Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his
stage name Tech N9ne (intentionally mispronounced as "Tech
Nine"),
is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates
and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout
his career, Yates has sold over one 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 Woodie Awards.
His stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic
handgun, given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast rhyming
style. Yates
later applied a deeper meaning to the name, claiming that it stands
for the complete technique of rhyme, with 'tech' meaning technique
and 'nine' representing the number of completion.
Tech N9ne was born Aaron Dontez Yates on November
8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri. He began rapping at a very early
age, and would
rap the letters of his name in order to remember how to spell
it. He never met his father, and his mother suffered from epilepsy
and
lupus when he was a child, which deeply affected him and inspired
him to "search for God".[6] He would wander around abandoned
buildings with his best friend, Brian Dennis, hoping to catch
a ghost on film.[6] In 2003, Dennis was shot and killed by his girlfriend's
ex-boyfriend, which further inspired Yate's search for a higher
power,
as well as giving him the drive to vent his frustrations in his
music.
Early in his career, Yates was a member of a group
called Black Mafia.[7] He saw glimpses of success in the group 57th
Street Rogue Dog Villians
with their single "Let's Get Fucked Up." As a member
of the group Nnutthowze, Aaron Yates signed with Perspective
Records in 1993.[8]
However, the group disbanded soon after being released from
the label. Yates signed with Qwest Records briefly before moving
to JCOR Records.[8]
In 1997, Yates joined the group The Regime formed
by rapper Yukmouth.[9] The following year, he was featured on the soundtrack
for the film
Gang Related.[10] Yates appeared on the song "The Anthem" by
Sway & King Tech in 1999, which also featured artists RZA,
Eminem, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Jayo Felony, Chino XL, KRS-One,
and Kool G.
Rap. Later that year, he and Travis O'Guin founded the record
label Strange Music.[11]
In 2001, Yates released the studio album Anghellic
on JCOR Records.[8] After the label closed, Yates decided to stay on
his own Strange Music
label. The next year, he released Absolute Power which debuted
number 79 on the Billboard 200.[8] In 2006, Yates released the album
Everready
(The Religion).[12] The following year, he released Misery
Loves Kompany.[13] Yates announced that the album was the first in
a series of "Tech
N9ne Collabos" albums that feature a wide range of guest appearances.[13]
The following year, Yates released the album Killer.[14]
That September, he exceeded one million album sales.[2] Yates remarked
of the accomplishment
that, "It just reminded me of all the work we 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."[2] Yates
released his second Collabos album, Sickology 101, in April
2009.[15]
Yates later performed at the Rock The Bells 2009
Festival and the tenth annual Gathering of the Juggalos.[16][17] That
October, he released
K.O.D., short for King of Darkness. The album featured a dark
overtone, as Yates was dealing with the illness of his mother.[18]
An EP of cut
songs from the album was released in 2010 as The Lost Scripts
of K.O.D. Later that year, Yates released his third Collabos album,
The Gates
Mixed Plate.[18] In October, he released his second EP Seepage.
On December 23, he released his first mixtape "Bad Season".
As of December 2010[update], Yates is working on
his next album All 6s And 7s, due to be released June 7, 2011.[19]
Yates hopes to feature
both T-Pain and Lil Wayne on his song "Fuck Food" on
the new album.[19]
[edit] Style and influences
Yates is known for his dynamic rhyme schemes and
speed rap abilities. Soren Baker of VH1 states that Yates' techniques "showcase his
wide-ranging, mind-blowing flows."[8] Baker characterizes Yates'
earlier work as "apocalyptic music, which discussed abortion and
infidelity as much as his rapping prowess."[8] Allmusic reviewer
Jason Birchmeier calls his style "bizarre hardcore rap."[1]
Yates says that he is influenced by Old school hip
hop, and specifically cites Slick Rick, N.W.A, Public Enemy, Boogie
Down Productions, Eric
B. & Rakim, Schoolly D, and Just-Ice.[18] He is also interested
in other genres of music, and lists The Doors, Jim Morrison,
Led Zeppelin, Elton John, AC/DC, Metallica, Floetry, Outkast,
Cee Lo Green, and Gnarls
Barkley as influences.[18]
[edit] In popular culture
[edit] Films
Yates' songs have appeared in the films Gang Related,
Alpha Dog, Our Heroes: The 25 Best Black Sports Movies (Ever), and
The Life of Lucky
Cucumber.[20][21][22] 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.[23] In 2009, his song "Let's
Go" was used in an online promotional short film for AXE
body spray.[24] Yates also appears as an actor in the films
Vengeance and
Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D.[25][26][27][28]
[edit] Video games
Several of Yates' songs are featured in the video games Madden NFL
2006, Midnight Club: Los Angeles,EA Sports MMA, and 25 To Life, the
latter of which Yates is also an unlockable character.[29] In 2009,
Yates and label mate Krizz Kaliko appeared in a promotional video for
the Fight Night Round 4 video game.[30]
[edit] Television
Yates' music has appeared on the television shows
Dark Angel, I'm From Rolling Stone, My Super Sweet 16, The Hills, Spike
Guys' Choice
Awards, and Warren The Ape.[31] [32] 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.[33]
On the August 15, 2009 Strikeforce event, Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg,
MMA fighter Gilbert Melendez entered the arena to Tech N9ne's 2006
song "The Beast" for his bout with Mitsuhiro Ishida.[34]
His song "Riot Maker" was used as the official theme
song for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's 2010 Hardcore Justice
pay-per-view.
[edit] Discography
Main article: Tech N9ne discography
[edit] Studio albums
* 1999: The Calm Before the Storm
* 2000: The Worst
* 2001: Anghellic
* 2002: Celcius
* 2002: Absolute Power
* 2006: Everready (The Religion)
* 2007: Misery Loves Kompany
* 2008: Killer
* 2009: Sickology 101
* 2009: K.O.D.
* 2010: The Gates Mixed Plate
* 2011: All 6’s And 7’s[35]
with K.A.B.O.S.H.
* 2011: Amafrican Psycho[36]
[edit] EPs
* 2010: The Lost Scripts of K.O.D.
* 2010: Seepage
[edit] Mixtapes
* 2010: Bad Season with DJ Whoo Kid
[edit] Selected filmography
* 2003: Beef
* 2003: Das Bus
* 2004: T9X: The Tech N9ne Experience
* 2004: United Ghettos of America Vol. 2
* 2005: Hip Hop Nation Vol. 1
* 2005: Letter to the President
* 2006: Alpha Dog[A1]
* 2008: The Psychumentary[37]
* 2009: The Life of Lucky Cucumber
* 2009: Strictly Strange
* 2010: K.O.D. Tour (Live in Kansas City)
* 2010: Vengeance
* 2011: Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D
