Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri), better… Read Full Bio ↴Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne or Tecca Nina is an American rapper, co-owner of Strange Music Records and actor. His career has spanned over 24 years, during which he has released eleven albums. According to the He's a Mental Giant Songfacts, his stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast rhyming style. (Tech is short for technique and 9 is the number of completion. That's why he says the technique's complete so often.)

His tenth studio album, K.O.D., was released October 27, 2009. He has spent his illustrious career making sure he’s been grinding harder than the average rapper, and is the best selling artist out of his hometown. With nine solo albums and two powerhouse collaboration projects under his belt, the Kansas City MC’s flow is sharper and slicker than it’s ever been.
“This is another roller coaster ride,” explains TECH N9NE about the release. “When it came time for Sickology 101, I knew I wanted to do a collabo album based on the study of being sick. It’s a beginner’s course for people who don’t know how to be sick lyrically or how to choose sick beats. It all starts with beats because they tell me exactly what to do.” Epic beats from YoungFyre, Wyshmaster, Seven and Matic Lee set the stage for TECH N9NE to weave his introspective and sometimes roguish lyrics around.

Sickology 101 brims with stellar appearances from lyrical heavyweights. On the opening title track, TECH N9NE slays alongside Chino XL and Crooked I, pulling listeners into the Hip-Hop classroom for a lesson in murdering a beat. It’s a twisted vision forged on undeniable grooves and quixotic wordplay.

The single, “Nothin,’” is an inspiring, honest anthem that features Messy Marv and Big Scoob. Meanwhile, on “Midwest Choppers 2,” TECH N9NE and Krayzie Bone cruise to the depths of darkness. “Krayzie Bone came through and murdered it,” says TECH N9NE. “I modeled the song after movies. When you do a sequel, there has to be a bigger body count and more people have to die. ‘Midwest Choppers 2’ is Autobahn-style. It makes you want to speed.”

TECH N9NE’s inimitable flow and rhyming take center stage on solo tracks, including the haunting, hypnotic “Red Nose.” He doesn’t pull any punches on the vitriolic, YoungFyre-produced “Blown Away,” either. It’s an open letter to several prominent urban artists who refused to play before him at radio festivals despite his massive concert draw.

With hits like “I’m A Playa,” “Caribou Lou” (which boasts 7.2 million MySpace plays), “Riotmaker,” “Like Yeah” and “Everybody Move,” it’s no wonder TECH N9NE counts a total of over 4.5 million YouTube video plays and an average of 40,000 MySpace visitors each day. His success knows no limits. The July 2008 release, Killer, debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and Number 12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. He did it all on his own. There was no major label — just TECH N9NE’s own record company, Strange Music. TECH N9NE’s tracks have appeared in films like Gang Related and Alpha Dog as well as various TV shows, and he recently made his motion picture debut in The Life of Lucky Cucumber alongside members of MTV’s “Jackass” crew.

It hasn’t been an easy road, but TECH N9NE soldiers on and he’ll never stop. “They call me devil worshipper because I’m different. I give you music for my core. They’re the people that put me over the million mark. I raise my middle finger to everybody who judges me because my core audience is there for me. They will always love me, but I’m trying to reach others, too. It’s not over. My music is supposed to be for everybody, but some people just don’t get it. This album is the result; swallow it. It’s middle finger music, all-day and all-night.”

TECH N9NE never stops bringing that music directly to his fans, constantly reinforcing his status as one of the hardest-touring rap acts in the business. In 2008, TECH N9NE performed over 200 shows and he doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in 2009. In April, TECH will head out in support of Sickology 101 and spend two months on the road, performing live for his rabid fans.

Sickology 101 is prepping the world for TECH N9NE’s next masterpiece, K.O.D. “I want people to know that I’m getting better and better and I’m a machine. I do these collabo albums to give the fans more. This is a bridge record to K.O.D. It’s the farewell to the TECH N9NE you’ve known lately. It’s getting darker. A lot of people might not be able to go to the place I’m going, but this place is my specialty.”

“I don’t need people to kiss my hand,” assures TECH N9NE. “I’m not trippin’ on status, and I’m not a narcissist when it comes to rap. It’s my heart and soul pouring onto the paper. I write my life and I can’t hold back. This is what I know.”

Origin: Kansas City, Missouri
Year Formed: 1991
Official Site: http://www.therealtechn9ne.com/

This Life
Tech N9ne Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[1st Verse]

I used to be the ideal nigga
Preppy like Hilfiger
Pretty vill nigga
But wanted to make my dollar bill bigger
Turned into a field nigga
Not pickin' cotton

But pickin' up mics and rockin'
Recoppin' so I can feel richer
So I started drinkin' real liquor
Send me a groupie
And I will stick her real quick
The dilsnick it will hit her ex pills
I can feel nigga best deals
You can get the steal
If you ill I'm concealed with a
Technina millameter by my side
God used to guide me Lucifer beside me
Evil was lively trippin' with wifey
Never was treatin' her nicely
What this music got me into
This is the message Imma send to
God the evil shit I've been through
Lettin' me really know what sin do
Listen cuz the hurt cut me deep like a ginsu

[Chorus]

This life
Caught up in the fame
In the end will I forever
Burn in the flame
This life
I live in the rain
I'm an angel but the devil's
Possessing my brain

[Repeat 2x]

[2nd Verse]

This life
Full of money bitches weed and riches
Kansas City niggas grind it
Cook it up in the kitchen
Pay attention to the corner nigga
Roguish and rugged
Nigga fuck it it's a must
I conceal it and tuck it
This life
Can make a nigga murder for nothin'
This life
For the money have you fakin' and frontin'
This life
Can make a nigga take a deal with the devil
This life
Got me rippin' up shit in my kennel
Ya see I live in the rain
Laugh at the storm
And mastered the pawn
Bringin' war at the crack of the dawn
Tottin' the bomb
A nigga with a third eye vision
Like a malachi blowin' smoke in the sky
See the world through the eyes of a real nigga
Look into my eyes
You can tell I'm a rider
More shows more clothes
More hoes more dough
And no foes yo

[Chorus]

This life
Caught up in the fame
In the end will I forever
Burn in the flame
This life
I live in the rain
I'm an angel but the devil's
Possessing my brain

[3rd Verse]

Some times I wonder
How did I survive
With all this drama in front of me
Poppa went out like a bitch
For runnin' from me
Though momma never lied
She cried
Seen me sittin' in prison
Servin' a sentence
With bad intentions
Still no repentance
I'm heart broken while chokin'
On a joint dipped in water
And high hopin' the future's wide open
For my daughter my eyes are open
To all animosity constantly
Falling quickly the devil calls it
A blessing to cross Nitty
Lessons are taught quickly
Hell my pride will die with me
Then to repeat back
To the penitentiary visit me
Hell bound coffin dwellin'
Before a life in the cell yelllin'
Now free me
I'm in desperate need immediately
Truthfully speakin'
My life from night to day
24 hours I fight
Despite this hell to pay
Can't wait to see the day
When my adventures begin
With this here life of sin
I'm all in

[Chorus]
[Repeat x2]

This life
Caught up in the fame
In the end will I forever
Burn in the flame
This life
I live in the rain
I'm an angel but the devil's
Possessing my brain

[Close]

Is it heaven or hell
I really can't tell
It half cupid half relic
My life is anghellic
So I dance with the devils
And I fly with the angel
And I stand on a level
Where mind is so tangled

This Life

Overall Meaning

In the song This Life, Tech N9ne reflects on his journey from starting out with nothing to gaining fame, fortune, and everything else that comes with it. He talks about how he used to be a preppy person but wanted to make more money, so he turned into an artist and started rapping. He reflects on the negative aspects of this life, including drugs, women, money, and the fame that he has gained. Tech N9ne is grappling with the idea of whether he will burn in the flame or not because of all the bad deeds he has done in this life.

He talks about how this life can make a person commit murder, take deals with the devil, or do anything for money or fame. Moreover, the song also touches on personal tragedy and loss, as he reflects on his father's death and his time spent in prison. Tech N9ne is uncertain whether his life will end up in heaven or hell, and he expresses confusion and doubt surrounding his own fate.

Overall, the song is a reflection on the highs and lows of being a famous artist and grappling with what that means in terms of the judgment he may face in the afterlife.

Line by Line Meaning

I started out with No dough, no clothes, no shows, and no hoes And ended up with Mo hoes, mo shows, mo clothes, and mo dough
At first, I had nothing, no money, no clothes, no fame, and no women, but now I have more women, more shows, more clothes, and more money.

I used to be the ideal nigga Preppy like Hilfiger Pretty vill nigga But wanted to make my dollar bill bigger Turned into a field nigga Not pickin' cotton But pickin' up mics and rockin' Recoppin' so I can feel richer So I started drinkin' real liquor
I used to be a very formal and stylish person like Hilfiger, but I needed to make more money, so I turned into a worker of the entertainment industry, doing shows and rapping on mics, trying to get richer, and started drinking hard liquor to cope with the stress.

Send me a groupie And I will stick her real quick The dilsnick it will hit her ex pills I can feel nigga best deals You can get the steal If you ill I'm concealed with a Technina millameter by my side
If a groupie comes to me, I'll have sex with her fast, and she'll enjoy it due to my amazing sexual abilities. I can also sell her drugs since I know where to get the best deals. If you're sick, I have a concealed weapon, a Technina millameter firearm, with me to protect myself.

God used to guide me Lucifer beside me Evil was lively trippin' with wifey Never was treatin' her nicely What this music got me into This is the message I'mma send to God the evil shit I've been through Lettin' me really know what sin do Listen cuz the hurt cut me deep like a ginsu
I had the guidance of God, but Lucifer was by my side, giving me a path to sin. I was treating my wife awfully and caught up in the music industry, leading me astray. I'm now sending this message to God, letting him know about the evil things I've done, and begging for forgiveness since the hurt is deep like a ginsu.

[Chorus: x2] This life Caught up in the fame In the end will I forever Burn in the flame This life I live in the rain I'm an angel but the devil's Possessing my brain
This life of fame has caught me up in its mess, and I'm not sure if I'm going to burn in hell forever. I'm living in pain, but I'm still an angel, but the devil's taking over me.

This life Full of money bitches weed and riches Kansas City niggas grind it Cook it up in the kitchen Pay attention to the corner nigga Roguish and rugged Nigga fuck it it's a must I conceal it and tuck it
This life has money, women, drugs, and wealth - that's what the people of Kansas City live for. We grind and work hard, cooking up whatever needs to get done. Pay attention to those on the street corner, they are rough and tough, and must conceal their weapons to survive.

This life Can make a nigga murder for nothin' This life For the money have you fakin' and frontin' This life Can make a nigga take a deal with the devil This life Got me rippin' up shit in my kennel
This life can make people do terrible things, including murder over nothing or pretend to be something they're not for money. People can even make a deal with the devil to earn more. It's driving me so crazy that I'm tearing things up in my kennel.

Ya see I live in the rain Laugh at the storm And mastered the pawn Bringin' war at the crack of the dawn Tottin' the bomb A nigga with a third eye vision Like a malachi blowin' smoke in the sky See the world through the eyes of a real nigga Look into my eyes You can tell I'm a rider More shows more clothes More hoes more dough And no foes yo
I live in the rain, take pleasure in the worst moments, and have mastered the art of manipulating situations for my gain. I know how to bring the battle and carry weapons ready to explode in my hands. I'm a person with a unique perspective, like a prophet blowing smoke in the sky, and I see the world differently. When you look into my eyes, you can see that I'm fearless, ready to tackle any challenge. I'm wealthy, famous, and loved by women, and I have no enemies.

Some times I wonder How did I survive With all this drama in front of me Poppa went out like a bitch For runnin' from me Though momma never lied She cried Seen me sittin' in prison Servin' a sentence With bad intentions Still no repentance I'm heart broken while chokin' On a joint dipped in water And high hopin' the future's wide open For my daughter my eyes are open To all animosity constantly Falling quickly the devil calls it A blessing to cross Nitty Lessons are taught quickly Hell my pride will die with me Then to repeat back To the penitentiary visit me Hell bound coffin dwellin' Before a life in the cell yelllin' Now free me I'm in desperate need immediately Truthfully speakin' My life from night to day 24 hours I fight Despite this hell to pay Can't wait to see the day When my adventures begin With this here life of sin I'm all in
Sometimes I wonder how I've survived with so much drama and trouble in my life. My father left me by running away, but my mother has always been a source of comfort despite crying over my situation. I've been in jail, serving time for my bad intentions, and I'm heartbroken, smoking a joint and hoping for a better future for my daughter. I'm always facing animosity, especially when the devil is involved. I carry many life lessons with me, and even if I go to hell, I'll experience it again with pride. Now, all I want is to be free and start a new life filled with many adventures because I'm all in on this life of sin.

Is it heaven or hell I really can't tell It half cupid half relic My life is anghellic So I dance with the devils And I fly with the angel And I stand on a level Where mind is so tangled
I don't know if my life is leading me to heaven or hell. It's a mix of good and bad, but I still consider my life angelic. I dance with the devil and fly with angels, but my mind is so tangled that I'm not sure where I stand.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON YATES, GRANT RICE, MICHAEL WHITEBEAR, RONNY BLACHE, TOM JONES, TYRONE KENDALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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