Tech N9ne (photo: Strange Music Inc.)
Tech N9ne (photo: Strange Music Inc.)

By GENE STOUT

Stuck in town for the Memorial Day weekend? If your musical tastes run to hardcore rap, make your “staycation” count with some high-decibel fun.

Hardcore rapper Tech N9ne’s “Independent Grind Tour 2014” of 70 cities features shows Friday and Saturday, May 23-24, at Showbox SoDo. Joining him are fellow Strange Music artists Krizz Kaliko, Freddie Gibbs, Jarren Benton and Psyche Ward Druggies. Get ticket information here.

Born Aaron Dontez Yates in Kansas City, Mo., Tech N9ne got his name from rapper Black Watt, who was impressed with Yates’ rapid-fire “chopper”-style rhyming, which reminded him of the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun. Tech N9ne has since downplayed the gun reference and refined the moniker to emphasize technique (as in “tech”).

Last year was huge for Tech N9ne due to the success of his 13th album, “Something Else,” which garnered heavy airplay for the single “Fragile” (featuring Kendrick Lamar, !Mayday! and Kendall Morgan) and two Billboard magazine features.

Tech N9ne’s songs have been in films, TV shows and video games. Films included “The Life of Lucky Cucumber,” “Born 2 Race,” “Gang Related,” “Alpha Dog” and “Our Heroes: the 25 Best Black Sports Movies (Ever).”

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