Are you a fan of everyone’s favorite felon, 6ix9ine? Or perhaps you still call him by his early name, Tekashi69. Either way – you can still be a fan without condoning his often illegal behavior. While it’s his life, we wish the rapper would clean up his act a bit, if only so he could release music more regularly. We. Need. More!

But whether he’s in jail right now (or on probation) or not, we love bumping to his music – and we’re not the only ones. The rapper, who’s in his twenties, has made tracks with names like Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz, which are both big accomplishments. The only question is, who will he feature next?

Early Life

6ix9ine was born as Daniel Hernandez to two Mexican-American parents in Brooklyn, NY. He had a relatively normal, lower-class childhood until age 13. That’s when he saw his father get shot steps away from his front door.

That horrific trauma led to Daniel lashing out and acting up at school, getting him expelled in eighth grade. He saw this as a sign and used his newly acquired free time to earn money for the family – not always legally. He went to jail for the first time in his late teens – for drug dealing charges.

A Short but Successful Career

After he got out of jail for the first time, he started making rap music. In 2014 he put out his first-ever tracks, including “Scumlife” and “Hellsing Station.” Those songs came out on the Slovakian label, FCK THEM, which helped him get exposure and further his career. His biggest breakthrough was in 2017, when his single, “Gummo,” peaked on the album charts and went platinum. And it was that song that propelled him to the success he has today.