Tech N9ne

About

Aaron Dontez Yates, professionally known as Tech N9ne, is an American rapper, songwriter, and singer born on November 8, 1971. In 1999, he co-founded the record label Strange Music alongside business partner Travis O'Guin. Throughout his career, Tech N9ne has sold over two million albums, and his music has been featured across film, television, and interactive media. In 2009, he received the Left Field Woodie Award, which was broadcast on mtvU. Tech N9ne's stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, a nickname given to him by rapper Black Walt in reference to his fast-rhyming chopper style. The artist later attributed a deeper meaning to the moniker, explaining that "tech" represents technique and "nine" signifies the number of completion, making the name stand for the complete technique of rhyme.