Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label

Strange Music Strange Music is an American independent record label specializing in hip hop music and founded by Tech N9ne and Travis O'Guin in 1999. History In 2009 Skatterman & Snug Brim fulfilled their commitment to Strange Music and left the label. In ...

. He has sold over two million albums and has had his music featured in film, television, and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie award at the

mtvU MTVU (formerly stylized as MtvU and mtvU) is an American digital cable TV channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group, a unit of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel was first known as VH1 Uno from 2000 to ...

Woodie Awards. His stage name originated from the

TEC-9 The Intratec TEC-9, TEC-DC9, KG-99 and AB-10 are a line of blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols. They were developed by Intratec, an American subsidiary of the Swedish firearms manufacturer Interdynamic AB. Introduced in 1984, the TEC-9 w ...

semi-automatic handgun, a name given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast-rhyming chopper style. Yates later applied a deeper meaning to the name, stating that it stands for the complete technique of rhyme, with "tech" meaning technique and "nine" representing the number of completion. Despite minimal mainstream success himself, he has featured many mainstream artists on his albums including

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, ...

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

B.o.B. Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later ...

Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastes ...

, Busta Rhymes,

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

, T-Pain,

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

, The Game,

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...

CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...

, T.I., 2 Chainz, Corey Taylor of Slipknot,

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...

, and Boyz II Men.

Early life

Yates was born and raised in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. He began rapping at a very early age, and would rap the letters of his name in order to remember how to spell it. His father Carlton Cook was estranged from the family and his mother suffered from

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrica ...

and lupus when he was a child, which emotionally affected him and inspired him to "search for God". He would explore abandoned buildings with his best friend, hoping to catch a ghost on film. He attended Southwest High School in Kansas City.

History

1991–2001: Beginnings and founding Strange Music

Early in his career, Yates was a member of a group formed in 1991 called Black Mafia. He saw glimpses of success in the group 57th Street Rogue Dog with their single "Let's Get Fucked Up." As a member of the group Nnutthowze, Aaron Yates signed with Perspective Records in 1993. However, the group disbanded soon after being released from the label. Yates signed with

Qwest Records Qwest Records is the American record label started by Quincy Jones in 1980 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records, and owned by Warner Music Group, although Jones was still under contract with A&M Records through 1981. George Benson's 198 ...

briefly before moving to JCOR Records. In 1997, Yates joined the group

the Regime ''The Regime: Evil Advances/Before They Were Left Behind'' is the second prequel novel in the ''Left Behind'' series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It was released on Tuesday, November 15, 2005. This book covers more events lea ...

, which was formed by rapper

Yukmouth Jerold Dwight Ellis III (born October 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Yukmouth, is an American rapper from East Oakland, Oakland, California. He is the founder of The Regime, Smoke-A-Lot Records and Godzilla Entertainment. He is a ...

. The following year, he was featured on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

for the film

Gang Related ''Gang Related'', alternatively known as Criminal Intent, is a 1997 American action crime thriller film written and directed by Jim Kouf starring James Belushi, Tupac Shakur, Dennis Quaid, Lela Rochon, David Paymer and James Earl Jones. The film ...

. Yates appeared on the song "The Anthem" by Sway & King Tech in 1999, which also featured artists RZA,

Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "exhibit"), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. Xzibit began his musical career after the release of his ...

Pharoahe Monch Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. He is known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhy ...

, Jayo Felony,

Chino XL Derek Keith Barbosa (born April 8, 1974), better known by his stage name Chino XL, is an American rapper, and actor. He has released four solo studio albums, in which his most recent – '' Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary'' – won the 2012 HH ...

, KRS-One, and Kool G. Rap. Later that year, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label

2001–2005: Underground success

In 2001, Yates released the studio album ''

Anghellic ''Anghellic'' is the third studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne from Kansas City, Missouri. It was released on August 28, 2001 via Universal Music Group imprint JCOR Entertainment, and was re-released as ''Anghellic: Reparation'' in 2003 vi ...

'' on JCOR Records. After disputes arose about the promotion of the album, Yates and his label severed ties with the JCOR with a deal that allowed them to retain the rights to the album. The next year, he released '' Absolute Power'', under a 50–50 joint venture between Strange Music and M.S.C. Music & Entertainment (which was founded by former Priority Records head Mark Cerami). The album debuted number 79 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album's sales are said to have tripled following a campaign, going by the name of "F.T.I." was started by the rapper and his label. The campaign, which asked music listeners to legally download the album free through the artist's own website was in response to the anti-downloading campaign by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

2006–2011: Independence and Tech N9ne ''Collabos''

In 2006, Yates released the album ''

Everready (The Religion) ''Everready (The Religion)'' is the fifth studio album by rapper Tech N9ne. The album was released in 2006 as a "Collector's Edition" CD that contains a second CD featuring 14 songs from Tech N9ne as well as other Strange Music artists. "Jellysic ...

''. The following year, he released ''

Misery Loves Kompany ''Misery Loves Kompany'' is the sixth studio album by rapper Tech N9ne, and the first release in the "Collabos" series. Background The album was recorded in one month and was released on July 17, 2007. It features 17 tracks featuring artists s ...

''. Yates announced that the album was the first in a series of "Tech N9ne Collabos" albums that feature a wide range of guest appearances. The following year, Yates released the album ''

Killer A killer is someone or something that kills, such as a murderer or a serial killer. Killer may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Killer (''Home and Away''), a character from ''Home and Away'' * Killer Kane, ...

''. That September, he exceeded one million album sales over his entire catalog. Yates remarked of the accomplishment that, "It just reminded me of all the work we'd done in the past, up until now ..I don't think it's sunken in yet. I've been celebrating for the last two days because that's a hell of an accomplishment. I've been planning success all my life. I'm not even a bit surprised, I'm happy about it. That just means I was right." Yates released his second ''Collabos'' album, ''

Sickology 101 ''Sickology 101'' is the eighth studio album, and the second in the "Collabos" series, by rapper Tech N9ne. Early on, the album carried a "The Study of Being Sick" subtitle, but as its release grew nearer, the subtitle was phased out. The album ...

'', in April 2009. Yates later performed at the

Rock The Bells Rock the Bells was an annual hip-hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert featured a line-up of high-profile alternative hip-hop artists, often headlined by a mor ...

2009 Festival and the tenth annual

Gathering of the Juggalos The Gathering of the Juggalos (The Gathering or GOTJ) is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by ...

. That October, he released '' K.O.D.'', an acronym for King of Darkness. The album featured a dark overtone, as Yates was dealing with the illness of his mother. An EP of new songs over unused beats from the ''K.O.D.'' album was released in 2010 as ''

The Lost Scripts of K.O.D. ''The Lost Scripts of K.O.D.'' is the first Extended play, EP by rapper Tech N9ne, released on March 30, 2010. It debuted on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart at number 117. The EP consists of five tracks that were written shortly after ...

''. Later that year, Yates released his third ''Collabos'' album, ''

The Gates Mixed Plate ''The Gates Mixed Plate'' is the tenth studio album by rapper Tech N9ne, which was released on July 27, 2010. It is the third album in the rapper's "Collabos" series, following the 2009 album ''Sickology 101''. The album's name is in reference to ...

''. In October, he released his second EP ''

Seepage Soil mechanics is a branch of soil physics and applied mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids (usually air and wat ...

''. On December 23, he released his first mixtape '' Bad Season''.which was later released in retail CD form with a modified track list and without DJ Scream. On June 7, 2011, Yates released ''

All 6's and 7's ''All 6's and 7's'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on June 7, 2011, through Strange Music. The album was released to universal acclaim by music critics, and peaked at number four on the ''Billboard 200 ...

''. The album features several hip-hop artists as well as rock artists including

B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...

Hopsin Marcus Jamal Hopson (born July 18, 1985), known professionally as Hopsin, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. In 2007, he was signed to Ruthless Records, and had founded his own record label, Funk Volume, i ...

, T-Pain,

Jay Rock Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a rec ...

Mint Condition Mint condition is an expression used to denote the quality of a pre-owned good as displaying virtually no imperfections and being in pristine condition relative to its original production state. Originally, the phrase related to the way collect ...

, Busta Rhymes,

Yelawolf Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. Born in Alabama and raised in Tennessee, he embarked on his career independently in 2005, releasing one extended play (EP) and four mixta ...

and

Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first f ...

and many others. In 2011, Yates told 411mania.com that after ''All 6's And 7's'' he planned on releasing his fourth album in the ''Collabos'' series titled ''

Welcome to Strangeland ''Welcome to Strangeland'' is the twelfth studio album, and the fourth in the "Collabos" series, by rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on November 8, 2011, the rapper's 40th birthday. Background In April 2011, Tech N9ne spoke about the album i ...

'', featuring guest appearances from everyone on Strange Music, followed by the long-awaited K.A.B.O.S.H. and 816 Boyz albums. Then, in July 2011, Yates said in a blog post that

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

has agreed to do a song with him for the K.A.B.O.S.H. album and that he is also hoping to have a collaboration with

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

on that album. In the same blog post, he said that the K.A.B.O.S.H. album will be a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

album. In another blog post several weeks later, he confirmed that he will begin work on the album after completing ''Welcome to Strangeland''. Following his tour, he announced that he was about to begin work on ''Welcome to Strangeland'' and ''

Klusterfuk ''Klusterfuk'' is the third EP by rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on March 13, 2012. Background ''Klusterfuk'' was first announced in early 2011. Then, in August 2011, Tech N9ne confirmed that he was about to begin work on ''Klusterfuk'' and ...

'', confirming producers for both projects. ¡Mayday! is to entirely produce ''Klusterfuk''. He said he will then begin work on the K.A.B.O.S.H. album.Welcome to Strangeland and Klusterfuk Producers
blog.therealtechn9ne.com. August 2011 Tech N9ne is featured on Lil Wayne's ninth studio album ''

Tha Carter IV ''Tha Carter IV'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on August 29, 2011, through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2008, sh ...

'' on the song "Interlude". The track features a verse from Tech and Andre 3000. During a radio interview with

Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1968), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Hot 9 ...

in August 2010, Wayne stated that he and Tech N9ne formed a "brotherhood" when Yates visited him in jail. In a later interview, Tech N9ne claimed that he thinks the song will "awaken a lot of other people that wouldn't usually look isway" and "teach all the new fans how to become technicians."

2012–2015: EPs, ''Something Else'', and ''Special Effects''

In an interview with "Underground TV" posted on Tech N9ne's blog, Tech N9ne spoke about his 2012 plans, confirming the release of Klusterfuk, the ''K.A.B.O.S.H.'' album, and an untitled solo album to be released in 2012. He was featured on the song "Edge of Destruction" (which also features

) that appears on

Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thom ...

's first studio album "

Lace Up ''Lace Up'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Bad Boy Records and Interscope Records. Puff Daddy, who served as the executive producer on the album, enlisted the guest appearance ...

". On September 18, Tech N9ne released an EP titled "E.B.A.H." (Evil Brain Angel Heart). On October 30, Tech N9ne released an EP titled '' Boiling Point''. He announced his thirteenth studio album would be titled '' Something Else'' and would be released on June 25, 2013. The first song released from the album would be "B.I.T.C.H.", an acronym for ''Breaking In To Colored Houses'', which features rapper/singer T-Pain. The album would end up being released on July 30, 2013, to universal critical acclaim. The album, which is broken up into three portions — Earth, Water & Fire, features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from

Big K.R.I.T. Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T. (a backronym for King Remembered in Time), is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he started his musical career in 2005. Af ...

, Cee Lo Green,

the Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

Game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

Serj Tankian Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American singer, musician, songwriter, political activist and entrepreneur. He is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, keyboardist, and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal ...

, T-Pain,

Trae tha Truth Frazier Othel Thompson III (born July 3, 1980), better known by his stage name Trae tha Truth (or simply Trae), is an American rapper and record executive from Houston, Texas. Embarking on a musical career in 1998, he soon established himself ...

Snow Tha Product Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza (born June 24, 1987) known professionally as Snow Tha Product, is an American rapper, singer, actress, youtuber, and podcaster. She was signed to Atlantic Records from 2012 until November 2018. Since then, she has ...

, and

, among others including several artists from Tech N9ne's Strange Music imprint. The album was supported by two singles, "So Dope (They Wanna)" and "

Fragile Fragile or The Fragile may refer to: Film and television * ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró * "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode Literature * ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...

". Tech N9ne announced a new "Independent Grind" tour in January 2014, which included

Freddie Gibbs Fredrick Jamel Tipton (born June 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper from Gary, Indiana. After initially being signed to Interscope Records in 2006, Gibbs recorded his debut studio album under the label ...

Krizz Kaliko Samuel William Christopher Watson IV (born March 7, 1974), better known by his stage name Krizz Kaliko, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and voice actor. He is a longtime collaborator with fellow hometown native Tech N9ne and was signe ...

, and

Jarren Benton Jarren Giovanni Benton (born October 26, 1981), is an American rapper from Decatur, Georgia. In early 2012, he signed to rapper Hopsin's independent record label Funk Volume and released a mixtape titled, ''Freebasing with Kevin Bacon'' in June ...

. The tour dates were announced on January 30, 2014, and the tour ran from April 9 until June 28, wrapping up in Kansas City. Also in 2014, Yates released

Strangeulation ''Strangeulation'' is the fourteenth studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne, the fifth in his "Collabos" series. The album was released on May 6, 2014, by Strange Music. The album features guest appearances from the entire Strange Music roster ...

, the fifth album in his ''Collabos'' series and fourteenth album overall. In April 2015, Yates confirmed that

will be featured on a song titled "Speedom (Worldwide Choppers 2)." The song was released on April 20, 2015, as a single supporting his then-upcoming album, ''

Special Effects Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wo ...

'', which was released on May 4 of the same year. The rapper says Eminem collaborated on the track, free of charge, in exchange for Yates to guest on a track of his for an unknown project. Yates says he was "flabbergasted" that Eminem respected his music so much. On May 4, 2015, Tech N9ne released ''Special Effects'' to critical and commercial acclaim. The album features guest appearances from Corey Taylor,

, 2 Chainz, T.I.,

Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. In 1996, Gotti released his debut album ''Youngsta's On a Come Up'' under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to re ...

Audio Push Audio Push is an American hip hop duo from Inland Empire, California. The group consists of Oktane (Julian Browne) and Price (Larry Jacks, Jr.). Career In 2009, the duo were signed to Interscope Records, and they had their first hit single wit ...

and

along with fellow Strange Music artists

Big Scoob Stewart D. Ashby Jr. (born May 9, 1973) better known by his stage name Big Scoob is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri, who records for Strange Music. Early life Big Scoob spent his late adolescence and part of his early adulthood ...

and

Ces Cru Ces Cru (often stylized as CES Cru) is an American rap duo from Kansas City, Missouri, signed to independent record label Strange Music. The duo currently consists of members Donnie "Godemis" King and Mike "Ubiquitous" Viglione, but has had numer ...

. In addition, a ''Special Effects'' tour began in early April 2015. Tech is joined on tour by

Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, ...

Chris Webby Christian Walcott Webster (born October 13, 1988), better known by his stage name Chris Webby, is an American rapper from Norwalk, Connecticut. Chris Webby has released many mixtapes such as the DJ Drama-hosted ''Bars On Me'' (2012) and his EP ...

, Zuse, and King 810.

2015–2017: ''Strangulation Vol. II'', ''The Storm'', ''Dominion'', and ''Strange Reign''

On November 20, 2015, Tech N9ne released '' Strangeulation Vol. II'', the sixth album in his ''Collabos'' series and 16th album overall. The album features the entire roster of Strange Music at the time along with JL, Ryan Bradley, and Tyler Lyon. On January 11, 2016, Tech released a remix of Marilyn Manson's song " The Beautiful People" for

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

's The Pharmacy on Beats 1 radio. In spring 2016, Tech N9ne went on tour with fellow Strange members for another Independent Powerhouse Tour. In December 2016, Tech N9ne released his 17th album, '' The Storm'', the followup to his 1999 debut album '' The Calm Before The Storm''. In January 2017, Tech N9ne announced his seventh Collabos album titled ''Dominion'', released April 7, and stated plans to release a second album in his Collabos series the same year. In March, Tech began the Strictly Strange '17 tour with fellow Strange Music artists. The same month, Tech announced on radio station GoMN plans to release his next solo album, ''Planet'', in 2018. On June 20, 2017, Tech earned his first platinum record in 18 years for ''Caribou Lou.'' Tech N9ne released the eighth Collabos album, '' Strange Reign'', on October 13, 2017, marking it the second album release that year.

2018–present: ''Planet'', ''N9na'', ''EnterFear'', and ''Asin9ne''

On March 2, 2018, Tech N9ne released ''

Planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...

'', making this his 20th studio album. On April 19, 2019, Tech N9ne released ''

N9na ''N9NA'' (pronounced ''Nina'') is the twenty-first studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on April 19, 2019 via Strange Music with distribution via INgrooves. Production was handled by eight record producers, including Mich ...

'', making this his 21st studio album. Nearly a year later, on April 10, 2020, his 22nd album, ''

Enterfear ''EnterFear'' (stylized in all caps) is the twenty-second studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne. Background It was released on April 17, 2020 via Strange Music. Production was handled mostly by Michael " Seven" Summers. It features guest appe ...

'' was released. On July 29, 2020, he was featured on " CMFT Must Be Stopped", a single by Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor. On October 23, 2020, Tech N9ne released a new project titled ''Fear Exodus''. On October 8, 2021, Tech N9ne released an album titled ''"

Asin9ne ''Asin9ne'' (stylized in all caps) is the twenty-third studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on October 8, 2021 via Strange Music. Production was handled by Wyshmaster, Freek Van Workum, ItsNicklus, Paul Salva, Ervin Pope, Th ...

"''. The album features guest appearances from

Mumu Fresh Maimouna Youssef is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. She is of Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee and African American heritage. She performs music under the stage name Mumu Fresh. Musical career Youssef earned a Grammy nomination for her vocal ...

Russ Russ is a masculine given name, often a short form of Russell, and also a surname. People Given name or nickname * Russ Abbot (born 1947), British musician, comedian and actor * Russ Adams (born 1980), American retired baseball player * Russ ...

X-Raided Anerae Veshaughn Brown (born July 30, 1974), better known by his stage name X-Raided, is an American rapper from Sacramento, California, United States. In 1992, Brown was sentenced to 31 years in prison on murder charges, which Brown denied, ma ...

, as well as wrestler turned actor

Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the developm ...

. Tech N9ne features on fellow Kansas City area musician

Samantha Fish Samantha Fish (born January 30, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Kansas City, Missouri. While often cited as a blues artist, Fish's albums and live shows feature multiple genres, including Rock music, rock, Country musi ...

's 2021 album '' Faster'', rapping on the song "Loud".

Artistry

Yates is known for his dynamic

rhyme scheme A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. An example of the ABAB r ...

s and speed rap abilities known as the Chopper style.

Soren Baker Soren Baker is an American journalist who has spent his career covering hip-hop. Best known for his six years as one of the main editors of The Source, Baker has had more than 3,500 articles published in such publications as The New York Times, ...

of VH1 states that Yates' techniques "showcase his wide-ranging, mind-blowing flows." Baker characterizes Yates' earlier work as "apocalyptic music, which discussed abortion and infidelity as much as his rapping prowess."

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Jason Birchmeier calls his style "bizarre

hardcore rap Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally char ...

." Yates stated that he purposely creates flow patterns in order to sound like a percussion while he raps. After hearing an instrumental he would come up with different kinds of patterns and then "fill in" the actual lyrics. Yates says that he is influenced by

old school hip hop Old-school hip hop (also spelled old skool) is the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop that does not adhere to contem ...

, and specifically cites

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip hop group originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the release of BDP's debut album, '' Criminal Minde ...

, Eric B. & Rakim,

Schoolly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...

, and

Just-Ice Joseph Williams Jr. (born June 22, 1965), better known by the stage name Just-Ice, is an American rapper from New York City. A former bouncer at punk clubs, Williams was the first of the New York rappers to embrace gangsta rap, and when he bur ...

. He is also interested in other genres of music, and lists

The Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, AC/DC, Metallica,

Floetry Floetry were an English R&B duo comprising Marsha Ambrosius ("The Songstress") and Natalie Stewart ("The Floacist"). The group recorded two studio albums and one live album and sold over 1,500,000 records worldwide. Formed in 1997 Floetry star ...

, Outkast,

, and

Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley are an American soul duo, composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, ''St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two ...

as influences. He has remarked generally that "I love beautiful music, beautiful music no matter what type".

In popular culture

Films

Yates' songs have appeared in the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s ''Born 2 Race'', ''

'', '' Alpha Dog'', ''Our Heroes: The 25 Best Black Sports Movies (Ever)'', and ''The Life of Lucky Cucumber''. Yates was originally set to score the entire film ''Alpha Dog'', but the studio decided to replace some of his music with more commercially known songs. In 2009, his song "Let's Go" was used in an online promotional short film for AXE body spray. Yates also appears as an actor in the films '' Vengeance'' and '' Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D''. Yates starred in the musical "Alleluia: The Devil's Carnival", which had a limited theater release July 2015. On November 25, 2015, Tech released "Shine", a song for the Jaco Pastorius documentary, ''Jaco''.

Video games

Several of Yates' songs are featured in the

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

Madden NFL 2006 ''Madden NFL 06'' is an American football video game which was released in 2005. It is also a launch game for the Xbox 360. It is the 16th installment of the Madden NFL series by EA Sports, named for noted color commentator John Madden. The produ ...

'', ''The Crew'', ''

EA Sports MMA ''EA Sports MMA'' is a 2010 sports video game which was developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010, in North America and October 22, 2010, everywhere else. Online serv ...

'', '' 25 To Life'', ''

WWE 2K18 ''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...

'', ''

EA Sports UFC 3 ''EA Sports UFC 3'' is a mixed martial arts fighting video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. Conor McGregor, one of the previous cover fighters of ''EA Sports UFC 2'', returned as the official cover fighter of the game. Ser ...

'', and '' Midnight Club: Los Angeles'', in the latter of which Yates is an unlockable character. In 2009, Yates and label mate

appeared in a promotional video for the ''

Fight Night Round 4 ''Fight Night Round 4'' is a boxing video game developed by EA Sports. It is the sequel to ''Fight Night Round 3'', released in 2006. It was released in 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry. The game's featured boxers ...

'' video game.

Television

Yates' music has appeared on the

television shows A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

'' Dark Angel'', ''

I'm From Rolling Stone ''I'm from Rolling Stone'' is a MTV reality television show directed by Norman Green. It began airing in January 2007 and was planned for ten episodes. Six aspiring music journalists were given the summer internships in hopes of getting a contri ...

'', ''

My Super Sweet 16 ''My Super Sweet 16'' is an American reality television series documenting the lives of teenagers, usually in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, generally with wealthy parents who throw lavish, excessive and expensive coming-of-age ce ...

'', '' The Hills'', ''

Spike Guys' Choice Awards The Guys Choice (formerly known as Spike Guys Choice Awards) is an awards show produced by the Viacom cable channel Spike from 2007 to 2016. The winners were originally chosen based on voting by fans and viewers of the channel until 2015, when the ...

'', and ''

Warren The Ape ''Warren the Ape'' is an MTV reality show parody which ran from June 14 to August 30, 2010 and aired at 10:30 p.m. The series is a spin-off of the IFC and Fox TV show ''Greg the Bunny'', and follows the titular character's life as he tri ...

''. In 2008, his song "Earthquake" was featured on an episode of MTV's '' America's Best Dance Crew'' in which the crew had to visually convey the title of the song in their performance. On the August 15, 2009

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

event, Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg,

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

fighter

Gilbert Melendez Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightwe ...

entered the arena to Tech N9ne's 2006 song "The Beast" for his bout with

Mitsuhiro Ishida Mitsuhiro Ishida (, born December 29, 1978) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in Shooto, Strikeforce, PRIDE, DREAM, and DEEP. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2011, Ishida also participated in the Yarennoka even ...

. His song "Riot Maker" was used as the official theme song for

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...

's 2010 ''

Hardcore Justice Hardcore Justice, originally known as Hard Justice, is an annual professional wrestling Impact Plus event produced by Impact Wrestling. It was originally introduced as a pay-per-view (PPV) event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 20 ...

'' pay-per-view. Yates also appeared on the 2011

BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...

in the BET Cypher with

, and

In 2012, Tech N9ne appeared on the

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

game show ''Hip Hop Squares'' for three episodes. In 2013, Tech N9ne's song "Demons" appeared in the pilot episode of '' Ironside''. On June 24, 2014, Tech N9ne appeared on ''

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...

'' to perform "Fragile", "He's A Mental Giant", and "Stamina". In late 2014, Yates appeared on ''Wild n Out'' as captain of the Black Team. In May 2015, "Give It All" from the album ''Special Effects'' was used during

Inside the NBA ''Inside the NBA'', branded for sponsorship purposes as ''Inside the NBA presented by Kia'', is the postgame show for '' NBA on TNT'' broadcasts. The program features host Ernie Johnson with analysts Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille ...

's "Tip-Off" for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Endorsements

In May 2018, it was announced that Yates had teamed with

Boulevard Brewing Company Boulevard Brewing Company is a brewery located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Brewers Association currently ranks the American arm of Boulevard's parent company, Duvel Moortgat USA, as the 12th largest craft brewery, and the 18th largest active ...

, a brewery based in his hometown of Kansas City, to create a new beer. The beer was released on June 18 in the Kansas City, Wichita,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

markets. The beer is named Bou Lou as reference to his song "Caribou Lou", which is also a cocktail with overproof

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

(The song specifically mentions

Bacardi 151 Bacardi 151 is a discontinued brand of highly alcoholic rum made by Bacardi Limited of Hamilton, Bermuda. It is named for its alcohol concentration level of 151 U.S. proof, that is, 75.5% alcohol by volume. This is much higher than typical rum, ...

, which has been discontinued.), Malibu, and pineapple juice . The beer is a

wheat beer Wheat beer is a top-fermented beer which is brewed with a large proportion of wheat relative to the amount of malted barley. The two main varieties are German ''Weizenbier'' and Belgian ''witbier''; other types include Lambic (made with wild ye ...

with

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

and coconut flavors. On July 9, Bou Lou went on sale in the St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis market.

Personal life

Yates was married in 1995, but separated in 2005. Yates filed for a divorce in 2015 and it was finalized in November 2017, 12 years after they were initially separated. Yates is an avid supporter of Kansas City culture and the metro area's pro sports teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and Sporting Kansas City. Before the Chiefs played in the 2018–19 NFL playoffs#AFC: New England Patriots 37, Kansas City Chiefs 31 (OT), 2019 AFC Championship game, he released a song titled "Red Kingdom".

Discography

; Studio albums * ''The Calm Before the Storm (Tech N9ne album), The Calm Before the Storm'' (1999) * ''The Worst (Tech N9ne album), The Worst'' (2000) * ''

'' (2001) * '' Absolute Power'' (2002) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

'' (2008) * '' K.O.D.'' (2009) * ''

'' (2011) * '' Something Else'' (2013) * ''

'' (2015) * '' The Storm'' (2016) * ''

'' (2018) * ''

'' (2019) * ''

'' (2020) * ''

'' (2021) ; ''Collabos'' series * ''

'' (2007) * ''

'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * ''

'' (2011) * ''

'' (2014) * '' Strangeulation Vol. II'' (2015) * ''Dominion (Tech N9ne album), Dominion'' (2017) * '' Strange Reign'' (2017)

Filmography

Documentaries

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:N9ne, Tech 1971 births Living people Midwest hip hop musicians Rappers from Kansas City, Missouri African-American male rappers American music industry executives 20th-century American rappers 21st-century American rappers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians Indie rappers Horrorcore artists Rap rock musicians Hardcore hip hop artists