2012