Daniel Hernandez (born May 8, 1996), known professionally as Tekashi69 or 6ix9ine (pronounced "six nine"), is an American rapper and songwriter. His music has been marked by an aggressive style of rapping, while his controversial public persona is characterized by his distinctive rainbow-colored hair, extensive tattoos, legal issues, and publicized celebrity feuds.
Hernandez became widely known in late 2017 after the release of his debut single, "Gummo", which was a sleeper hit. He subsequently released the mixtape Day69 (2018), which was supported by the singles "Kooda", "Keke" and "Gotti", all of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. "Fefe", featuring Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz, a single from his debut album Dummy Boy (2018), peaked at number three on the Hot 100. Despite negative critical reception, Dummy Boy was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In 2015, Hernandez pleaded guilty to a felony count of use of a child in a sexual performance and received a four-year probation period and a 1,000-hour community service order. In 2018, he was arrested on racketeering, weapons and drugs charges. Facing up to 47 years in prison, he pleaded guilty to nine charges including conspiracy to commit murder and armed robbery in February 2019. During the trial, Hernandez testified for the prosecution against other Nine Trey gang members, and was sentenced to just two years in prison. In April 2020, he was granted early release during the COVID-19 pandemic following fears over his vulnerability to the disease due to his asthma condition. He was put on house arrest for the remainder of his term, and was released in early August 2020.
After his release from prison, his single "Gooba" debuted and peaked at number three in the US and "Trollz", his third collaboration with Minaj, debuted at number one in the country. His second album, TattleTales (2020), debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200.
For his role as a witness for the prosecution in the Nine Trey Gangsters trial, Hernandez has been near-universally condemned and ostracized by other members of the hip-hop industry. Although he has enjoyed some commercial success since his release from prison, Hernandez has effectively been blacklisted from major streaming platforms and radio.