6ix9ine Explains His Lyrics In Court, Says Trippie Redd Is Also A Gang Member
Tekashi 6ix9ine has been cooperating with federal prosecutors and took the stand in court today to testify against two gang members from his former crew at Manhattan’s Thurgood Marshall Courthouse. As the AP reports, 6ix9ine — real name Daniel Hernandez — testified against Aljermiah Mack and Anthony Ellison, described as high-ranking members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Both Mack and Ellison of whom have denied the charges against them.
Prosecutors hold Ellison responsible for 6ix9ine’s highly publicized robbing and abduction in July of 2018. Ellison’s lawyer reportedly denied the incident and portrayed it as a publicity stunt hatched by 6ix9ine.
Asked about his own role in the gang, 6ix9ine said he was supposed to “just keep making hits and be the financial support for the gang … so they could buy guns and stuff like that.” And what did he get in return? “My career. I got the street credibility. The videos, the music, the protection — all of the above.” He told the jury he featured members of the gang in his videos for “Gummo” and other songs “because I wanted the aesthetic to be full of Nine Trey.”
According to Complex, prosecutors loudly played 6ix9ine’s “Gummo” and “Kooda” videos in court, asking him to explain references to gang activity in the lyrics and identify gang members pictured in the videos. He explained that “Gummo” was targeted at his fellow rapper Trippie Redd, who originally gave 6ix9ine the beat for the song: “Me and Trippie Redd were signed to the same label. There was a lot of jealousy involved.” He also identified Trippie — real name Michael Lamar White IV — as a member of the Five Nine Brims set of the Bloods.
6ix9ine’s decision to cooperate has earned him the designation of “snitch” from peers including Snoop Dogg, who posted 6ix9ine’s photo along with a rat emoji on Instagram. 6ix9ine is expected to take the stand again Wednesday.
