Tech N9ne is many things, not all of which neatly align with the image of a rapper who’s named for a semi-automatic pistol. He’s an icon in the horrorcore genre, yet cites his religious faith as one of his primary influences. He’s known for his stinging chopper delivery, but claims The Doors as a major musical inspiration. And though his childhood was stained by instability (a chronically ill mother) and violence (her abusive partner), he’s known for extraordinary reliability and courtesy as a performer. Born Aaron Dontez Yates in 1971, the Kansas City native got his initial footing in the early ’90s with the occasional radio single as a member of the group Black Mafia and on the soundtrack for the 1997 film Gang Related.  [Read More]