Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications and recreational drugs (including alcohol). In order to experience the symptoms of withdrawal, one must have first developed a physical/mental dependence (often referred to as chemical dependency). This happens after consuming one or more of these substances for a certain period of time, which is both dose dependent and varies based upon the drug consumed. For example, prolonged use of an anti-depressant is most likely to cause a much different reaction when discontinued than the repeated use of an opioid, such as heroin. In fact, the route of administration, whether intravenous, intramuscular, oral or otherwise, can also play a role in determining the severity of withdrawal symptoms. There are different stages of withdrawal as well. Generally, a person will start to feel worse and worse, hit a plateau, and then the symptoms begin to dissipate. However, withdrawal from certain drugs (benzodiazepines, alcohol) can be fatal and therefore the abrupt discontinuation of any type of drug is not recommended.^{[citation needed]} The term "cold turkey" is used to describe the sudden cessation use of a substance and the ensuing physiologic manifestations.

Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "Tech Nine"), is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film, television, and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie award at the mtvU Woodie Awards.

His stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast rhyming style. Yates later applied a deeper meaning to the name, claiming that it stands for the complete technique of rhyme, with 'tech' meaning technique and 'nine' representing the number of completion.

Aaron Dontez Yates was born on November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri. He began rapping at a very early age, and would rap the letters of his name in order to remember how to spell it. He never met his father, and his mother suffered from epilepsy and lupus when he was a child, which emotionally affected him and inspired him to "search for God." He would wander around abandoned buildings with his best friend, Brian Dennis, hoping to catch a ghost on film. In 2003, Dennis was shot and killed by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, which further inspired Yates' search for a higher power, as well as giving him the drive to vent his frustrations in his music.

Do or Die is an American rap trio originally from Southside of Chicago, Illinois, consisting of group members Belo Zero, N.A.R.D. and AK-47. The trio has sold more than 3 million albums. The group experienced mainstream success with the gold single "Po Pimp", Produced by The Legendary Traxster off of their 1996 debut album Picture This The song, which featured fellow Chicago rapper Twista, peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.. The songs "Playa Like Me and You" and "Alpha and Omega" made the album "Picture This" a classic and made Do or Die an instant success. Do or Die's success with "Picture This" helped launched the careers of Legendary Traxtster, Twista and Johnny P who sang the hooks on several Do or Die songs.

Alongside Crucial Conflict, another Chicago group with a similar vocal and lyrical style, they helped launch one of the city's first national hip hop movements. They rapped with a signature fast flow over silky smooth rhythm blues beats. Their rapping and musical style influenced Twista]]. The group's second album Headz or Tailz Produced mainly by producers Mr. Lee and Mike Dean debuted in 1998 and went Gold. Its lead single was a follow-up to the group's previous hit titled "Still Po Pimpin'". It peaked at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100.