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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}{{Short description|American rapper}}{{pp-semi-blp|small=yes}}

factoids

| birth_place = Lima, PeruHarlem>Harlem, New York, U.S.Hip hop music>East Coast hip hopunderground hip hop>political hip hop|hardcore hip hop}}Rapper|activist}}| years_active = 2000–presentViperNature Sounds>Fontana Records>Babygrande Records}}{{small>(last two for distribution/reissue only)}}Akir, Diabolic (rap artist)>Diabolic, Lowkey, Chino XL, DJ Green Lantern, La Coka Nostra, Jean Grae, Rockin' Squat, Yasiin Bey, Dead Prez, Ras Kass, KRS-One, Chuck D, Pumpkinhead (rapper)>Pumpkinhead, Ill Bill, Sabac Red, Pharoahe Monch, Vernon Reid, Marcel Cartierwww.immortaltechnique.com/}}}}Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and activist. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics, from a radical left-wing perspective.Immortal Technique seeks to retain control over his production,WEB, Frederick, Brendan, Immortal Technique Rock The Boat (Part I),weblink September 29, 2007, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070924180548weblink">weblink September 24, 2007, and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to a combined total of 200,000 copies of his first three official releases.WEB, unit sales, September 16, 2009, FlawlessHustle.com, The 10 Questions Series: Immortal Technique,weblink January 27, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110917100737weblink">weblink September 17, 2011,

Early life

Coronel was born in a military hospital in Lima.WEB, {{AllMusic, artist, p593659/biography, yes, |title = Immortal Technique – Biography|last = Brown|first = Marisa|year = 2007|publisher = allmusic|access-date = January 28, 2009 }} He is of mostly Amerindian descent, and also has Spanish, French and African ancestry.WEB, Immortal Technique's Instagram Post,weblinkweblink December 26, 2021, registration, April 18, 2016, {{cbignore}} His family immigrated to Harlem, New York, in 1980 to escape the Peruvian Civil War.WEB, Springer, Anthony Jr., Immortal Technique – The 3rd World, Hiphop Dx, June 27, 2008,weblink July 1, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120523175926weblink">weblink May 23, 2012, dead, NEWS,weblink Revolutionary Volume I & II by Immortal Technique, Socialist View, Socialist Party (Ireland), O'Neill, Olivia, Spring 2006, February 1, 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090218112627weblink">weblink February 18, 2009, During his teenage years, he was arrested multiple times due in part to what he has said was "selfish and childish" behavior. He attended Hunter College High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where his classmates included Chris HayesWEB,weblink Intercepted Podcast: Covert History, Revolutionary Hip-Hop and the Politics of Empire, March 7, 2018, The Intercept, November 16, 2018, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, whom he bullied, although the two later became friends.WEB,weblink Immortal Technique Sends Love to Lin-Manuel Miranda After Bullying Story, Ivey, Justin, November 18, 2016, XXL (magazine), XXL, November 16, 2018, WEB,weblink Immortal Technique Threw Lin-Manuel Miranda in the Garbage When They Were in High School, Cush, Andy, November 15, 2016, Spin (magazine), spin.com, November 16, 2018, Shortly after enrolling in Pennsylvania State University, he was arrested and charged with assault-related offenses due to his involvement in an altercation between fellow students; the charges stemming from this incident led to him being incarcerated for a year.NEWS,weblink More Articulate, Politically Charged Flame-Throwing from Immortal Technique, Cepeda, Raquel, July 29, 2008, The Village Voice, October 12, 2008, January 19, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150119170814weblink">weblink dead, After being paroled, he took political science classes at Baruch College in New York City for two semesters at the behest of his father, who allowed Coronel to live with him on the condition that he went to school.NEWS,weblink Immortal Technique Discusses Faith, College and Jail, February 17, 2008, rawstory.com, April 9, 2006, March 27, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150327221523weblink">weblink dead, Honing his rapping skills in jail, and unable to find decent wage-paying employment after his release, he began selling his music on the streets of New York and battling with other MCs.NEWS,weblink A Lyrical Revolution, August 8, 2006, FinalCall.com News, April 9, 2006, NEWS, Interview With Immortal Technique, Rapflava.com,weblink November 29, 2006, April 9, 2006,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071223112859weblink">weblink December 23, 2007, dead, NEWS, Immortal Technique Interview, hip-hopkings.com,weblink July 7, 2005, April 9, 2006,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090612023515weblink">weblink June 12, 2009, dead, This, coupled with his victories in numerous freestyle rap competitions of the New York underground hip hop scene such as Rocksteady Anniversary and Braggin Rites, led to his reputation as a ferocious Battle MC.WEB, Official Biography, Viper Records,weblink June 19, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080210231812weblink">weblink February 10, 2008, dead,

Musical career

2000–2005: Revolutionary Vol. 1 and Revolutionary Vol. 2

In 2001, Immortal Technique released his first album Revolutionary Vol. 1 without the help of a record label or distribution, instead using money earned from his rap battle triumphs. He also battled but lost to Posta Boy in 106 & Park's Freestyle Friday. Revolutionary Vol. 1 also contained the underground classic "Dance with the Devil". In November 2002, he was listed by The Source in its "Unsigned Hype" column, highlighting artists that are not signed to a record label. The following year, in September 2003, he received the coveted "Hip Hop Quotable" in The Source for a song entitled "Industrial Revolution" from his second album. Immortal Technique is the only rapper in history to have a "Hip Hop Quotable" while being unsigned. He released his second album Revolutionary Vol. 2 in 2003, which featured an intro and a spoken-word piece by death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. In 2004 and 2005, Viper Records and Babygrande Records, respectively, re-released Immortal Technique's debut, Revolutionary Vol. 1, to make it available to a wider audience. "Point of No Return" from Revolutionary Vol 2 was used as the entrance theme for Rashad Evans during the UFC 88 Main Event between Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans.

2005–present: The 3rd World, The Martyr and The Middle Passage

(File:Immortal Technique, live.jpg|thumb|Immortal Technique performing in March 2006)Between 2005 and 2007 Immortal Technique began working on The Middle Passage and The 3rd World, the two albums that would serve a follow-up to Revolutionary Vol. 2. The 3rd World, produced by DJ Green Lantern, was released in 2008. Emilee Woods, writing for RapReviews.com, reviewed the album positively, praising its "earnestly and skillfully delivered" material, and claiming that Technique had "finally found a comfort zone in the balance between lyricism and message."WEB, Woods, Emilee, Immortal Technique :: The 3rd World,weblink RapReviews.com, January 9, 2023, He was also featured on several movie soundtracks and video game soundtracks, all the while touring relentlessly. In October 2011, Immortal Technique released The Martyr, a free compilation album of previously unreleased material and new tracks.The Martyr at KillerHipHop.comIn an interview in 2020 with Latino USA, Immortal Technique discussed that he was working on writing a book. He also mentioned that he was in the process of creating a new album, but had faced setbacks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.WEB, Hinojosa, Maria, Portrait Of: Immortal Technique,weblink NPR.org, February 4, 2022,

Collaborations

File:Immortal Technique at Roskilde.jpg|thumb|Immortal Technique (left) at the Roskilde FestivalRoskilde FestivalThe summer of 2005 saw the release of "Bin Laden", a vinyl single 12" featuring Mos Def and DJ Green Lantern. The single also contained a remix of the song featured Chuck D of Public Enemy and KRS-One. In early 2006, the song "Impeach the President", featuring Dead Prez and Saigon turned up in the mixtape "Alive on Arrival" DJ Green Lantern. This is a simple version of The Honeydrippers, 1973, in which Immortal Technique urged fans to organize a vote of censure against George W. Bush. In April 2009, a new song leaked on the internet named "Democratie Fasciste (Article 4)" by Brazilian-French rapper Rockin' Squat which featured Immortal Technique. The official release of the song and Rockin' Squat's album Confessions D'un Enfant Du Siècle Volume 2 was on May 12, 2009. The instrumental from the song was sampled from Wendy Rene's "After Laughter". The song expresses the inequalities of the Third World and revolutionary events throughout history against tyranny and oppression.The song contains lyrics in English (Immortal Technique), French (Rockin' Squat) and brief shout outs in Spanish (Immortal Technique). This song is Immortal Technique's first official international collaboration.WEB, Immortal Technique Forum, Rockin Squat Ft. Immortal Technique – Démocratie Fasciste (Article 4), 2009,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091226040130weblink">weblink December 26, 2009, In early 2009, it was announced that there would be a collaboration between Technique and UK underground artist Lowkey, on a single called "Voices of the Voiceless". On September 11, 2009, a "snippet" of the song was released on YouTube.WEB, Ian, (SO Empire), Voices of the Voiceless Snippet,weblink {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The preview was released ahead of its September 21 launch on iTunes, as part of a web-campaign that included updates, promotion and links on forums, E-Magazines and several social networking sites. The song's lyrics cover a broad range of issues that are familiar to listeners of both artists – racism, world revolution, war, socialism, government control, rape, famine, colonialism, Classism, self-determination and the war in Iraq.WEB, C.W., Hip Hop Radio, Lowkey speaks on 'Voices',weblink

Activism

(File:Immortal Technique performing in 2010 (2).jpg|thumb|Immortal Technique performing in March 2010)Immortal Technique visits prisons to speak to youth and working with immigrant-rights activists, and raising money for children's hospitals overseas. He created a writing grant program for high-school students as well.WEB, 2018-05-23, Immortal Technique: A Peruvian-American Rapper On A Mission,weblink 2023-03-02, Traveling and Living in Peru, en-US, In June 2008, Immortal Technique partnered with Omeid International, a non-profit human rights organization, and dubbed the work as "The Green Light Project". With the profits of the album The 3rd World, he traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan to help Omeid build an orphanage, the Amin Institute, without corporate or external funding.WEB, Paine, Jake, Immortal Technique Pens Letter To Afghanistan,weblink HipHopDX, June 24, 2008, December 23, 2009,

Other work

Films

Immortal Technique featured in Ice-T's documentary (Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap).{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

The (R)evolution of Immortal Technique

A documentary about Immortal Technique was released in September 2011 and premiered at the Harlem Film Festival.The (R)evolution of Immortal Technique (2011) at the Internet Movie Database It was released on DVD on July 10, 2012.

This Revolution

Immortal Technique appeared as himself in a docudrama film entitled This Revolution, which was recorded during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. The tape contains the protests surrounding the convention in the form of a documentary. It also featured Viper Records affiliates Akir and producer SouthPaw in roles.Since then, Immortal Technique has taken control of Viper Records and has signed a distribution deal with Babygrande Records / E1 Entertainment to vent to their next album. SouthPaw has managed to establish himself as A&R of Viper Records.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

Discography

Studio albums{|class"wikitable"

!align=center rowspan=2|Title!align=center rowspan=2|Album details!align=center colspan=3|Peak chart positions!align=center width=45|{{small|US}}WEB, Immortal Technique > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums, {{AllMusic, artist, p593659/charts-awards, yes, |publisher=allmusic|access-date=June 8, 2010}}!align=center width=45|{{small|USR&B}}WEB, Immortal Technique: Chart History: R&B Albums,weblink Billboard.com, June 8, 2010, !align=center width=45|{{small|USRap}}WEB, Immortal Technique: Chart History: Rap Albums, {{BillboardURLbyName, immortal technique, Rap Albums, |publisher=Billboard.com|access-date=June 8, 2010}}! Revolutionary Vol. 1|

• Release date: September 18, 2001
• Label: Viper
• Formats: CD, digital download—

——! Revolutionary Vol. 2|

• Release date: November 18, 2003
• Label: Viper
• Formats: CD, digital download, LP—

——! The 3rd World|

• Release date: June 24, 2008
• Label: Viper
• Formats: CD, digital download, LP99

3612">

Compilation albums{|class"wikitable"

!align=center rowspan=1|Title!align=center rowspan=1|Album details!align=center rowspan=1|The Martyr|

• Release date: October 27, 2011
• Labels: Viper, Fontana
• Formats: CD, digital download, cassette

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Singles{|class"wikitable"

!Title!Year!Album! "Industrial Revolution"| 2003Revolutionary Vol. 2! "The Point of No Return"| 2004! "Bin Laden" {{small|(with Mos Def and DJ Green Lantern)}}2005Non-album singles}}! "Bin Laden (Remix)" {{small|(with Chuck D and KRS-One)}}! "Caught in a Hustle"Baadasssss!#Soundtrack>BAADASSSSS! Soundtrack! "Stronghold Warriors" {{small|(with Poison Pen)}}| 2007| Pick Your Poison (The Mark of the East)! "The 3rd World"| 2008| The 3rd World! "Voices of the Voiceless"{{small|(with Lowkey)}}| 2009| Soundtrack to the Struggle! "Political Prisoner (Remix)"| 2020| Non-album single! "Civil War" {{small|(with Brother Ali, Killer Mike and Chuck D)}}| 2022| Non-album single

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

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