Tekashi 69 Reemerges on Social Media – But Can He Make a Musical Comeback?

Days ago, rapper Tekashi 69 re-emerged on social media after a lengthy hiatus in what seems to be part of his musical comeback. 

In a social media clip, Tekashi previewed new music as well as a new blonde haircut.  Given his controversial history in rap, the comments on the post were mixed.  Still, the post attracted 1.3 million likes, an indicator that the New York rapper is still loved among his fanbase.  Tekashi still has 25.8 million followers and over 10 million monthly Spotify listeners. 

I thought that was Chris Brown at first glance. wtf tekashi 69 doing and why they passing that bottle around like a group of bitches 😂

pic.twitter.com/9nUH38SdcD

— Jewelry Clinton 🍑 (@_KingArii) August 16, 2024

Before his fall from grace, Tekashi 69 released albums “Dummy Boy” and “Tattle Tales,” which helped boost him to superstardom.  He pumped out a list of popular singles, including “Gummo,” “Kooda,” “Fefe,” and “Trollz” featuring Nicki Minaj, to name a few.  However, when he was arrested in late 2018 for racketeering and firearms charges, his fanbase began to turn on him.  Tekashi was part of the 9 Trey Bloods and was accused of participating in a gang-related shooting.  While facing years in prison, Tekashi decided to cooperate with authorities to help prosecute several of his affiliates. One of these people includes his former manager, Kifano “Shotti” Jordan, who received 15 years in prison. 

This move labeled Tekashi a “snitch” among his hip-hop peers, with even Snoop Dogg slamming the performer.  The 28-year-old did not shy away from his role in getting others incarcerated, while he received just two years behind bars.  In a lengthy early 2020 Instagram Live rant, he questioned, “Where was the loyalty when you was sleeping with my baby’s mother? Where was the loyalty when you was caught on the wiretap tryna kill me?”

His stance has long been that his fellow gang members and ex-friends were conspiring against him, which made the decision to cooperate easy.  While this was not well-received initially, with the rise of social media figures such as Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland, a snitch background is seemingly becoming more acceptable in rap culture.

The YSL trial’s star witness has been dubbed a snitch against Young Thug and other YSL members.  However, in recent weeks, he has gone on a press run, granting interviews to platforms such as The Danza Project and DJ University.  Like Tekashi, Lil Woody cooperated to put Thug behind bars, though he has walked back several claims on the stand.  Still, the overall public perception is that he snitched to keep himself out of trouble.  With such interest in Woody, Tekashi could soon be taking the same route. 

Tekashi has been leaning more into his Spanish roots, releasing the record “Coco” in March. This seems to be the best angle for the social media troll if he is looking to regain commercial success as an artist.  Though the Latin nations where Tekashi’s family is from will probably embrace him with open arms, the U.S. market may not be on the Tekashi train anymore.