Courtesy of Vladimir Baranovsky
By Bryce Lawson
Didn’t your momma ever tell you not to tell on people?
In the hip-hop community, snitching is one of the worst offenses to the “G-code” one can make. Regardless of the “rat” label, I feel rapper Daniel Hernandez, popularly known as Tekashi 6ix9ine or just 6ix9ine, will be able to continue his takeover of the mainstream hip-hop landscape.
He pled guilty of racketeering, drug trafficking and gun charges due to his affiliation with the Nine Trey Gangsters, a set of Bloods from the New York area. With a 47-year prison sentence staring him in the face, the 23-year-old rapper decided to testify against his fellow gang members associated with the investigation in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Hernandez folded on everyone, including Jim Jones of The Diplomats and the game’s hottest female act, Cardi B. The testimony and viral “6ix9ine snitching” meme has labeled Hernandez as the biggest snitch in the history of hip-hop, resulting in rappers like Meek Mill and Snoop Dogg condemning his actions.
Even West Coast rapper YG put out “Stop Snitching,” a street anthem against 6ix9ine and tattletales. Regardless, Hernandez has declined witness protection and will instead hire a 24-hour security crew to continue his rap career. In today’s meme culture, it will be very easy for 6ix9ine to come back.
At the start of his career, I remember Hernandez rapping alongside fellow New York hardcore rapper Zillakami on the track “Hellsing Station,” setting the stage for Hernandez’s aggressive delivery, but instead of spitting about guns and money, he went for a darker, horrorcore style.
When that approach didn’t work, Hernandez went for more of a gangster vibe with the release of “Gummo,” produced by Pi’erre Bourne. Bourne later disowned the track due to Hernandez’s child sex charge, resulting in a high-profile beef between the producer and rapper Trippie Redd, who was also named by Hernandez on trial.
Alongside his former manager Shotti, who was also named in the trial, Hernandez was skyrocketed into rap stardom due to his seemingly untouchable antics and his clownish appearance. I remember constantly yelling “It’s Trey Way” after the multiple viral meme videos featuring Hernandez and his crew. After landing numerous hits on Billboard, Hernandez finally released his debut mixtape, “Day69.”
The core of his fan base are the typical suburban teens who scour Soundcloud in search of the next wave to ride. If Hernandez is able to make radio-friendly hits, his base probably won’t switch up on him, regardless of snitching.
I was a fan of his before he told on me and everyone I know. From now on, I will not be able to support his behavior. It just shows kids that — regardless of your situation — if you snitch, you’ll be fine. It leaves no incentive to stay out of trouble in the first place.
Hernandez was definitely making a more mainstream transition on his debut album “Dummy Boy” that released while he was incarcerated. He dipped his toes into the world of reggaeton with tracks like “Bebe,” featuring Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA.
Prior to his arrest, Hernandez released a slew of collabs with international artists, like “GIGI (ZKITTLEZ),” a favorite track of mine, with German rapper Gringo. If he can still attract big names like Kanye West and Nicki Minaj, who aren’t really street rappers, to turn out radio hits like “FEFE,” it will definitely prolong his rap career.
Prior to his most recent arrest, Hernandez was kidnapped by his crew, which played a role in him turning over everyone. In some fans’ eyes, this might portray him as a sympathetic character who had already been done wrong by his gang. In “FEEFA,” he raps about protecting his family after his team switched up on him.
Songs about the struggle of gang life need to replace his more hardcore songs. The combination of mainstream and international radio hits with a few songs about his current life are the formula for Hernandez to succeed post-snitching.
If new music does come out, I will most likely check it out, mainly to stay up-to-date with the music cycle. At this point, Hernandez is more known for his antics than his music. It will be interesting to see if anyone will actually be willing to collaborate with him, and what impact that could have on the culture.
With a scheduled release date of early 2020, the hip-hop world will just have to wait for the next chapter of the artist currently known as “snitch9ine.”
