Known for his hit singles Gummo and Fefe, this notorious rapper has become popular thanks to his controversial public persona, rainbow-colored hair, and troubles with the law. His name is Daniel Hernandez, but you probably know him under the alias 6ix9ine.
Early Life
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Daniel Hernandez is of Mexican descent from his mother’s side and of Puerto Rican from his father’s. The rapper’s childhood was not a happy one. When he was 13, his father was killed on their family home’s doorstep.
The tragic demise of his father left Daniel emotionally wounded and he was eventually hospitalized due to depression and PTSD. His damaged mental health followed him throughout his school years leading up to him getting kicked out of the 8th grade.
By the time he started posting songs on YouTube, Daniel had already been arrested for selling drugs on multiple occasions. During his early prison days, he joined a street gang called the Nine Trey Gangsters and started going by Tekashi, Tekashi69, and 6ix9ine.
Career
Drawing inspiration from bad boy rappers such as 50 Cent, The Notorious B.I.G, Tupac Shakur, and DMX, 6ix9ine developed a unique rapping style characterized by his angry attitude and elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal. And it all began in 2014 on YouTube.
Three years passed before 6ix9ine made a name for himself with his debut single Gummo, which peaked at No.12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2017. His first mixtape Day69 was an even bigger commercial success, climbing to No.4 on the US Billboard 200 in 2018.
After having partnered up with Nicki Minaj for his eighth single Fefe, 6ix9ine started working on his debut full-length Dummy Boy. The album was eventually released in November 2018 to mixed reviews. Despite criticism, Dummy Boy debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200.
In the News
In November 2018, only days before his debut album was released, 6ix9ine was arrested by the feds for racketeering. Described by an Assistant US Attorney as “quite violent”, Daniel was held without bail and is facing life in prison. He was immediately dubbed a hip-hop supervillain.
In February 2019, 6ix9ine has pleaded guilty to nine federal charges.
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