Tech N9ne Net Worth

What Is Tech N9ne's Net Worth?

Tech N9ne is an American rapper who has a net worth of $40 million.

Tech N9ne is one of the most successful independent artists in modern music, building a decades-long career defined by relentless touring, a fiercely loyal fan base, and complete control over his business. Emerging from Kansas City in the late 1990s, Tech N9ne developed a rapid-fire, chopper-style delivery that blended Midwest hip-hop with elements of horrorcore, rock, and mainstream rap. While major labels passed on his unconventional sound, he turned that rejection into an advantage by co-founding Strange Music, the independent label that would become the backbone of his empire.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Tech N9ne released a steady stream of commercially successful albums, including "Anghellic", "Absolute Power", "Everready (The Religion)", "All 6's and 7's", and "Something Else". Many of these projects debuted high on the Billboard charts, often outperforming releases from major-label artists despite far smaller marketing budgets. His music consistently explored technical skill, personal struggle, mental health, and outsider identity, themes that resonated deeply with fans who felt ignored by mainstream hip-hop.

A key part of Tech N9ne's success has been collaboration. He worked with a wide range of artists across genres, from Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne to rock and metal acts, helping him reach audiences far beyond traditional rap listeners. His aggressive touring schedule, sometimes exceeding 100 shows per year, turned concerts into a primary revenue engine and cemented his reputation as a must-see live performer.

By staying independent, Tech N9ne proved that artists could achieve mainstream-level success without sacrificing ownership, becoming a blueprint for future generations of DIY musicians.

Tech N9ne Career Earnings

Between 2012 and 2016, Tech earned enough money to be one of the 10 highest-paid rappers on the planet. During that time period alone, he earned $30 million.

Early Life

Tech N9ne was born Aaron Dontez Yates on November 8, 1971, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was raised in Kansas City and began rapping before he could even read or spell. His father, Carlton Cook, was estranged from the family, and his mother suffered from epilepsy and lupus while Yates was growing up. This affected him emotionally and inspired him to "search for God," in his own words. Yates would often spend his time exploring abandoned buildings with his friends, hoping to catch a ghost on film. He graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City.

Career

In 1991, Yates was part of the group called Black Mafia. He was also a part of groups 57th Street Rogue Dog Villains and Nnutthowze. He joined the group The Regime in 1997, which was formed by rapper Yukmouth, and in 1998 was featured on the soundtrack for Gang Related. He was featured by artists Eminem, RZA, and Xzibit. He co-founded the record label Strange Music in 1999. His debut studio album, "The Calm Before the Storm," was released in 1999. He then released the album "The Worst" in 2001. Yates found some underground success later that year when he released the album "Anghellic" for JCOR Records. After disputes arose around the promotion of the album, he severed ties with JCOR, and they were allowed to retain rights to the album.

The album "Absolute Power" was released in 2002 and reached #3 on the US Indie chart. Tech N9ne's albums "Everready (The Religion)" (2006) and "Misery Loves Kompany" (2007) reached #2 and #3 on the same chart, respectively. His albums "Killer" (2008), "K.O.D." (2009), "The Gates Mixed People" (2010), "All 6's and 7's" (2011), "Strangeulation" (2014), "Special Effects" (2015), and "Strangeulation Vol. II" (2015) all reached #1 on the US Indie chart. His best-known singles are 2013's "Fragile," which features Kendrick Lamar, !Mayday!, & Kendall Morgan, and 2015's "Hood Go Crazy" featuring B.o.B. and 2 Chainz. He has appeared in the films "Big Money Rustlas," "Vengeance," and "Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D." Tech N9ne seems to release new albums almost as rapidly as his delivery style.

In November 2015, Tech N9ne released "Strangeulation Vol. II," the sixth album in his "Collabos" series and 16th album overall. It features JL, Ryan Bradley, and Tyler Lyon. In January 2016, Tech released a remix of Marilyn Manson's song "The Beautiful People" for Dr. Dre's "The Pharmacy." Later that spring, he went on tour with fellow Strange members for the Independent Powerhouse Tour. He later released his 17th album, "The Storm," a follow-up to his 1999 debut album "The Calm Before the Storm." In 2017, Tech N9ne released "Dominion" and began the "Strictly Strange" 2017 tour. On June 20, 2017, he earned his first platinum record in 18 years for "Caribou Lou." In March 2018, Tech N9ne released "Planet," his 20th studio album. He released his 21st studio album, "N9na," in April 2019. A year later, on April 10, 2020, his 22nd album "Enterfear" was released. On July 29, 2020, Tech N9ne was featured on a single by Slipknot called "CMFT Must Be Stopped." In October of that same year, Tech released a new project titled "Fear Exodus."

Tech N9ne's music has appeared in several films, such as "Gang Related," "Alpha Dog," "Our Heroes," and "Born 2 Race." His song "Let's Go" was used in an online promotional short film for AXE body spray. His music has also appeared in video games "Madden NFL 2006," "The Crew," "25 to Life," and others. Tech N9ne has appeared on several TV shows, including "I'm From Rolling Stone," "Dark Angel," "My Super Sweet 16," "The Hills," "Spike Guys' Choice Awards," and "Warren the Ape." His song "Earthquake" was featured in an episode of MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew." In 2015, the song "Give It All" from the album "Special Effects" was used during Inside the NBA's "Tip-Off" for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Endorsements

It was announced in May 2018 that Yates had teamed up with Boulevard Brewing Company, based in his hometown of Kansas City, to create a new beer. It was released on June 18th of that year in Kansas City, Wichita, Denver, and Oklahoma City. It was named Bou Lou as a reference to his song "Caribou Lou." It's a wheat beer with pineapple and coconut flavors. It later went on sale in the St. Louis market.

Personal Life

Tech N9ne was married to Lecoya LeJeune in 1995. The couple separated in 2005. Yates filed for divorce ten years after that, and it was not finalized until November 2017, 12 years after they were initially separated.

Yates is a loyal Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals fan. Before the Chiefs played in the 2019 AFC Championship game, Tech N9ne released a song titled "Red Kingdom," which served as a tribute and referenced several Chiefs players, including deceased linebacker Derrick Thomas, as well as other players from that season such as Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Eric Berry, Harrison Butkur, Justin Houston, Chris Jones, and Dee Ford.

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