The Lost Scripts of K.O.D.

*The Lost Scripts of K.O.D.* consists of five outtakes from Tech N9ne’s 2009 album *K.O.D.*, but the EP isn’t just a pile of scraps — it actually functions as its own mini-album. As with *K.O.D.* these songs are divided into three sections, or moods: “Anger,” “Madness” and “The Hole,” the last of which is Tech’s term for suicidal depression. While the music bears Tech’s distinctive stamp — equal parts passion, aggression, and eccentricity — the underlying theme here is the heavy toll that Tech has accepted for being a touring musician. “0on9nA” compares the life of a traveling rapper to the confusing, stressful existence of a spy, while “Pain Killer” takes a look at the emptiness performers feel long after the show has ended, and they find themselves alone and exhausted in a dark hotel room. “Like I Died” is a rousing anthem, but underneath Tech’s seething energy is a portrait of a rapper who sacrifices his soul to bring music to his fans. The most affecting song of all is “Last Sad Song:\" “Only time can dictate if I’ll get straight / But I’m reachin’ for the light as of this date / I love K.O.D. but I think I made a mistake / By letting native energy in me now I’m misplaced / I lost something along the way.”