Tech N9ne - Myth - Maplewood MN - April 24th 2026

Myth Live presents Tech N9ne with special guests E-40 and King Iso

Review and photos by Jesse McKinney

King Iso
King Iso ended up being one of the bigger surprises of the night for me. I went in not knowing much about him outside of being on Strange Music but it didn’t take long to understand why he was there! From the start his set felt a little more thought out than I expected, especially with the visuals and lighting. Everything had a darker, more dramatic tone to it and it matched the tone of the message behind his lyrics.

A lot of his lyrics leaned into mental health, and that came through clearly even on a first listen. The crowd seemed to connect with the fact that the message wasn’t subtle or buried, it was up front and center and he even addressed it between songs. You could tell some people there already knew the words, but even without that, it was easy to follow what he was putting out.

What personally stood out most to me was how real everything felt. Nothing was overly polished or distant, and that carried over after the set too. Seeing King Iso and his DJ out in the crowd afterward just walking around and talking to people, taking pictures with anyone who came up, added a lot. It made it feel more personal than a typical opener set.

On the way home I threw on a few of his songs and that was the moment I knew for sure I was a fan. He sounds basically the same live as he does on record, which isn’t always the case. First time seeing him, but definitely not the last.

King Iso performing live at Myth Live in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 24, 2026, as part of Tech N9ne’s Strange New World Tour with support from E-40.

E-40
E-40 stepping into the direct support slot felt like one of those moments where you realize how long someone’s really been doing this. Coming out of the Bay Area and starting back in the late ’80s, he’s got a catalog that runs deep and the setlist leaned right into that. It wasn’t about trying to show off anything new. E-40 ran through songs people have been sitting with for years and you could tell the crowd was all for that!

I figured he would have a solid crowd reaction, especially to his top hits but I was shocked by how loudly the entire crowd sang along to every song! You had a mix of people catching every word and others just jumping in on the hooks, but either way it stayed loud the entire time! He kept things moving without dragging between songs and the energy never really dipped. The set felt comfortably loose. Kind of like he knew exactly what people wanted out of that set and didn’t overthink it.

Easily one of the biggest moments of the night was when he played Choices (Yup). As soon as it started you could feel the shift and the crowd took over parts of it. That kind of call-and-response doesn’t always hit the same live but this one landed exactly how I thought it would, if not more!

More than anything it was just cool seeing someone with that kind of history still out there doing it and still getting that kind of reaction. A fun fact to end on, E-40 has his own 40 oz malt liquor simply called “E-40 Malt Liquor” which is brewed out of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

E-40 performing live at Myth Live in Maplewood, Minnesota on April 24, 2026, during the Strange New World Tour with support from Tech N9ne and King Iso.

Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne closing out the night felt exactly how it should! I’ve been a fan of his for a long time now and after seeing him for the first time back in 2009 in Fargo, and a few times since, it’s honestly wild that the energy level hasn’t changed at all! If anything he’s just more locked in now than he was before! For someone who’s been doing this for nearly 30 years with over 20 albums out, you’d expect at least a little slowdown, but that never really came. He was moving constantly, keeping the pace up the entire set, and never letting things drag.

One thing that’s always separated Tech N9ne is how he’s built everything independently. Strange Music isn’t just a label, it’s a full identity at this point, and you could see that all over the crowd. Walking through the room before the set you could see Strange Music shirts and Tech N9ne logos everywhere! His fanbase is easily one of the most loyal you’ll come across and it’s not just typical rap fans either. He’s one of those artists who pulls in people that don’t usually listen to hip-hop or rap and you’ll be hard pressed to find a Tech N9ne hater out there!

Live, the performance still hits just as hard as you’d expect. He ran through those rapid-fire verses on his own without backing tracks and still kept everything clean! That alone would be enough to carry a set, but it’s the intensity behind it that really stands out. He doesn’t coast through anything and every song feels like he’s fully invested. The crowd stayed right there with him, matching that energy the whole time.

Another thing that’s always made Tech N9ne different is how approachable he is. You hear stories about him randomly meeting fans, my friend randomly met him at a Hot Topic in Rochester years ago, and even now there were clips going around of him just walking around Mall of America after the show. That kind of stuff doesn’t usually happen with artists at this level and especially ones who’ve been around this long! He’s not rolling in with a massive entourage or hiding behind security either. He’s still doing meet-and-greets before shows, as he has for years. It makes a difference and you can tell the fans notice it.

Even now he’s still somehow finding ways to branch out. Doing features with bands like Falling In Reverse and touring with them and showing up at primarily metal festivals like Inkcarceration, it just proves he can fit pretty much anywhere and still pull a crowd. At this point it just feels like Tech N9ne has figured out a way to exist in his own lane while still connecting with just about everyone in the room. Same consistency, same intensity, and a fanbase that’s going to keep showing up every time he comes through.

Tech N9ne performing live at Myth Live in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 24, 2026, during the Strange New World Tour with support from E-40 and King Iso.

Tech N9ne – Myth – Maplewood MN – April 24th 2026

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