Immortal Technique

Topics: Peruvian musicians, Peruvian-Americans

Felipe Coronel (born February 19 1978), better known as Immortal Technique, is a hip hop MC and political activist. He is of Afro-Peruvian descent and was raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on socio-political issues. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely a mixture of commentary on issues such as poverty, religion, and racism. He also focuses on the harsh resulting realities of criminality in the housing projects of New York City's slums.

Although he has been offered a deal with at least one major record label, he has never signed to any. Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to keep control over his production, and has made statements in his music that he is very aware that it is record companies, not the artists themselves, who profit the most from mass production and marketing of music and has said "He would rather make a lot of a little, than a little of a lot."

In 2001, Immortal Technique released his first album CD, Revolutionary Vol. 1, without the help of a record label or distribution. He self-financed, manufactured, and sold copies of the record on the streets. In November 2002, he was listed by The Source as the month's featured "Unsigned Hype", which highlights 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. Consequently, since he did not have a record deal or distribution at the time, Immortal Technique is the only rapper in history to have a "Hip Hop Quotable" while being unsigned. He finally released his second album Revolutionary Vol. 2 in 2003 under Viper Records/Nature Sounds distribution on CD and double LP. The album sold around 65,000 units according to SoundScan figures, but estimates reach as far as 80,000 considering his large underground street distribution wing that made him famous in the NYC area. In 2004, Viper Records and, in 2005, Babygrande Records have re-released Immortal Technique's debut, Revolutionary Vol. 1, to make it available to a wider audience.