Concert Review - Tech N9ne - Auckland - 19th March 2025

Presented By Metropolis Touring

Tech N9ne Live at the Powerstation Photo credit Ginny Cocks

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Review By: Sarah Kidd

Artist: Tech N9ne SUP by Joey Cool

Venue/City: Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand

Date of Event: Wednesday 19th March 2025

Tāmaki Makaurau’s premier venue The Powerstation has had a stonking run of shows this month, from Ukrainian Death Metal in the form of Jinjer, right through to homegrown goodness with our very own Shihad sadly bidding farewell within its hallowed walls.

Last night, Powerstation opened their doors to the one and only Tech N9ne, a bonafide legend of the hip hop scene, founder and creator of Strange Music and a man who can stop you in your tracks thanks to his lightning fire ‘chopper’ style technique of spitting rhymes.

In support, one of his own in the form of another Kansas City, Missouri local Joey Cool, who was certainly on the radar of many, judging by the number of fans who were pressed in tightly along the barrier eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Having joined the Strange Music family in 2017, Cool has collaborated on more than a few tracks with N9ne, while also releasing several albums. His latest by the name of Roller Coaster dropping in October of last year.

Arriving in neutral whites and earthy brown’s, his style one of casual with a hint of bling, his influences of James Brown, Frank Sinatra and Muddy Waters were shining through. Cool has admitted himself that he doesn’t listen to a lot of rap music in his spare time, preferring the aforementioned “old school artists” and pulling from them a “swanky vibe” that infuses “substance” into his material.

And it certainly translates live, while sound wise was a little muddy down front, his rapping was on point, an undertone of crooning to it, no doubt inspired by the artists he admires. Coming in hot with tracks such as ‘Under Pressure’, ‘Protect Thine Energy’, ‘My Boy’ and ‘Heart’ (featuring Doobie), Cool had the ever-growing audience wrapped around his finger as he traversed the sparse stage with ease and a hella-dose of swagger.

Ensuring that everyone was still engaged, he tossed out the obligatory “Can I get a Hell Yeah” between songs, attendees calling back with arms raised in solidarity. ‘Vibe Check,’ ZOD (I Win I Always Win) a track that Cool features on went down well, as did the sultry ‘Whiskey of the Day’ which certainly brought that Midwestern flavour of home to the set.

Leaving the audience wanting more, Joey Cool voiced his appreciation for all before throwing up a peace sign. A few moments later he was seen chilling by the bar and chatting with anyone who cared to stop. Expect big things from Cool in the future, he not only has the talent but the humility that will take him far.

Auckland fans didn’t have long to wait until the venue fell dark, a roar of approval rising from the now very jam-packed front rows, many with their hands in the air, the anticipation of seeing the OG deliver one of his masterclasses in hip hop electrifying.

Aaron Dontez Yates has been in the game more than a hot minute. Active since 1991, this is a man who undoubtedly emerged from the womb spittin lyrics at his mama. Christened Tech N9ne by rapper Black Walt, little has stopped him from becoming prolific. Sure, he may not be in the limelight every two seconds like names such as Kanye West and Drake, but make no mistake, Tech N9ne is a superstar.

Striding onto the stage in white, a crown adorning his dome, white gloves covering his hands, N9ne wasted no time in getting down to business, hitting the crowd with ‘Stamina’ from his 2000 album The Worst, the notorious ‘Riot Maker’ from 2006’s Everready (The Religion) which soon had everyone jumping and ‘Midwest Choppers’.

Already within only a few songs, he had laid out tracks that proved why he indeed gets to wear a crown. This is an artist who has worked with some of the best (Kendrick Lamar anyone?) and has fought many battles and still come out on top while prolifically releasing albums (he has sixteen studio albums, his latest being Bliss released in 2023).

Gesturing to the audience, with a grin pulling the sides of his face wide, the beat dropped once more and he was off; ‘Unfair’ from Welcome to the Strangeland being chased up with definitive fan favourite, ‘E.B.A.H’ the title track from the 2012 album of the same name.

Like most hip-hop shows, many of the tracks were not played in full, but that did not detract from the power and skill that N9ne was laying down for all to see. His double time rhymes still catching fans off guard as they become motionless for a moment and watch in fascination as the lyrics cascade from his lips effortlessly.

Like a fine wine there is no doubt that the man himself is getting older, preferring to move around the empty stage at a pace that suits him. But frankly there is no need for props; a simple backdrop – except for the rather serious looking personal security guard who stood off to the side – is all that he requires, as his skills come from both his heart and the words that he speaks, his left hand every so often motioning towards the space in front of him as if underlining the line he just spoke.

‘Einstein’ saw Tech N9ne pull a lucky woman up to dance with him, his love for the ladies often professed throughout the night; but to keep it fair he later brought up a male fan who proved that he was indeed a day one as he rapped every word alongside him despite smiling so hard that his face may be sore for a few hours afterwards. This along with numerous high fives and hand holding of the women down front who looked up adoringly with hands outstretched shows just how much N9ne appreciates and acknowledges those who pay good money to witness him live. “Hit after hit, because you made me that shit!” he called out, the crowd whooping their agreement.

And hit after hit they got, time flying by as ‘Am I A Psycho?’ almost caused the walls to shake as everyone joined in; ‘T9X’ and ‘Come Gangsta’ which saw him take a seat and pull the track into a more menacing place saw every one seriously ‘nod their heads in time with the beat as they acknowledged the darkness.

Forgoing the face paint this time round, N9ne did don a clown mask for tracks such as ‘Blackened the Sun’ and ‘URALYA’ proving that he still likes to change it up and has lost none of his own theatrics that are at the core of his larger-than-life persona.

But all good things must come to an end, Tech N9ne ensuring that he delivered something for everyone, whether they be new fans or ones that had been there from the start. ‘That Box’ dedicated to the ladies, ‘Dysfunctional’ dedicated to the boys, time travel in the form of 1999’s ‘Planet Rock 2K’ and infamous collabs such as ‘Fragile’ with Kendrick Lamar all raining down one after the other.

Even some metal was thrown out there, ‘Ronald’ his collab with Falling in Reverse and Alex Terrible (Slaughter to Prevail) maybe taking some by surprise but for the admirers with a foot in each camp, of which there were many, it was a chance to really let out some pent-up energy.

Finishing on the rather catchy ‘Hood Go Crazy’ from 2015, Joey Cool having joined him during the final tracks, Tech N9ne reminded everyone once again how much he appreciated them all and how without them and the thousands like them, he would be nothing.

There would be no encore, a master like Tech N9ne not required to play games like that. All that needed to be said had been said. Tech N9ne leaving the stage as he walked in, a King.

 SET LIST

Intro

Stamina

Riotmaker

Midwest Choppers

Unfair

E.B.A.H

Straight Out The Gate

Einstein

The Beat

Fuck The Industry

Am I a Psycho?

Worldwide Choppers

T9X

Aw Yeah (InterVENTion)

Come Gangsta

Brightfall

Blackened the Sun

Killing You

URALYA

Trapped in a Psycho’s Body

That Box

Dysfunctional

Planet Rock 2K

Caribou Lou

Fragile

Erbody But Me

Face Off

Ronald

Hood Go Crazy

Tech N9NE NZ AUS Tour Poster 2025

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