Bogoljub Karic – Will Tekashi 6ix9ine Be Able to Make Music Again?
My colleague Bogoljub Karic and I have been gripped by the case against rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine which has been going on of late. For those who don’t know, this rainbow-haired rapper became an internet sensation a couple of years ago mainly thanks to his trolling on Instagram and his gangster rapping. 6ix9ine was affiliated with a gang of Bloods but everything came tumbling down at the end of last year when he and his colleagues were arrested. It quickly transpired that Tekashi was using this all as an image rather than actually being part of the gang, yet he did still engage in activities. It was announced pretty quickly that instead of facing a mandatory minimum of 47 years behind jail, that the 22 year old rapper was going to turn on his ‘crew’ in order to get a plea deal. The question is whether or not he will be able to return to music upon his release.
Snitching
The gang which Tekashi ran with have been accused of all manner of crimes from racketeering, selling drugs and murder, and despite 6ix9ine having ordered a hit on someone, the government were more than happy for him to inform on these members for a reduced sentence. The trial started this week and as promised, 6ix9ine has been in the witness box singing like a canary about all details of the gang’s operations. The word is that he’ll get out early 2020, as the rest rot in jail. It is clear why this has happened, 6ix9ine was kidnapped by the gang, extorted and threatened with violence to himself and his family. The whole thing seems to be a mutually beneficial relationship turned sour, they help him be a ‘gangster’ he pays them in return.
What the Streets Say
The general rule in gang culture is that you don’t snitch no matter what the situation is and if you do then you are labelled a rat, and there may also be vicious consequences. In the case of 6ix9ine this is certainly what other rappers and culture commentators are saying, many of whom suggesting that even if he does get out, that he won’t have a very long future.
Why He Can Still Make Music
The fact of the matter is that the audience really don’t care, most of Tekashi’s fans were those that loved his Instagram vids and those who are most certainly not from the street. The general public play by different rules, this isn’t hip-hop from the 90s where street cred was so vitally important, these days musicians can be forgiven for their indiscretions simply by bringing out a great song.
The reality is that many of those rappers who are labelling 6ix9ine a rat, will no doubt be on the phone to him looking for a feature once their careers are slowly fading, and his is at an all time high.
