Immortal Technique real name Felipe Coronel was born on 19th February, 1978 in Lima, Peru and was raised in Harlem, New York.
Immortal Technique is an hip hop artist and political activist, 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." He releases his music through, and is also the president of, Viper Records.
Coronel was born in a military hospital in Lima. His family, being of Peruvian descent, immigrated in 1980 to Harlem to escape the ongoing internal conflict in Peru. 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. Shortly after enrolling in Pennsylvania State University, he was arrested and charged with assault-related offences due to his involvement in an altercation between some fellow students and drug dealers. The charges stemming from this incident led to his being incarcerated for a year.. After being paroled, he took political science classes at Baruch College in New York City for two semesters.
Admittedly, this was at the behest of his father, who allowed Technique to live with him on the condition that he go to school. Although he was able to rhyme since childhood, it was Technique's frustrations about his incarceration, sociopolitical issues and the need to provide income for his family that were the motivations driving him to think of music as a career.
Honing his songwriting skills in jail, and unable to find decent wage-paying employment after his release, Technique began selling his music on the streets of New York while battling with MCs whenever the opportunity arose. This, coupled with his victories in numerous freestyle rap competitions of the New York underground hip hop scene such as Rocksteady Anniversary, Braggin Rites and others, led to his reputation as a ferocious Battle MC.
Crossing the Boundary lyrics