Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne | |
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Tech N9ne in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Aaron Dontez Yates |
| Born | November 8, 1971 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | The Regime |
| Producer(s) | Seven |
| Signature | |
Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two million albums and his music has been featured in film, television, and interactive media. 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, 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.