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Gender:
Male
Birth:
30 June 1971(San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA)
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Biography

Introduction

Rod Sepand (born June 30, 1971), better known professionally as King Tech, is an American DJ, B-boy, VJ and Audio Engineer. He is one half of the duo Sway & King Tech.

Career

DJ King Tech started off in the Hip Hop game as a B-Boy in the bay area. He initially joined the musical crews “Master City Breakers” and “Flynamic Force” and performed with them. By the time he met Sway Calloway, b-boy crews were fading fast in the face of Hip Hop culture. With King Tech on the 1’s and 2’s and Sway on the mic the duo represented Flynamic Force on their debut single, “We Wanna Rock You.” It sold 20000 singles in the bay area. The second single “Follow For Now” sold over 40,000 singles.

The duo were well known on the local scene and rather than joining any record, they started their own business venture, All City Records. This allowed Tech and Sway to independently release their music albums. The success of their indie 12" “Follow 4 Now/Time 4 Peace” resulted in a major label deal with Giant Records and their subsequent LP "Concrete Jungle".

Upon entering and winning a local competition, the duo were given a one-shot deal for a 40-minute mix on local radio station 106.1 KMEL. Radio execs realized that the show can be a success with DJ King Tech on the mix and Sway as the front man. The show was named The Wake Up Show, featured music and interviews with well-known hip hop artists as well as up-and-coming ones. The show became very popular and later became NYC’s premiere Hip Hop outlet which aided Eminem to get his start at a very early stage. King Tech is also noted for helping out Wu-Tang Clan and Jay Z’s career in their early stages. The duo from The Bay Area were changing the face of not just urban radio but popular music in general and the way that it was played and appreciated on regular FM dials across the planet. King Tech was named one of the 50 Most Influential DJ’s of all time by BET.

The popularity of the show helped duo in getting another major label record deal withInterscope Records. The album, This or That, reached #30 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #1 on the Top Heatseekers chart in 1999.

In 2016, King Tech is one of the four main judges on the reality show One Shot. The show will be aired on BET in August 2016. In 2017 Tech, RZA and Mike Smith relaunched Razor Sharp Records.

Discography

Albums

Year Album details Record
1991 Concrete Jungle5 versions

Giant Records

1994 Best Of The Wake Up Show Free Styles '94 Vol. 16 versions All City Records
1996 The Wake-Up Show Mix Tape2 versions
1996 Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 33 versions
1998 Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 42 versions

360 Enterprizes

1999

Sway & King Tech featuring DJ Revolution - This Or That5 versions

Interscope Records

1999 Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 52 versions
1999 The Wake Up Show 9th Anniversary Live Album ?(CD, Album)
2000 Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 62 versions
2001

Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 72 versions

2004

Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 82 versions

Bolo Entertainment

2005

Back 2 Basics3 versions

Bungalo Records

Hip Hop Wars ?(LP)

Ground Level Distribution

Singles & EPs

Year Album details Record
1988 Flynamic Force3 versions All City Records
1990 Follow 4 Now / Time 4 Peace9 versions All City Records
1991 In Control / Devastating / Bum Rush The Sound2 versions Giant Records
1999 Sway & King Tech Featuring DJ Revolution - The Anthem / Underground Tactics4 versions Interscope Records
1999 Get You Mad3 versions Interscope Records
2001 Sway & King Tech, Crooked I - Wake Up Show Freestyles
2004 Trouble / Everything2 versions Up Above Records
2004 Sway & King Tech feat. Chino XL - Trouble (CD, Single, Promo) Bungalo Records,
Bolo Entertainment
2004 I Don't Think So / I Wish U Would (12") Up Above Records
2004 Back 2 Basics: Watch Closer3 versions Up Above Records

Compilations

Year Album details Record
1996 Wake Up Show Unreleased Project Vol. #1 (CD, Album, Comp) All City Records
1996 Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol. 23 versions Not On Label