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The demise of 6ix9ine: Why the unicorn rapper shouldn’t have lied for clout

Oh, how the mighty tumble.

Tekashi 6ix9ine was the biggest new artist in late 2017 and 2018. For over a year 6ix9ine released hit after hit, was a master at trolling other celebrities who spoke out against him, and was an overall media unicorn.

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😂😂😂 REST IN PEACE

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Until in October 2018 when he was arrested on racketeering charges along with other members of the Nine Trey Bloods. Faced with 47 years in prison, Tekashi agreed to a plea deal in exchange for his full cooperation.

On September 17, 2019, he took his first day on the stand and boy did he leave no stone unturned.

Members of the Nine Trey Bloods he testified gainst were in the courtroom with him. While showing and repeatedly pausing on images from the video of Tekashi’s debut hit “Gummo,” Tekashi pointed to two of the men on trial, Aljermiah “Nuke” Mack and Anthony “Harv” Ellison, and ID’d them as Nine Trey gang members.

Tekashi revealed that this video shoot, in August of 2017, was when he was first introduced to many of the Nine Trey members. Most likely before this, someone within the gang recognized the extremely lucrative opportunity available with one of their own being a worldwide rap superstar sensation.

When asked what the Nine Trey Bloods did for him, Tekashi testified that they gave him credibility. They gave him a platform to be a successful rap artist, and while the songs were big hits because of the lyrics, hard beats, and subject material, the backing of the Nine Trey Bloods was perhaps just as important to the songs’ success and consistency. Gang culture is something fetishized by a plethora of people around the world, even (or especially) people as white and suburban as Mitt Romney.

Tekashi testified he did not need to go through an initiation to the gang, or shoot someone, they just wanted him to keep making them money to help bankroll their activities. He also claimed Trippie Redd was a gang member, but from a rival faction of Nine Trey.

Trippie Redd is not even a part of the case, so this takes Tekashi’s snitching into relatively unchartered territories.

A few months before 6ix9ine’s arrest, it was reported his manager Shotti allegedly stole $2.2 million from him. Shotti was allegedly pocketing money from 6ix9ine’s tours and only giving Tekashi a fraction of the earnings. One can assume Shotti was told to do this by higher-ups in the gang.

There is no honor among thieves, and 6ix9ine must figure he owes his old manager and gang members nothing. Spend 47 years behind bars protecting the people that did you wrong, or sing like a canary? Clearly he chose the latter.

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This is allegedly leaked audio of #tekashi69 in court on the stand .

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6ix9ine is not a particularly talented lyricist, rapper, singer, or dancer (stoopid dance video notwithstanding). What he is is a colorful, funny, interesting man who repped “Tre Way” and made songs people liked to turn up to.

But it’s worth a question of whether or not 6ix9ine needed to ingratiate himself within a gang to be successful when it’s clear now that’s not really his lifestyle. Yes, it gave him important credibility that one can argue is essential in the rap world and shot his songs to the top of the billboard charts as nothing else could.

But perhaps a comedic career could have been launched a different way, or a modeling quest based off his distinct and recognizable look. In 2019, there are so many ways to make it big. Staring at the bars of his jail cell for the last 10 months, 6ix9ine, with his exuberance and unrivaled confidence, must have wondered at least once whether he needed the gang to make it big in the first place.

The point is, with 6ix9ine snitching like he is, it’s clear the Nine Trey Bloods were merely a means to getting his money and notoriety.

Lying to yourself and others about who you are is always going to come back and bite you. Had he chosen a different path, Tekashi would not be ratting on the people that put him on, at risk of being killed in prison, and most likely being in witness protection for the rest of his life once he is released.

Whatever it is, stay true to yourself fam, because the repercussions that fall out when you don’t can be devastating for everyone.

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