Kansas City, Missouri is best known for its baseball, for its barbecue and for its crazy-ass bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour.
Yet the 38th most populous city in the United States is also known for its music.
Whether it is bebop, the blues or the "Shake, Rattle and Roll" bombast of pioneering rocker Big Joe Turner, the mighty KC has been the birthplace of plenty of musical genres as well as quite a few musical A-Listers.
Did you know bandleader Stan Kenton, one of most influential names in jazz world, and composer Burt Bacharach, ranked No. 35 in Rolling Stones' list of "The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time," both could call Kansas City their hometown?
Tech N9ne, a legendary rapper and entrepreneur known for his rapid-fire delivery, eclectic style and dynamic live shows, will headline the Abe Stage at the Saturday in the Park festival on July 4.
So can Tech N9ne, the legendary rapper and entrepreneur known for his rapid-fire delivery, eclectic style and dynamic live shows.
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Born as Aaron Dontez Yates in Kansas City in 1971, Tech N9ne is the headliner for this year's Saturday in the Park's Abe Stage.
Before he starts his 8:30 p.m. July 4th set. here are some fun facts that every SITPer needs to know about Tech N9ne.
Tech N9ne, who will headline the Abe Stage at the Saturday in the Park festival on July 4 at Sioux City's Grandview Park, has released more than 25 studio albums.
RAP STARTED AS MEMORIZING EXERCISE: Tech N9ne started rapping as a young child, helping him to memorize the spelling of his name.
RAISED BY HIS GRANDMA: Estranged from his dad and born to a mom who suffered from epilepsy and lupus, he was raised by a deeply religious grandmother.
GHOSTBUSTER WANNABE? As a teenager, he and a buddy would explore abandoned buildings, looking for ghosts.
HIS STAGE NAME CAME FROM A GUN: Rapper Black Walt started calling him Tech N9ne semi-automatic handgun, due to his fast-rhyming rapper style.
BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE K.C RAP COMMUNITY: At age 20, he became a member of a rap group, called Black Mafia. Six years later, he became a member of a group called The Regime.
STRANGE MUSIC ENTREPRENEUR: In 1999, he and his business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. To this day, he is widely regarded as the most successful independent rapper of all time.
RECORDS OF RECORDS: To date, he was released more than 25 studio albums.
After the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2017, Tech N9ne, a Kansas City native, posted an Instagram video featuring a rap about the Chiefs victory.
THE COMPANY THAT HE KEEPS: Tech N9ne has collaborated with big names like Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Li'l Wayne and Machine Gun Kelly, among many others.
UNUSUAL MUSICAL COLLABORATORS: Tech N9ne has also worked with Serj Tankian (System of the Down), Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Chino Moreno and Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) and Jonathan Davis (Korn).
THE ESSENTIAL TECH N9NE: "Caribou Lou," "Am IÂ Psycho?" (with B.o.B and Hopsin; "Fragile" (with Kendrick Lamar); "Hood Go Crazy" (with B.o.B. and 2 Chainz); "No Popcorn" with Fatman Scoop.
KING OF KC? When Tech N9ne isn't rapping, he's cheering on the Kansa City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals. He is also one of the remixers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup theme, representing Kansas City.
A KC CITY KID, FOR NOW & FOREVER: Tech N9ne's 2025 LP "5816 Forest" was named after of a lime green house at KC's 5816 Forest Ave," where he grew as a kid.
