[HOST] Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine went from the self-proclaimed ‘King of New York,’
to state’s witness in a little over a year.
[HOST] At his peak, a few saw it coming, especially with the heavy gang representation in his
videos and songs like ‘GUMMO,’ and ‘KOODA.’
[HOST] Tekashi cultivated an image of in your face arrogance.
6IX9INE: Like I said, when you see me in the street you be like, oh, is all this gang shit real
or is it just something for fun?
And I tell people, come up to me and test it.
Test my gangster.
[HOST] But we now know these music videos were all a ruse.
[HOST] He joined a gang for the image through a friend.
He testified quote.
[HOST] so I asked him if we could get some Nine Trey members to be part of the video,
because I wanted the aesthetic to be, you know, full with Nine Trey Blood members
[HOST] And 6ix9ine did play the part - allegedly funding 9Trey and even ordering assaults.
[HOST] While on the come up, there were many who tried to tell him about the dangerous
path he was on, like Charlemagne tha God...
CHARLEMAGNE: You don’t think you effin’ up your money with this tough guy gangsta
persona?
6IX9INE: nah, hell no.
You don’t think it’s a persona?
CHARLEMAGNE: it is clearly a persona.
So you sayin’ I don’t live up to it?
CHARLEMAGNE: I don’t know what you live up to.
All I’m saying is that eventually it’s gon’ catch up to you.
[HOST] The Bronx’s Fat Joe tried to look out for Tekashi’s well being, drawing on
his own run-ins with the law...
FAT JOE: Yo, b.
One move they gon’ try to throw you in there.
Big time, do you understand this?
[HOST] And even long-time New York City radio host Angie Martinez, who warned him about
his vulnerability as his then unofficial manager and future threat, Kifano “Shotti” Jordan,
sat right next to her.
ANGIE: You could talk crazy to the hot dog guy downstairs and you fucking got your guard
down and he could get you like...anybody could get got.
6IX9INE: Nah ANGIE: Nah, *anybody could get got*
[HOST] He eventually fired Shotti but his troubles weren’t finished yet.
6IX9INE: Only one thing I fear in life..no 2 things.
I fear God and I fear the FBI.
[HOST] He was arrested days after that interview.
Staring at decades behind bars, 6ix9ine flipped the *very next day.*
[HOST] Ironically, he rapped about his disdain for snitches on “TATI.”
[HOST] There are reports that 6ix9ine could be headed for Witness Protection but that
surely won’t be easy.
FRANK: WelI, it’s easy to make ‘em disappear, staying disappeared is the hard part.”
[HOST] That’s Frank Ahearn, author of the book “How To Disappear” and an expert
in vanishing without a trace.
FRANK: I work with clients who find themselves in bad situations, dangerous situations.
So I pick them up and I disappear them.
It’s almost like a private witness protection program.”
[HOST] Frank chatted with Genius about the unique nature of 6ix9ine’s situation.
FRANK:Tekashi’s situation is very difficult…
Number 1 are his tattoos…
He’s gonna have to get them removed from his face…
He’s got fame, and he’s lived this life, and it’s hard to give that life up.
[HOST And it’s not just Bloods he should be on the lookout for.
FRANK: But the person sitting on the bus that could see him, snap a photo, tweet it.
Hey doesn’t guy look just like 6ix9ine I just saw him on the 6 bus in the Bronx.”
[HOST] Frank spoke with us about other famous people who went into protection like mobsters
Sammy the Bull and Henry Hill, but it’s going to be much different for Tekashi.
FRANK: He's not going to be forgotten.
Ya know, most mobsters go into witness protection program and they’re forgotten…”
But the hip-hop community is worldwide.
[HOST] In order for this to work, Tekashi is going to have to walk away from everything.
And Frank isn’t too optimistic.
FRANK: I don’t think he can adjust to be honest with you.
...he’s just gotta cut that world off and walk away, simple as that.
[HOST] And as for the world of hip-hop, to some he's persona non grata, from the subtle
shot in Trippie's music video to the late Nipsey Hussle, NLE Choppa and YG gloating
about him flipping.
[HOST] However, J. Cole viewed his situation with empathy.
[HOST] We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but hip-hop and practically
all of the music industry will be following every second.
I’m Jacques Morel with Genius News, bringing you the meaning and the knowledge behind the
music. Peace.