A Tech N9ne Christmas in Kansas City: sweet potato pie, kids, drums and simple things
Fans of Kansas City hip-hop artist Tech N9ne might assume that Halloween is the busiest time of year for the rapper, known for his dark and intense music,.
In a recent, exclusive, interview with The Kansas City Star, Tech revealed that not only does he have a special and deep affection for the Christmas season, he makes a point to be in Kansas City, his home and where his sweetest memories and his family are.
Tech, born Aaron Yates, made his second appearance as the guest of honor at the Twelfth Street Development Corporation’s 33rd annual Santa’s Wonderland lighting event on Nov. 27 near Gates Plaza where a Star reporter caught up with the international hip-hop music artist.
“I was raised right down this street at 904 Michigan at Wayne Minor Projects,” Tech told the large crowd of hundreds filling the 12th Street intersection assembled at the event. “Thank you all for coming out in the cold to see Tech N9ne, I will never let y’all down.”
Tech performed three songs and took the time before his performance to walk around to talk with fans, shake hands and take photos. Many attendees were from the same apartments where he spent his childhood. Tech said he feels a strong responsibility to return and show the younger generation that anything is possible.
“The fact that my town loves me like this is such a blessing and if the young see us doing big things like this then they’ll strive to be even better,” he said.
Tech is grateful to witness how, over the years, more people in the community have come forward to support others during the holiday season, such as through the Twelfth Street Development toy drive and other local initiatives.
“We got to do what we can to give back and to show them that we love them no matter how big we get,” said Tech. “I’m not sure of who a lot of the people who give back are because we don’t do it for publicity, but I hear the stories about people giving out turkeys or clothing or toys and that’s humongous.”
Tech has never forgotten his humble beginnings. Growing up in a family familiar with financial hardships, the 53-year-old Kansas City native, remembers that it was the simple things that made the holidays meaningful. He said those times were made special by the love they shared.
“The earliest memories of the holidays I have are my grandma, my mom and them, making sweet potato pie,” Tech recalled. “So I always have to have that during the holidays because the smell takes me right back to my grandma’s house right down the street where I was born.”
The Strange Music co-founder is looking forward to sharing Christmas this year with his one-year-old daughter. “I got five kids and the youngest is this one-year-old daughter,” said Tech. “She loves Halloween like me and every day she just wants me to turn on The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice. The Nightmare Before Christmas is about Halloween and Christmas so she is somewhat familiar. She knows that it’s a different energy so I just want to give her the best memories that I can.”
Tech typically gives his older children $5,000 each to spend however they wish and said he is grateful to have the opportunity to provide them with experiences he didn’t have growing up.
While he didn’t always receive the gifts he wanted as a child, he remembers that the holiday season was filled with joy, despite their struggles.
This year, Tech plans to give his youngest daughter a gift he always wanted, but never got when he was a kid.
“We are going to get her a drum set,” Tech said. “That was something I couldn’t afford when I was young, and my wife doesn’t even know this story, but I ended up beating on my chest when rapping because we couldn’t afford any drums. I am a drummer at heart and my style and cadence is like a percussionist and because I didn’t have drums I had to do it with my chest and my words.”
At his home, Tech shares that although he enjoys having his house beautifully decorated for Christmas, it’s his wife who takes charge of all the decorating. While last year he chose a 12-foot Christmas tree, this time the family decided on a smaller one to keep their infant from knocking it over. However, the exterior of the house will still feature a Christmas tree on the patio and a large tree in front, both adorned with lights and ornaments.
Tech enjoys a wide range of music genres but said he has a special fondness for Christmas music, particularly Christmas hip-hop.
So what’s his favorite holiday song? “Christmas Time in Hollis” by Run DMC.
Last year, he even released his own holiday-themed track, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” a Christmas song with a Kansas City Chiefs theme.
Tech’s next holiday creation is likely to merge his passion for Christmas with his love for KC barbecue in a festival he hopes to establish as annual event that brings people together.
“I want to make a Strange Festival called The Dark Barbecue and do it around the holidays,” said Tech. “The holidays are about bringing people together and food so I want all the barbecue places to pull up and bring in everyone from KC to come eat and celebrate together.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
