6ix9ine’s Rise and Fall

Almost a year ago, on Feb. 23, 2018, up and coming rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine released his debut mixtape, Day69. After a tumultuous year, he now sits behind bars awaiting to be sentenced after pleading guilty to nine counts of racketeering, firearms offenses and drug trafficking. Everything happened extremely fast for the rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez. He currently faces at least 47 years in prison for his crimes (although he may receive less time due to his cooperation with authorities). Here is a look back at how everything went bad so quickly for 6ix9ine.

On Oct. 22, 2017, 6ix9ine released the music video for his hit single, Gummo, which featured several members of the Bloods street gang located in Brooklyn. The song was released on Nov. 17, 2017 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It would eventually be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This single would not only begin 6ix9ine’s rise to the top of the charts, but also foreshadowed his gang ties that would eventually derail his career.

6ix9ine would release two more singles, Kooda and Keke, before his debut mixtape came out. Both singles charted on the Hot 100 again, leading 6ix9ine to begin proclaiming all his singles have made the Hot 100. This streak continued after two of the songs from Day69, Billy and Rondo, also charted in the Hot 100. After releasing his sixth single, Gotti, he took a break from music after being involved in a shooting at the Barclays Center with fellow rapper Casanova. Nearly two months later, he would release the single Tati, which would be his seventh single to chart on the Hot 100. It was around this time more signs of 6ix9ine’s legal troubles began to show.

Long before his rise to fame, 6ix9ine was involved in a sexual harassment case where he pled guilty of using a minor in a sexual performance. He would eventually be sentenced to four years of probation and was no longer to say his catchphrase “Treyway” as it allegedly promoted gang activity according to a judge presiding over the rapper’s legal proceedings. While 6ix9ine thought he was in the clear after this, further trouble ensued.

6ix9ine was arrested on July 12, 2018 on an outstanding warrant regarding an incident where he allegedly choked a teenager in a Houston mall earlier in the year. The teenager eventually dropped the charges and 6ix9ine was in the clear for this case.

Four months later, on Nov. 18, 2018, 6ix9ine’s world came crashing down when he was arrested for federal racketeering charges, conspiracy to murder, armed robbery and several other crimes. He was also alleged to be a part of the Nine Trey Gangsters, a violent sect of the Bloods gang. He would eventually plead guilty on Feb. 1, 2019 to nine of the charges against him, including ordering someone to shoot fellow rapper Chief Keef in order to maintain or increase his position in the Nine Trey Gangsters. 6ix9ine was involved in a feud with Chief Keef at the time; the shooting took place outside the W Hotel in New York City on June 2, 2018. No one was hurt in the shooting.

6ix9ine’s sentencing will take place on Jan. 24, 2020. Until then, it remains highly unlikely the rapper will be releasing new songs anytime soon. The rapper’s fate remains unclear as of now, but it is safe to say he will not be leaving prison any time soon.