On Aug. 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc’s “Back to School Jam” in the Bronx helped shape the future of music. That was the moment when an emcee (rapper) was paired with a selector (now known as a DJ) and hip-hop was born.

Next month marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. While Long Beach may not be its birthplace, it is certainly the city that paved the way for West Coast rappers to dominate the airwaves.

Snoop Dogg has always been a staple in hip-hop and shined a light on the musical talents in the city. The first group executively produced by Snoop was the LBC Crew.

The group featured members Bad Azz, Lil C-Style, and Techniec who all eventually recorded solo albums of their own. Techniec went on to record music with legendary artists such as 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Too Short and countless others.

On today’s episode of “The Word with Jackie Rae,” rapper Techniec talks about life growing up in hip-hop, his family, faith and new music. He also shares his latest venture with Walter Hill to produce his line of sunglasses called Beach Wavy, which are available here.

To keep up with Techniec and his business and music ventures, you can follow him on Instagram or listen to new releases on Spotify.