Tech N9ne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne in 2025
Background information
Birth name	Aaron Dontez Yates
Born	(1971-11-08) November 8, 1971 (age 53) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	Midwestern hip-hop rap rock hardcore hip hop horrorcore chopper
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter actor
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Strange RBC JCOR Interscope Qwest Perspective A&M Warner Bros.
Signature

Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), who is famous by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he started his own record label called Strange Music with his business partner Travis O'Guin. He has sold over two million albums, and his music has been used in movies, TV shows, and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie award at the mtvU Woodie Awards.

His stage name comes from the TEC-9 handgun. Rapper Black Walt gave him the name because of his super-fast "chopper" style of rapping. Later, Tech N9ne gave the name a deeper meaning. He said "tech" stands for technique, and "nine" is the number of completion, meaning he has a complete rhyming technique.

Early life

Yates was born and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He started rapping when he was very young. To learn how to spell his name, he would rap the letters.

His father was not a part of his life, and his mother had health problems. This had a big emotional effect on him and made him want to "search for God." He and his best friend used to explore empty buildings, hoping to see a ghost. He went to Southwest High School in Kansas City.

Career History

1991–2001: Getting Started and Strange Music

Early in his career, Yates was in a group called Black Mafia, which formed in 1991. He also had some success with the group 57th Street Rogue Dog Villains. Later, he was in a group called Nnutthowze that signed with Perspective Records in 1993, but they broke up soon after.

In 1997, Yates joined the group the Regime, started by rapper Yukmouth. The next year, his music was on the soundtrack for the movie Gang Related. In 1999, he was on the song "The Anthem" with famous artists like RZA, Eminem, and Xzibit. That same year, he and Travis O'Guin started their own record label, Strange Music.

2001–2005: Underground Success

In 2001, Yates released the album Anghellic. After some disagreements with his record label, he was able to get the rights to the album back. The next year, he released Absolute Power. This album reached number 79 on the Billboard 200 chart.

To promote the album, Tech N9ne and his label started a campaign called "F.T.I." They asked fans to legally download the album for free from his website. This was a response to groups that were against music downloading. The clever idea worked, and the album's sales tripled.

2006–2011: Going Independent

Tech N9ne in 2006

In 2006, Yates released the album Everready (The Religion). The next year, he released Misery Loves Kompany. This was the first album in his "Tech N9ne Collabos" series, which features many guest artists.

In 2008, he released the album Killer. By September of that year, he had sold over one million albums in total. He said, "I've been planning success all my life. I'm not even a bit surprised, I'm happy about it." In 2009, he released his second Collabos album, Sickology 101.

He released the album K.O.D., which stands for King of Darkness, in October 2009. The album had a darker feel because he was dealing with his mother's illness. In 2010, he released more music, including his third Collabos album, The Gates Mixed Plate.

On June 7, 2011, Yates released All 6's and 7's. The album featured many famous hip-hop and rock artists, including Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, and Deftones.

2012–2015: New Albums and Big Features

Tech N9ne performs at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri, in 2013.

In 2012, Tech N9ne was featured on the song "Edge of Destruction" from Machine Gun Kelly's album "Lace Up". He also released two EPs (short albums) called "E.B.A.H." and Boiling Point.

His next big album, Something Else, came out in 2013. It featured stars like Cee Lo Green, Kendrick Lamar, and Wiz Khalifa. The album was a big success with critics.

In 2015, he released the album Special Effects. One of the most exciting songs on the album was "Speedom (Worldwide Choppers 2)," which featured Eminem. Tech N9ne said he was "flabbergasted" that Eminem respected his music so much. Eminem even did the feature for free in exchange for a future collaboration.

2015–2023: A Storm of New Music

Tech N9ne performing in 2018

From 2015 to 2017, Tech N9ne was very busy. He released four more albums: Strangeulation Vol. II, The Storm, Dominion, and Strange Reign. In 2017, his popular song "Caribou Lou" became his first platinum record, which means it sold over a million copies.

He continued to release new albums almost every year. Planet came out in 2018, followed by N9na in 2019, and Enterfear in 2020.

In 2021, he released Asin9ne. This album had some amazing guest stars, including Lil Wayne, Snow Tha Product, and even the actor and former wrestler Dwayne Johnson. His most recent album, Bliss, was released in July 2023.

2024–present: Recent Projects

On May 7, 2024, Tech N9ne was a featured artist on the Falling in Reverse song “Ronald.” He also appeared in the music video. He then toured with the band in Europe and North America.

On July 12, 2024, Yates released a collaboration album called COSM. He was also chosen to be one of the remixers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup theme song, representing his hometown of Kansas City.

Musical Style

Tech N9ne is famous for his fast-rapping style, known as the Chopper style. He creates complex rhyme patterns and can rap at incredible speeds. One writer said his skills "showcase his wide-ranging, mind-blowing flows".

Yates has said he tries to make his rapping sound like a drum beat. He first thinks of a pattern and then fills in the words. He is influenced by many types of music, from old school hip hop groups like N.W.A and Public Enemy to rock bands like The Doors and Metallica. He says, "I love beautiful music, beautiful music no matter what type."

Over the years, he has worked with many different artists. He often collaborates with rappers from his Strange Music label. But he has also worked with huge names in hip-hop like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as rock musicians from bands like System of a Down and Slipknot.

Personal life

Yates was married in 1995 and separated from his wife in 2005. Their divorce was finalized in 2017. On October 23, 2024, he married his longtime girlfriend, Kristen. He has two daughters with her.

Yates is a big supporter of his hometown, Kansas City. He loves the city's sports teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs (football), Kansas City Royals (baseball), and Sporting Kansas City (soccer). He even released a song called "Red Kingdom" to support the Chiefs during the playoffs.

Discography

Filmography

Documentaries

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Tech N9ne para niños