He's third of top hip hop touring acts behind Jay-Z and Nelly. Even his old critics say his rhymes could change the face of rap music, but many people have never heard his name. They don't recognize his face.
Tech N9ne, who was born in 1971 in Kansas City, made a name for himself in the 1990's on the streets of his hometown. His raps quickly earned him the nickname the Kansas City King.
"Quincy Jones told me in '98, rap what you know and people will forever feel you. What do I know? I know Kansas City," Tech N9ne said.
But Kansas City hasn't always welcomed Tech N9ne, whose real name is Aaron Yates. He raps about the world as he sees it, the world as he knows it.
His music was full of rhymes and lyrics with the same message as many others in the gangsta rap circle, drugs, violence and a world full of hate.
Tech N9ne grew up near East 58th Street and Forrest Avenue. He attended Southwest High School.
He, like many others he knew, found himself addicted to drugs and sex. He was in a gang. The hard life in the hood was what he knew, and it was what he rapped about.
"I've just always disagreed with the content of the music and always thought there was better out there," Whitlock said.
Whitlock has been in the national spotlight accusing black rappers of ducking their responsibility to rhyme about something other than blacks killing blacks.
"I've been a critic of hip hop music, rap music. You and I have had our go arounds. You wrote a verse dissing me," Whitlock said.
Raised by a devote Christian mother and a Muslim stepfather, religion was a big part of the young rapper's life, but Tech N9ne's attempt to mix religion with his music in his 2001 CD "Anghellic" backfired. From his shocking red spikes to the artwork on his CD turned even some of his biggest fans against him.
"All of those types of things confused people, you know what I mean, and some people don't like it when you play with religion," said Travis O'Guin.
Local entrepreneur O'Guin and Tech N9ne got together the year before "Anghellic" was released. Together they formed Strange Music, an independent record label based in Blue Springs, Mo.
With "Anghellic" stirring things up in Tech N9ne's professional life, his personal life wasn't going much better. His split from his former group The Rogue Dog Villains and his new partnership with O'Guin led to feelings of hatred and betrayal, and on the streets, that's dangerous.
"Yes I did fear death or me having to protect myself and somebody else end up that way," Tech N9ne said.
In a few short years, Tech N9ne made a name for himself by taking his act on tour, but with an independent label coupled and a controversial background, the mainstream media has stayed away, but Tech N9ne couldn't stay away from Kansas City.
"I had to come back not knowing what the temperature was in the streets and conquer this once again, because in my mind, this has always been my kingdom," he said.
He is beginning to show a softer side in his music, something he says is reflected by where he is in life. He says his new CD is a mix of R&B, hip hop, rock and even gospel.
Of course, the label containing the explicit warning is still stamped on the cover, but gone are the lyrics about drivebys and shootings.
"What brought me around was just Tech, getting to know Tech more, and the music brought me around. It's just better," Whitlock said.
Even Whitlock embraced the rapper's ability to rap about something other than the bad and came up with a rap to help reunite Tech N9ne with some of his old boys.
Whitlock believes the new CD will be a turning point for the industry, he said.
"That's going to put pressure on the rest of the industry and wake people up in the industry. We better go about this in a different way," Whitlock said.
Rapper Big Scoob said he believed Kansas City "deserves a shot, and if he gets his turn now, it's many more to follow."
While Tech N9ne believes "Killer" will prove his critics wrong, make the world of rap take notice, he hopes soon everyone will know his name, know his face and love his music.
"They are going to see this is a remarkable body of work, and it's by little old me, (a) small town boy straight from Kansas City," Tech N9ne.
The name "Killer" is a play off Michael Jackson's album "Thriller," the record that made Jackson the king of pop.
Tech N9ne thinks "Killer" will make him the king of rap.
Tech N9ne, who was born in 1971 in Kansas City, made a name for himself in the 1990's on the streets of his hometown. His raps quickly earned him the nickname the Kansas City King.
"Quincy Jones told me in '98, rap what you know and people will forever feel you. What do I know? I know Kansas City," Tech N9ne said.
But Kansas City hasn't always welcomed Tech N9ne, whose real name is Aaron Yates. He raps about the world as he sees it, the world as he knows it.
His music was full of rhymes and lyrics with the same message as many others in the gangsta rap circle, drugs, violence and a world full of hate.
Tech N9ne grew up near East 58th Street and Forrest Avenue. He attended Southwest High School.
He, like many others he knew, found himself addicted to drugs and sex. He was in a gang. The hard life in the hood was what he knew, and it was what he rapped about.
"I've just always disagreed with the content of the music and always thought there was better out there," Whitlock said.
Whitlock has been in the national spotlight accusing black rappers of ducking their responsibility to rhyme about something other than blacks killing blacks.
"I've been a critic of hip hop music, rap music. You and I have had our go arounds. You wrote a verse dissing me," Whitlock said.
Raised by a devote Christian mother and a Muslim stepfather, religion was a big part of the young rapper's life, but Tech N9ne's attempt to mix religion with his music in his 2001 CD "Anghellic" backfired. From his shocking red spikes to the artwork on his CD turned even some of his biggest fans against him.
"All of those types of things confused people, you know what I mean, and some people don't like it when you play with religion," said Travis O'Guin.
Local entrepreneur O'Guin and Tech N9ne got together the year before "Anghellic" was released. Together they formed Strange Music, an independent record label based in Blue Springs, Mo.
With "Anghellic" stirring things up in Tech N9ne's professional life, his personal life wasn't going much better. His split from his former group The Rogue Dog Villains and his new partnership with O'Guin led to feelings of hatred and betrayal, and on the streets, that's dangerous.
"Yes I did fear death or me having to protect myself and somebody else end up that way," Tech N9ne said.
In a few short years, Tech N9ne made a name for himself by taking his act on tour, but with an independent label coupled and a controversial background, the mainstream media has stayed away, but Tech N9ne couldn't stay away from Kansas City.
"I had to come back not knowing what the temperature was in the streets and conquer this once again, because in my mind, this has always been my kingdom," he said.
He is beginning to show a softer side in his music, something he says is reflected by where he is in life. He says his new CD is a mix of R&B, hip hop, rock and even gospel.
Of course, the label containing the explicit warning is still stamped on the cover, but gone are the lyrics about drivebys and shootings.
"What brought me around was just Tech, getting to know Tech more, and the music brought me around. It's just better," Whitlock said.
Even Whitlock embraced the rapper's ability to rap about something other than the bad and came up with a rap to help reunite Tech N9ne with some of his old boys.
Whitlock believes the new CD will be a turning point for the industry, he said.
"That's going to put pressure on the rest of the industry and wake people up in the industry. We better go about this in a different way," Whitlock said.
Rapper Big Scoob said he believed Kansas City "deserves a shot, and if he gets his turn now, it's many more to follow."
While Tech N9ne believes "Killer" will prove his critics wrong, make the world of rap take notice, he hopes soon everyone will know his name, know his face and love his music.
"They are going to see this is a remarkable body of work, and it's by little old me, (a) small town boy straight from Kansas City," Tech N9ne.
The name "Killer" is a play off Michael Jackson's album "Thriller," the record that made Jackson the king of pop.
Tech N9ne thinks "Killer" will make him the king of rap.
