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33 facts you need to know about 'GOOBA' rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine

Here's everything you need to know about notorious 'GOOBA' rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine.

1. How tall is Tekashi 6ix9ine?

Tekashi 6ix9ine is 5ft 5, or 165cm tall. Picture: Getty

2. How can I watch the 6ix9ine documentary?

A three-part documentary about the life of Tekashi 6ix9ine, titled 'Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine,' dropped in February 2021. The documentary premiered on Showtime, but you can also watch it on FuboTV, Sling and Hulu + Live TV. Picture: Instagram

3. In March 2021, Tekashi 6ix9ine challenged his rival Meek Mill to a fight.

Weeks after the pair were involved in an alteration outside a nightclub, 6ix9ine challenged Meek Mill to a one-on-one fight. "THE “STREETS” VS THE REAL LIFE. I DONT DO NOTHING FOR FREE & I GOT MORE MONEY THEN THIS BOZO AND HE BEEN RAPPING FOR 10 YEARS," he wrote on Instagram. Picture: Instagram/Getty

4. Tekashi 6ix9ine's entire body is now covered in tattoos.

In February 2021, Tekashi 6ix9ine returned to social media to debut his new inkings. The rapper is now covered head-to-toe in tattoos, including rainbow-coloured designs and, of course, '69' emblazoned absolutely everywhere. Picture: Instagram

5. 6ix9ine dropped the video for 'GOOBA' in May 2020.

On May 8 2020, 6ix9ine dropped 'GOOBA', his first song and music video since being released from prison the month before. It broke the record for the biggest 24 hour debut for a hip-hop video in YouTube history, beating Eminem's 'Killshot' which held the title from 2018. The video features 6ix9ine and a bevy of dancers, including his girlfriend Jade and her sister. Picture: Youtube

6. What did Tekashi 6ix9ine look like before fame?

Tekashi 6ix9ine is currently known for his signature face tattoos and his multicoloured hair. However Daniel Hernandez was once a fresh-faced young man with a standard haircut and minimal tattoos! But the controversial rapper later opted to make himself stand out through his visual appearance and viral antics. Picture: Twitter

7. What happened to Tekashi 6ix9ine at Hot 97's Summer Jam in 2018?

Tekashi 6ix9ine was denied entrance to Hot 97’s 2018 Summer Jam in New York, despite covering his face tattoos with makeup to make himself less recognisable. The rapper slammed the radio station during a video chat with DJ Akademics, before Hot 97 presenter Ebro revealed that he was denied entry because he doesn't "know when to shut up". Picture: DJ Akademics

8. How did Tekashi 6ix9ine's feud with Chief Keef start?

Tekashi 6ix9ine's heated feud with Chief Keef appeared to begin after 6ix9ine dissed him on Instagram. The controversial rapper then claimed that Keef and his associates were “p*ssy” if they didn’t kill him within 48 hours in NYC. Keef responded by travelling to New York the next day. However after 6ix9ine revealed he was actually in LA, shots were fired at Chief Keef outside the W hotel. Nobody was injured. 6ix9ine then attempted to distance himself from the shooting. Picture: Instagram

9. Does Tekashi 6ix9ine have a daughter?

Tekashi 6ix9ine has two daughters - his eldest, Saraiyah, he shares with ex-girlfriend Sara Molina, and his youngest, Briella Iris, he shares with a woman named Layla. Picture: Instagram

10. What does 6ix9ine mean?

In a touching Instagram post, Tekashi explained the meaning of his name to fans: "I never lost sense of where I came from. That’s what makes me 69. The true meaning of 69 is just because you’re right doesn’t mean I’m wrong YOU JUST HAVENT SEEN LIFE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. Turn the 6 upside down it’s 9 but remains the same in a different perspective. Open your mind and heart." Picture: Instagram

11. How did Tekashi 6ix9ine's feud with The Game start?

Tekashi 6ix9ine's heated feud with The Game appeared to begin after the Compton rapper expressed his dislike for 6ix9ine on stage in Slovenia. He yelled out "f*ck 69" on stage and got his fans to shout "fake ass blood". 6ix9ine then responded with a disrespectful Instagram message towards The Game, before the pair's feud began to escalate. Picture: Instagram

12. Tekashi 6ix9ine's 'GUMMO' video has over 367 million views on YouTube.

The official video for Tekashi 6ix9ine's breakout hit 'Gummo' currently has over 367 million views on YouTube. The eye-catching video sees the rapper in a neighbourhood surrounded by gang members. Picture: Instagram

13. How old is Tekashi 6ix9ine?

Tekashi 6ix9ine was born on May 8 1996, making him currently 25-years-old. Picture: Instagram

14. 6ix9ine has a series of extremely disturbing criminal charges against his name.

6ix9ine has pled guilty to three felony counts of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance. He was reportedly 18 years old on the date of the crime, while the victim was a minor of an unconfirmed age. Picture: Instagram

15. What is Tekashi 6ix9ine's net worth?

6ix9ine's net worth is currently unknown. However, as of 2020, his net worth his rumoured to be around $4 million. Picture: Instagram

16. Does Tekashi 6ix9ine have a song with Nicki Minaj?

6ix9ine collaborated with fellow New York native Nicki Minaj on their song 'FEFE' which dropped in July 2018. The song featured on 6ix9ine's debut album 'Dummy Boy' and also on Minaj's 2018 album 'Queen'. Minaj faced major criticism for working with 6ix9ine in light of his previous conviction for child sex offences. Picture: Getty

17. Where is Tekashi 6ix9ine from?

6ix9ine is of Mexican descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York. Picture: Instagram

18. Tekashi 6ix9ine is involved in a huge feud with Trippie Redd.

Despite working together in the past, 6ix9ine is currently feuding with rapper Trippie Redd. In November 2017, Trippie Redd took to Instagram live to accuse Teka$hi of having him beaten up while he was in New York and went on to call Tekashi a "weirdo", a "rapist", and "gay". The pair have since traded a series of insults on social media. Picture: Instagram

19. What is Tekashi 6ix9ine's real name?

His real name is actually Daniel Hernandez. However the rapper goes by the stage names 6IX9INE, Teka$hi69, Tekashi69 and Teka$hi 6ix9ine. Picture: Instagram

20. 6ix9ine is covered in tattoos!

Despite his young age, the rapper has already covered most of his body is tattoos. The number 69 is prevalent, which is the name of his gang.

21. What is Tekashi 6ix9ine's Instagram?

6ix9ine returned to Instagram in April 2020 after his early release from prison. Under the handle @6ix9ine, he boasts over 19 million followers and in May 2020, he broke the record for most people viewing his Instagram Live after hitting 2 million viewers. Picture: Instagram

22. Tekashi 6ix9ine addressed his sexual misconduct charges from 2014 in an interview with DJ Akademiks.

The New York rapper attempted use the platform to clear his name, claiming that the situation was not rape or sexual misconduct since he was himself an underage child too and that the story happened in 2014. Picture: Akademiks

23. Is Tekashi 6ix9ine signed to Birdman's 'RichGang'?

The rapper claimed to have been signed to Birdman's 'RichGang' in February 2018. "Just Signed to Birdman RICHGANG, 15 Million February 23rd!" he wrote alongside a photo of him next to Birdman and Young Thug. However, nothing has been confirmed from Birdman so far! Picture: Instagram

24. Does Tekashi 6ix9ine have a song with Tory Lanez and Scott Storch?

Tekashi 6ix9ine previewed his new song with Tory Lanez and Scott Storch during a video on Instagram. The song, taken from his new album 'Dummy Boy', features steel pans throughout similar to Kodak Black's 'ZEZE'. Picture: Instagram

25. Tekashi 6ix9ine dropped his debut mixtape 'Day69' in February 2018.

6ix9ine's debut offering features some huge names including Young Thug, Offset, Tory Lanez, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Fetty Wap, and includes the viral hit singles 'Gummo' and 'Keke'. Picture: Instagram

26. Why did Tekashi 6ix9ine get arrested?

6ix9ine was reportedly arrested while filming a music video for his song 'Billy'. The controversial rapper was pictured being dragged away by police officers while on set. There is currently no news on what 6ix9ine was actually arrested for. Was it a publicity stunt? Picture: Instagram

27. What does Tekashi 6ix9ine look like without tattoos?

Before his fame, Tekashi was fresh-faced and didn't have a single face tattoo! His hair was also a natural colour, as opposed to the rainbow hairstyle he sports today. Sooner or later, however, the rapper went under the needle for face tatts including a bold '69' inked on his forehead, as well as the character 'Jigsaw' from the Saw movies on his cheek. Picture: YouTube

28. Why does Tekashi 6ix9ine have beef with YG?

Tekashi 6ix9ine and YG's feud started over an interview on The Breakfast Club. 6ix9ine fuelled the beef by claiming that YG was just the "Toot It & Boot It" rapper, while YG responded with a furious Instagram video threatening him.

29. When did Tekashi 6ix9ine release his debut album 'Dummy Boy'?

6ix9ine's debut album 'Dummy Boy' was released on November 27, 2018, and features appearances from Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Lil Baby, Gunna, Tory Lanez among others. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and has achieved platinum status.

30. What is the relationship between 50 Cent and Tekashi 6ix9ine?

50 Cent has hailed Tekashi 6ix9ine as his "son" on multiple occasions, and often roasts his fellow New Yorker for his antics and frequent altercations with the law. At one point, he handed over his 'King Of New York' crown to 6ix9ine. Credit: Instagram

31. Does 6ix9ine have a girlfriend?

Tekashi 6ix9ine is currently dating model and bartender Jade, whose Instagram is @_ohsoyoujade. Before his arrest, 6ix9ine splashed out $35k on a watch for her birthday gift in November 2018, and while he was behind bars she had his face tattooed on her chest.

32. What is the name of Tekashi 6ix9ine's baby mama?

Tekashi 6ix9ine has a baby daughter with a woman called Sarah. They are not currently in a relationship, however they co-parent their child together called Saraiyah. 6ix9ine has posed with her as a family on social media and has made reference to them living together in the past. 6ix9ine's baby mama's Instagram name is @iamsaramolina.

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Here's everything you need to know about Tekashi 6ix9ine, the controversial 22-year-old rapper who could go to prison for life

• Daniel Hernandez — also known as 6ix9ine and Tekashi69 — is a top-charting rapper.
• He has more than 15 million Instagram followers and has collaborated on songs with Nicki Minaj and Kanye West .
• In January, he confessed to racketeering, illegal firearms possession, and aiding in attemped murder as part of a violent crime ring, the Trey Nine gangsters.
• He's cooperating with federal authorities in their investigation into the gang.
• In a seperate 2015 case, Hernandez pleaded guilty to criminal sex acts with a 13-year-old.
• The mountain of legal challenges could finally spell the end for the notorious rapper.

You've probably heard a lot about 6ix9ine recently — for good reasons and bad.

6ix9ine — also known as Tekashi69 — is a 22-year-old rapper and Instagram star with more than 15 million followers whose real name is Daniel Hernandez. He's developed a unique persona as a hardcore rapper with an aggressively tattooed face and rainbow-dyed hair. After spending several years on the indie-SoundCloud-rapper circuit, Hernandez recently achieved mainstream credibility with "FEFE," a hit single he made with Nicki Minaj earlier this year.

But his star is dying just as quickly as it was born. As he's become famous, people have paid renewed attention to his 2015 conviction for using "a child in a sexual performance." And since his arrest in November, more details have come to light about his connections to organized crime. In January, he pleaded guilty to charges involving racketeering, illegal firearms posession, and aiding in attemped murder as part of the violent Trey Nine gang. He's cooperating with federal authorities for their investigation into other members of the organization.

How did a 22-year-old go from being an upcoming rapper and influencer to criminal? First, you need to understand how Daniel Hernandez became 6ix9ine.

Daniel Hernandez dropped out of school at the age of 13.

Hernandez's life fell sideways in his teenage years. When he was 13, his father was murdered a block from his family home, according to The New York Times .

The experience had a huge impact on Hernandez, and he soon dropped out of school and started working odd jobs to help his mother.

"My pops died in eighth grade, and I just started bugging in school," he told the podcast "No Jumper" in an extensive 2017 interview . "I was 13. I was waiting for my pops to come back home, and he never came."

Hernandez ultimately turned to selling drugs. At around that time, he developed his 6ix9ine persona, drawing inspiration from anime, hip-hop, and metal. He eventually got the number 69 tattooed on his body more than 200 times, according to The Times.

In February 2015, Hernandez performed sexual acts with a 13-year-old, whom he said he believed was 19.

As Hernandez rose through the ranks of internet fame and notoriety, he attended a party on February 22, 2015, where he performed several sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl. Hernandez was 19 at the time.

The lurid acts are described in detail in a criminal complaint obtained in 2017 by Jezebel . Hernandez was arrested in March 2015 over the incident and pleaded guilty in October of that year.

In his plea agreement, Hernandez's sentence was adjourned until October 2017 ( it has since been delayed several more times ). The terms of his release required that he not post explicit images of women to social media, that he write a letter explaining himself to the complaining witness and her family, that he not commit a crime for two years, and that he obtain a GED.

Hernandez later told police he thought the girl was 19. He's also contradicted his plea statement in several interviews , saying he didn't engage with the girl sexually and thought she was older.

Hernandez focused on building his online following — but made a deal with a fugitive.

After his 2015 criminal case, Hernandez seemed to focus on growing his Instagram following by promoting his brash persona and making music on SoundCloud . He also struck a deal with Kifano "Shotti" Jordan to be his manager. With Jordan, Hernandez made more mainstream street rap, started feuding with SoundCloud rappers, and began charging up to $100,000 for a performance, according to The Times .

But Jordan also has a criminal record. At the time, he was a fugitive from New Jersey authorities , having been charged with narcotics trafficking.

He became famous with "Gummo" in 2017.

Hernandez's first proper single was " Gummo ." Released in November 2017, it hit the Billboard charts and was remixed by Offset and Lil Wayne. The music video showed 6ix9ine at his most colorful, sporting his signature dirty, candy-colored hair and red bandana and carrying bags of what appears to be marijuana.

It was around this time that Hernandez began giving more interviews about his career , and when the 2015 charges against him gained renewed attention.

July was another big month for him — he released a song with Nicki Minaj and was reportedly kidnapped.

In 2018, Hernandez seemed to get in trouble with the law again several times. In May, he was reportedly arrested on charges of driving without a proper license and assaulting a police officer. Soon afterwards, he reportedly choked a 16-year-old in Texas and was arrested in New York .

But all of that was overshadowed on July 22. He released "FEFE," his biggest song yet , a collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz.

That same night, after a day of shooting the song's music video, Hernandez was reportedly kidnapped. He said two men forced him into a car at a New York City intersection and stole his jewelry, according to a police report viewed by the Associated Press . According to TMZ , the kidnappers also forced him to call his girlfriend for more money at home, and he ultimately escaped by opening the back door of the car.

A member of the Nine Trey Gangsters — also known as Treyway, a part of the Bloods street gang — was charged with the crime in November. Federal authorities believe Hernandez is also a member of the gang .

Hernandez was finally sentenced for the child-sex case.

After a number of procedural delays and appeals, Hernandez was sentenced in October to four years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service for the 2015 child-sex case.

The judge didn't sentence Hernandez to any prison time, as prosecutors requested. He drew a distinction between his personal persona and his public one and said that though prosecutors said he was a member of a gang, they didn't actually charge him with any gang-related activities.

That all changed a month later.

In November, federal authorities charged Hernandez with being part of a criminal enterprise.

On November 19, federal authorities announced a series of indictments against Hernandez, Jordan, and others they said are members of the Nine Trey Gangsters.

The federal lawsuit — titled United States of America v Jamel Jones, aka "Mel Murder," Kifano Jordan, aka "Shotti," Jensel Butler, aka "Ish," Daniel Hernandez, aka "Tekashi 6ix 9ine," Fugan Lovick, aka "Fu Banga," and Faheem Walter, aka "Crippy" — accuses the crew of running a drug-dealing ring and enforcing their activities through violence. The charges include racketeering and illegal firearms possession. Federal authorities also said the group conspired to commit murder.

If convicted, Hernandez and everyone else charged could face life in prison .

Hernandez initially pleaded not guilty to the charges . A judge denied him bail, citing an FBI raid in September that found a AR-15 and a stolen ID from a man robbed in Times Square.

He also risks being resentenced for his 2015 child-sex conviction, after prosecutors argued his gang activity violated his probation.

After a delay, "Dummy Boy" was released.

Despite the criminal charges against him, Hernandez's newest album, "Dummy Boy," was released on November 27. It was panned by critics but debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart .

In January, Hernandez pleaded guilty to the charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

On January 23, Hernandez entered a guilty plea to the charges related to his involvement with Trey Nine , according to court records reviewed by INSIDER. He also agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in their investigation.

"I paid a person to shoot at a rival member of Nine Trey to scare him. The shooting took place in Manhattan. I did this to maintain or increase my own standing in Nine Trey," Hernandez told the judge,   according to a court transcript .

The plea was initially under seal, as prosecutors were given permission to arrest three other people involved in the case. The Department of Justice announced the arrests on February 1, and Hernandez's plea became public.

• Rapper XXXTentacion confessed to domestic abuse in secret recordings made before he was killed
• Controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine pleaded guilty for his role in a violent drug-trafficking gang and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors
• 'I was leaking blood': Tekashi 6ix9ine's ex-girlfriend says he regularly assaulted her

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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Who is Tekashi 6ix9ine? Everything you need to know about the controversial rainbow-haired rapper.

The brooklyn-born "scream rap" artist has racked up multiple hits — and legal issues — over the past decade..

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If you’re of a certain age, it can feel certifiably impossible to keep up with the ever-expanding lineup of hip-hop’s young hitmakers.

There is one face in the rap crowd, though, that you’ve probably seen creep into your feed more often than any other of late. And it’s got a whole mess of tattoos on it.

With rainbow-colored hair and the third most famous face tattoos this side of Mike Tyson and Lil Wayne , 6ix9ine (aka Tekashi69) has one of the music industry’s most distinctive looks. The controversial, oft-troubled “scream rap” artist has also become one of the industry’s most consistent headline-makers, most recently for an incident at a South Florida gym in which the rapper was attacked and brutally beaten by a group of men and rushed to a hospital.

So who in the world is 6ix9nine, and why does his stage name look like your online banking password? Our explainer, below.

His beginnings

6ix9ine, né Daniel Hernandez, was born in 1986 in Bushwick, Brooklyn to a Mexican mother and Puerto Rican father. He was a star baseball player as a youth, attracting interest from major league scouts. He was raised a devout Christian, though barely knew his birth father, who struggled with a heroin addiction. His stepfather was shot and killed in 2010 just steps from their residence. The killing traumatized Hernandez, who acted out in school and was expelled in eighth grade. His family largely lived in poverty after his stepfather’s death.

His explosion

Hernandez began rapping in 2012, and releasing music in 2014. His first song release? The expectedly raunchy trap track “69.” Bill and Ted’s favorite number would soon become part of his official stage name because of yes, the sexual position, but also its mirrored ying-yang symbol. Hernandez adopted “Tekashi” as a nod to the popular character in Katsuhiro Otomo’s famed 1988 anime favorite Akira .

Working with the Slovakian label FCK THEM, Tekashi69 drew attention on Soundcloud and social media over the next couple years for his aggressive cadence and colorful appearance.

His career took off in 2017 with the release of his first commercial single, “Gummo” (an homage to Harmony Korine’s wildly weird 1997 cult film), a diss track aimed at former associates Trippie Redd and SosMula that’s accompanying video featured the rapper flanked by about 100 Nine Trey Gangsta Blood gang members in red bandanas in front of Brooklyn brownstones. The song peaked at No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and its video has 429 million views and counting.

6ix9ine followed up “Gummo” with two more singles, “Kooda” and “Keke” (featuring Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie), all of which would be on his popular mixtape Day69 , released in February 2018. Five months later the rapper released the single “Fefe,” which featured the red-hot Nicki Minaj over production by Murda Beatz and climbed all the way to No. 3 on the Hot 100, ultimately crossing the one billion views mark on YouTube . In November came 6ix9ine’s debut album, Dummy Boy , which also included features from Kanye West, Lil Baby and Tory Lanez, and became certified platinum.

Due largely to a world of legal trouble (see below), 6ix9ine has only released one full-length album since, 2020’s TattleTales . It included the singles “Gooba,” “Yaya,” “Punani” and “Trollz,” which again featured Minaj and became a No. 1 hit.

His controversies and arrest

Hernandez served jail time as a minor for assault and selling heroin, and his troubles escalated almost as soon as his music career popped off.

In 2015, he pled guilty to a felony count of use of a child in a sexual performance after three videos surfaced involving a 13-year-old girl. The rapper denied knowing she was a minor and struck a plea deal.

The year 2018 was a doozy. On June 2, Chicago drill rapper Chief Keef was fired upon outside a New York City hotel, which Hernandez later pled guilty to for paying $20,000 to orchestrate. On July 12, he was arrested for allegedly choking a 16-year-old in a Houston mall (charges were eventually dropped). On July 22, he was kidnapped, beaten and robbed shortly after shooting the video for “Fefe.”

And on Nov. 18, just a week before the release of Dummy Boy , Hernandez was arrested on federal racketeering charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, and faced up to 47 years in prison. In February 2019, the rapper struck a plea deal and testified against Nine Trey gang members. He was sentenced to only two years in prison, but was granted an even earlier release in April 2020 due to concerns over COVID given his pre-existing asthma condition; he served out the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August.

While in prison, Hernandez admitted to seven years of domestic abuse reportedly against his ex-girlfriend (and the mother of the oldest of his two daughters), Sara Molina.

Several rappers have condemned Hernandez for his cooperating with prosecutors in the Nine Trey case, and he’s had a long list of feuds with folks in the industry including Meek Mill, King Von, 50 Cent, YG, Future, Lil Durk, Lil Treese, Lil Tjay and probably one or two other Lils.

Three suspects were arrested this week for the alleged assault and robbery.

Story originally published March 23, 2023; updated March 31, 2023.

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The saga of Tekashi 6ix9ine: inside the story of a 'supervillain' rapper

A new documentary examines the life of a SoundCloud star turned convicted criminal, and a culture that makes us ‘all complicit’ in the rise of dangerous attention-seekers

W ith his rainbow-colored tresses and prominent facial tattoos, it’s hard not to stare at SoundCloud rapper and viral sensation Tekashi 6ix9ine. The 24-year-old, who has collaborated with Nicki Minaj and Kanye West, wouldn’t have it any other way. More so than his actual music, the self-proclaimed social media “supervillain,” former gang member, and convicted felon is known for his shocking online antics and run-ins with the law. For him, no publicity is bad publicity – so does the latest Hulu documentary, 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez, simply play into the young provocateur’s indiscriminate thirst for the spotlight?

Advertised as both an “investigative documentary” and a “gangster story,” the film traces the rapper’s life from childhood up to his arrest in late 2018 on charges that include attempted murder and armed robbery. A year earlier, he had embroiled himself with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a violent subset of the east coast prison gang, to bolster his image and street credibility. Gummo, his 2017 music video featuring cameos from several of the gang’s members, exploded in popularity. Things escalated quickly. He rode the coattails of associated infamy to break the internet before getting in too deep. Fast forward past multiple convictions and an abbreviated prison sentence due to his cooperation with the authorities, and today 6ix9ine has reached an all-time low as one of the most despised figures in hip hop.

“I was trying to find the moment where internet violence turned into real violence,” film-maker Vikram Gandhi tells the Guardian. “It’s one thing to have the symbols and look of violence with guns and gang affiliation. It’s about when the line is crossed into something else – physical violence, people getting punched in the face, groups going around shooting people – that’s when you know it’s not a show any more.”

Fascinated by the new generation of SoundCloud rappers so divorced from his own conception of New York hip-hop, Gandhi discovered 6ix9ine in 2018 and picked up his camera around the time of his arrest months later. Somewhat of a prankster himself, Gandhi knows a thing or two about posturing for attention. In Kumaré, his 2011 documentary, he posed as a spiritual guru and gained a number of followers despite being a fake. In 69, he drops the costume and plunges into the life and times of the notorious figure whose invented persona became too real for his own good.

Before his rise, 6ix9ine was Danny Hernandez, a first generation New Yorker born to immigrant parents from Mexico and Puerto Rico. Raised in poverty by a single mother and traumatized by his father’s absence and his stepfather’s murder, Hernandez led a difficult childhood in the shadows of anonymity before discovering the powers of Instagram and YouTube. “When I realized he grew up in Bushwick, close to where I live,” Gandhi tells the Guardian in a video call. “I realized I knew exactly the neighborhood he was from and the bodega he worked in.”

Drawing from past interviews, social media posts, audio recordings, videos, court documents, and transcripts, Gandhi summons the digital spirit of Tekashi 6ix9ine without ever actually speaking to him. The rapper’s team ignored Gandhi’s interview requests and has recently denounced the documentary. But for the film-maker, 6ix9ine’s cooperation never really mattered. “When I started I didn’t know if he was going to get out of prison. He could have been sentenced for much longer. I was making the film whether he came out or not,” Gandhi explains. “In long-form film-making you will always have a narrative arc that’s beyond some people’s control. I think [6ix9ine] is inclined to do interviews where he can manipulate the narrative. He lives so much of his life online, anyway. That’s where he really exists. What would he tell me that he hasn’t already said?”

Indeed, Tekashi is skilled at absorbing bad press and turning it into something positive, knowing that attention is the currency of fame. From his early days designing clothes featuring profanities drawn in big, bold letters, to his button-pushing music videos and high-profile social media beefs, he knows that provocation will rack up the “likes.” In fact, his persona relies on constantly one-upping himself in a never-ending game of dare. In his first music video out of prison, Gooba, he depicts himself as a rat, at once acknowledging his new reputation as a snitch, and shrugging off its importance. The film draws a timeline of his various sentences and controversies, yet no matter the scandal he bounces back, revealing a cold, casual attitude towards his accusers, and those he’s betrayed or harmed.

“None of the information we share is new. But with [the film] we give a human face to a lot of people who in the past have just been depicted as pawns in [6ix9ine’s] story,” Gandhi says. He interviews neighbors and former friends that knew Hernandez before he was throwing gang signs at the camera. But the most poignant of Gandhi’s subjects is Sara Molina, the former girlfriend and mother of Hernandez’s daughter. Molina paints a damning portrait of her ex-beau as a physically abusive partner and indifferent father too addicted to fame to care about anyone but himself. “For everyone in the movie, [6ix9ine] is a triggering person. Almost everybody that I interviewed that was close to him struggled. It was like they were all talking about a good friend that screwed them over.”

A cautionary tale about the destructive powers of fame-seeking in the age of social media, Tekashi’s story might recall that of another American villain skilled in media manipulation. “Dave Chappelle once said after [Donald] Trump was elected that we elected an internet troll as our president. I don’t think that anyone could imagine at the time that the attention that was being given to him might actually make him win.” Gandhi says. “[With Tekashi 6ix9ine], the hip hop world and the internet created a troll and gave him fame and fortune. We’re all complicit in this attention giving economy.”

When asked about the objection some have towards amplifying people who have proven themselves undeserving of the spotlight, Gandhi shrugs: “I don’t have an answer on whether the film is good or bad for society, or good or bad for [6ix9ine’s] career. The only thing I can do is take a subject that is taboo and open it up. I think we have to address things instead of cancel them. Why did this thing happen? If you were someone who was obsessed with the story, or someone who regrets being a fan of his, you can look at the film and say, ‘This is what went down’.”

69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez is now on Hulu with a UK date to be announced

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6ix9ine, Rap’s Newly Freed, Chart-Topping Villain, Admits to Everything

In his first interview since being released from prison, the polarizing rapper, who testified against his former gang, addresses his “snitching,” his horrible reputation and his record of abuse.

Credit... Daniel Arnold for The New York Times

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By Joe Coscarelli

• Sept. 2, 2020

The rapper and internet troll 6ix9ine , one of the most polarizing figures in popular culture today, is by turns grating, defiant, relentless, hostile and savvy, a self-proclaimed car crash, a rat and an admitted domestic abuser. At 24, he is also inarguably compelling to many, having landed two Top 5 hits — including “Trollz” with Nicki Minaj, his first No. 1 — and racked up more than one billion new YouTube views in less than four months, since his early release from federal prison this spring.

6ix9ine, born Daniel Hernandez and also known as Tekashi69, was not supposed to come back like this. In February of last year, he pleaded guilty to firearms and racketeering charges stemming from his role in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a violent, drug-trafficking Brooklyn gang, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, delivering what the judge in the case called “game-changing” testimony against his former associates.

The legal maneuvering probably saved him decades behind bars — he was sentenced to two years, including the 13 months he’d already served — but it also put his life and rap career in jeopardy, undermining the exaggerated gangster persona he had so carefully cultivated and leaving him labeled a poser and a snitch. (Days before his arrest, 6ix9ine had split publicly from the gang, claiming that its members had orchestrated his kidnapping, stolen money from him and more.)

6ix9ine, a rainbow-haired, suggestively tattooed attention addict, was already controversial — an endless source of Instagram beefs that often devolved into real-world violence, and a convicted sex criminal, having pleaded guilty as a teenager to the use of a child in a sexual performance. Then he repeatedly doubled down on his villain status. His new album is called “TattleTales,” out Friday via the independent distributor Create Music Group, though 6ix9ine remains connected to his first label, 10K Projects . But the rapper has also re-entered the world at a moment of life-or-death upheaval for many — from the coronavirus to the Black Lives Matter protests — leading some to wonder how long it will be before his antics fully curdle, if they haven’t already.

On a recent Sunday, animated by a large light-and-sweet McDonald’s coffee, 6ix9ine sat down for his first post-prison interview at a Manhattan hotel to answer for everything. Alternating between remorse and what-about-isms, he could be forthcoming and straightforward, but also slippery, refusing any suggestion that he might tone down the chaos .

“How would you feel if I go out there on the ledge and jump off that building and kill myself?” 6ix9ine asked. “That’s what society wants me to do.” Instead, he planned to “just keep dominating,” he said.

These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Take me back to your decision to testify. Your lawyer gets a call, says your life is in danger after speaking out against Nine Trey members. What happens next?

We go to meet with the feds. They say, listen, do you know anybody that’s looking to harm you? Because at this point I’m not cooperating. There’s been a split, and they know it because they hear all the wiretaps. So Friday morning, I do the interview at the Breakfast Club . I know the feds are monitoring me, making sure no one comes to hurt me, but I don’t know why at this point — I’m pretty scared. I’m tired. On Sunday, I went downstairs and I said, “I need to speak to your boss.” I’m ready to snitch now. The very next morning, they said, you know what, if something happens to this kid, somebody kills him, it’s on us. They took everybody down , knowing in the back of their head, this kid is about to let the whistle blow. The very next morning, I was in their office.

When you made that decision, what were your main concerns — your safety, your reputation, your career?

Everything. I really want this to hit home: When I was kidnapped, was I a victim? Did I cooperate? No. When they were stealing money from shows, did I cooperate? No. Did I have many chances to tell the police what I saw? Yes. I was following a street code that was upheld by me and that I thought was real. Before I broke the street code, how many times was it broken to me? “It’s all about honor, loyalty.” Well, let’s talk about if sleeping with somebody’s girl is honor, kidnapping somebody is honor, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from them is honor, trying to kill them is honor. “Snitching’s not street!” But street is taking advantage of one of your homies?

Do you regret getting involved with Nine Trey?

No. I knew what I was doing with Nine Trey. I knew what I was getting into.

You were going to provide them money, they were going to provide you ——

Credibility. I just didn’t know the betrayal. These are guys that I woke up next to every day.

Do you think you could have gotten to where you are today without the gang image?

No. I was killing the European market. But when you’re a kid from New York, you don’t want to be the kid that is only being played in Slovakia. I want to go outside in New York and hear my music. I want to go to the club and hear my music blasting through those speakers. What’s the point of doing something and you’re not the best at doing it in your hometown? You ever seen “Ricky Bobby” ? “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” That’s how I treat life.

In 2015, before fame, you pleaded guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance. You were seen in videos miming graphic acts and touching a 13-year-old while she performed sex acts on other men.

Yes, I was making Instagram videos, a whole bunch of content.

Do you feel like you’ve atoned for that? [In 2018, before his gang arrest, 6ix9ine was sentenced to four years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service as part of a plea agreement in that case.]

Of course. No other celebrity gives back as much as Daniel Hernandez.

So you think money is the way to pay your debt to society for something like that?

No. I’m a true inspiration to the kids, not only with money, but showing — I used to clean tables, dishwash, deliver food 12 hours a day for like three years. I’m you, but I made myself into something. Going back to the 13-year-old girl — I was 18 at the time. Am I this 40-year-old Jeffrey Epstein-type?

But if somebody said to you, “I can never forgive you for what you did to that child,” would you understand?

Yeah, I would say God bless. I don’t wake up every day and think, “Does this person like me?” Instead I say, “How can this person hate me even more?” Because someone who doesn’t like me is not comfortable in their own skin.

I admit to all my wrongs, right? I pleaded guilty to [using] a child in a sexual performance, and then I took responsibility for that. I pleaded guilty to racketeering for 47 years, I took responsibility for that. I will have to pay that for the rest of my life, looking over my shoulder, right? Guaranteed. What society is trying to do is have me crawl into a corner and say, you know what, I hate myself. I will never hate myself. I love everything I’ve been through and I will never take it back. I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever regret the lessons I learned in life, because they made me into an animal, made me into a beast. I can go through anything.

The thing with a 13-year-old girl, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The justice system makes you feel so guilty for something and they beat it into your head. “You’re not taking responsibility for it!” And the whole time, you’re telling the honest truth. Listen, I went to this place, and these guys brought this underage girl. I’m filming it, uploading it for the masses to see. If you committed a murder, would you upload that Instagram? I uploaded it to social media for the world to see! You’re thinking there’s no crime being committed. When the cops came to get me, I said, what happened? I turned myself in.

How did you feel when you found out she was 13?

That tore me apart. My whole life felt like it was coming crashing down. I’m in the interrogation room like, what did I do? “Damn, my life is over.”

Do you understand the view that you don’t need to be a public figure, that you don’t deserve to be famous, based on your real-world actions with real human victims?

No, I don’t. Tupac Shakur was convicted of rape. [In 1994, Shakur was convicted of felony sex abuse .] Is Tupac Shakur loved or hated? Loved! What’s the difference between me and Tupac Shakur? I never caught a rape charge — ever.

He put art into the world in which he grappled with his demons, and said, “I’ve done good, I’ve done bad, I want to be better.” He tried to give back through his work.

And what am I doing?

You feel like the art you’re making is adding to the world?

Maybe it’s fun, it’s turn-up music, but it’s not introspective.

This is one of his biggest songs. [Plays “Troublesome ’96” by Tupac from his iPhone] What’s the difference between that and “Billy” ? “A born leader, never leave the crib without my heater!” You’re telling me he gave back through his art? You’re lying to me.

He’s a multifaceted artist. You only have one kind of record.

I got to feed what, in 2020, is relevant. I got to feed the masses. There’s no difference between me and Tupac Shakur.

Now that you’re free, there’s the ever-present threat of retaliation. Why not just go live quietly on the beach somewhere?

I fell in love with the life. I fell in love with the fact that I inspire people. When kids see me, they go crazy.

Are you addicted to that attention?

Oh, of course. I love it. I grew up being a nobody. Genuinely, as a kid, I felt like I was just walking invisibly. I never want to feel that way. My goal is to feed me and mine.

Do you love making music or is it just a vehicle to fame and money?

I love music.

Why not try to be more thoughtful in your music, given what you’ve gone through? Do you think the masses just want ignorance?

When somebody’s in the gym and they want to listen to 6ix9ine, why do they listen to 6ix9ine? To turn up! When you’re with your girl and you wanna listen to R&B, do you put on Chief Keef? People hate me because I’m the most straightforward: I’ll knock you down . I’m a genius at what I do. When you want to listen to R&B, you go to Usher. When you want to listen to hip-hop, you go to Nas. When you want to listen to rock, you go to AC/DC. When you listen to 6ix9ine, you don’t want to hear, “ My mama was crying … ” I can go there, but my fans don’t want that. You don’t go to McDonald’s and get filet mignon.

How worried are you on a day-to-day basis about your safety now?

Without security? A lot. With security? Nah.

What’s your security team like? How big?

Amazing. It varies, like, eight, 12, 22.

How much are you spending?

A lot. Like, a lot.

Was there ever a time when you considered going into witness protection ?

[Expletive] no. They were like, “Yeah, it wouldn’t work anyway because your face tattoos. You’re too noticeable.”

What was your biggest worry about testifying?

This probably sounds sick, but I didn’t have a worry, because I wanted to testify. That’s sick, right? But I wanted to tell my truth.

Are you scared of dying?

[Expletive] yeah. Are you scared of dying?

You’re probably closer to it than I am.

Yeah, duh! At this point, it’s a lifestyle. I worry about it, but I’m not scared of it. The streets is a myth. Right now, if I left this interview and took the train by myself to Bed-Stuy, I wouldn’t come back. If you took a trip to an island full of cannibals, are you coming back? But you don’t put yourself in stupid situations.

Sara Molina, the mother of your child, says you abused her physically for years.

We did have physical fights. I admitted to all that.

Right, in your cooperation agreement you confessed to domestic violence from 2011 to 2018. Do you think it’s OK to put your hands on a woman?

No, no, [expletive] no.

Does it hurt to know that your daughter is going to grow up to know that?

It will suck. My daughter’s not dumb. She’ll see everything on the internet. There’s a lot of things that we’ll have to explain to her. Me and Sara spoke. I’ve been visiting my daughter, I’ve been giving my daughter money. I admitted my truth. It’s the worst thing ever. But I’m not going to sit there and lie to you. I’m telling you, I did it. I admit to it, and I apologize. I don’t owe the world an apology, the person I owe an apology to is Sara Molina. She got that apology. That’s where it matters. [Molina declined to comment.]

Do you think you’ve been boycotted by the industry?

I feel like it’s a fear, because remember, everybody has to abide by a street code, right? But the industry is not street.

So why do you think nobody is promoting your stuff?

I feel like the executives think they’re Nine Trey gangsters. These executives feel like they owe something to the streets. It’s the most stupidest thing in the world.

Where do you stand on the recent wave of protests against racial discrimination and police brutality?

I feel like I got no say. It’s like, “Shut up, just make us laugh.” I’m not an activist. People do that for the cameras.

Has any of it made you rethink your use of the N-word as a non-Black person?

No. Nobody’s going to make me stop saying [expletive]. I grew up in Bushwick, Brooklyn. All my friends are Black. Who’s going to stop me? If I felt it was wrong, I would stop, but it’s not wrong, my [expletive].

A lot of people compare you to President Trump in your ability to troll your way to the top. Do you see similarities there?

I don’t think Trump trolls. I think Trump is genuinely Trump. I get compared to Trump every day. But I love Mexican people. I don’t think we’re the same.

Have you ever voted?

Can felons vote?

In New York some can .

[ Mouths quietly ] I would vote for Trump. [ Laughs ]

You’ve seen some success since you were released, but those songs peaked big and quickly disappeared, making it seem like you’re more of a spectacle than anything. Why isn’t your music sticking around?

Because everything is paid into radio. How does a song get on radio? Cash. Is that song really hot or is it the money being put into that record to promote it? When you call a Carl Chery [of Spotify] or a Larry Jackson [of Apple Music] and say, do me a favor, can we get on the playlist Rap Caviar, New Music Friday, is that really your record that’s hot or your label pulling strings?

“Trollz” is also just not that good compared to “Gummo,” “Kooda.”

“Trollz” is a No. 1 record. Why is “Gummo” and “Kooda” not? ’Cause money!

So how do you get around that?

We have to fix those relationships. And money has to be spent.

What do you say to people who say you’re inflating your streams, whether it’s through bots or pre-roll ads or dirty marketing tactics?

I’ll say the same thing I said to Billboard: Who doesn’t? Everybody inflates their numbers. Ev-er-y-bod-y .

What does your mother think about the life you chose?

Loves it. My mom would rather not scrub people’s floors and bathrooms until she’s dead, so I think she’s accepted my decisions.

If this all went away tomorrow — poof, social media doesn’t exist — what would you do?

I would jump off that ledge. [ Laughs ]

So what’s the strategy now?

I’m already at the top, now just keep making music and keep dominating.

But you’ve got to evolve. What’s next?

Just keep dominating.

Do you think you can win people back, or has everybody already made up their mind about you?

They already made up their mind. The people who didn’t like me before are the same people who don’t like me now, they just have an excuse.

Can you change anyone’s mind?

Why would I want to? It’s made me millions of dollars. I’m stupid, but I’m not dumb. What if I change, and I don’t make no more money? Keep hating me, because you’re going to keep tuning in.

Joe Coscarelli is a culture reporter with a focus on pop music. His work seeks to pull back the curtain on how hit songs and emerging artists are discovered, made and marketed. He previously worked at New York magazine and The Village Voice. More about Joe Coscarelli

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Bryan Adams: the surprisingly sexual story of Summer Of '69

Bryan Adams’ hit single Summer Of '69 wasn’t about childhood innocence and forgotten friendships – it was an ode to topsy-turvy lurve-makin’

It was the winter of 1984. Two guys sat in the basement studio of a Vancouver town house, working on a song that neither of them was particularly satisfied with. One was Jim Vallance, a songwriter-for-hire who had made his reputation writing hits for such heavyweights as Joe Cocker and Kiss . He owned the studio. The other guy was Vallance’s writing partner from those early days, and the singer in their band (although Vallance’s contributions were now confined to the studio). His name was Bryan Adams . 

Adams and Vallance had already enjoyed a creditable amount commercial success, with Straight From The Heart, Cuts Like A Knife and This Time in 1983 making numbers 10, 15 and 24 respectively in the US singles chart and parent album Cuts Like A Knife reaching No.8, and having earned support slots with The Kinks and Foreigner . 

Adams’s tour diary was gruelling that year, with around 283 days on the road, but his reputation in the US was growing. Now he just needed a bona fide hit; a signature song that would open doors on both sides of the Atlantic and provide the backbone to his forthcoming new album, Reckless . But he wasn’t sure that Summer Of ’69 was that song. 

“I had no idea it would become such a classic,” admits Adams today. “Originally the song had been called The Best Days Of My Life , but we had always played around with the idea of writing a song about summertime. At one point while we were doing the demo, I just threw in the lyric ‘It was the summer of ’69’ and it stuck. And the guitar intro is about the only thing I can play, so that was pretty easy.”

Bryan Adams was nine years old in the summer of ’69. He didn’t join his first band (Shock) until ’76. Which doesn’t quite fit the song’s lyrical content, which appears to rue the break-up of a teenage band (‘Jimmy quit and Jody got married’) and the collapse of a love affair (‘I think about you, wonder what went wrong’). 

In reality, Adams’s clean-living image has helped disguise one of the most blatant innuendos of modern rock: the ‘69’ in question doesn’t refer to the year 1969, but to the sexual position. Adams has announced as much from the stage, and even appears to sing ‘me and my baby in a 69’ during the song’s outro. 

“The song is a bit autobiographical,” Adams explains, “but it’s really about summer love and, in my, case being a musician. I love the song Night Moves by Bob Seger , which is about getting laid in the summer, and I always wanted to write an answer to that. There is a huge misconception that this song is about 1969, but it’s not. The reason I chose 69 is because of the sexual position. 

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"The imagery in the song is about romance, nostalgia, being a struggling musician and making love. Jimmy and Jody are real people though. Jimmy is a drummer who quit the band, and Jody [Perpik] is still my soundman on tour after 25 years.”

It’s not about 1969. The reason I chose 69 is because of the sexual position Bryan Adams

Co-writer Jim Valance offers more insight: “I remember Bryan and I going back and forth on that line. I suggested ‘ Woody quit and Gordy got married ’, but Bryan thought ‘Jimmy’ and ‘Jody’ sounded better, and I agreed. Jody and his wife appear in the video for Summer Of ’69, driving away with a Just Married sign on the back of their car. 

“I also suggested the lyric ‘ I got a job at the railway yard ’, because that’s what my friend Chuck did. The ‘railway’ lyric survived our first two drafts of the song, then Bryan’s radar went up. He thought it sounded too much like Bruce Springsteen , so we scrapped it [in favour of the line ‘ I should have known we’d never get far ’]. 

"Maybe he was right, but I still prefer ‘ I got a job at the railway yard ’. ‘ Standing on your mother’s porch ’ was where a bit of Springsteen found its way into the song. I was listening to a lot of Bruce at the time – Bryan was, too – and one of my favourites was Thunder Road . Bruce sings ‘ from your front porch to my front seat ’, and that’s probably where the ‘porch’ reference came from.”

While Summer Of ’69 had come together fast in Vallance’s basement, recording it proved an arduous process. Realising he was sitting on a song that could ignite his career, Adams stopped at nothing to capture the sound he heard in his head. 

“The track was recorded three separate times,” he recalls. “I wanted to capture a special energy on the track – and nearly lost my team doing it. I basically fought with everyone until it became the way it is today. It wasn’t easy getting it there.” 

Released in August 1985, Summer Of ’69 ultimately hit No.5 in the US and a relatively lowly No.42 in the UK. Such was the slowburn success of the song, however, that its parent album re-entered the chart as late as 1991; it has sold 12 million copies. 

Today, Adams is philosophical: “Charts don’t matter. What matters is that the song is great. And it is. It proves that people who program radio don’t always have their finger on what people want.” 

Vallance isn’t tired of Summer Of ’69 either: “I think it was Bryan and I at our best. We hadn’t had any real success yet. In January 1984 we were still writing songs for all the right reasons. Everything started to unravel after Reckless ."

Henry Yates has been a freelance journalist since 2002 and written about music for titles including The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Classic Rock, Guitarist, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer . He is the author of Walter Trout's official biography, Rescued From Reality , a music pundit on Times Radio and BBC TV, and an interviewer who has spoken to Brian May, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie Wood, Dave Grohl, Marilyn Manson, Kiefer Sutherland and many more. 

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Why is 69 Famous? The Origin and Cultural Significance of a Meme

• Nice. Even if you don‘t immediately get the reference, chances are the connection will click quickly. 69 has cemented itself as one of the internet‘s most ubiquitous and enduring memes. But why is the sexual position so deeply ingrained in pop culture?

In this post, we‘ll dive deep on the prominence of 69 – from its NSFW roots to numerological meanings. We‘ll also analyze why it remains a cultural fascination after all these years. So let‘s unravel the mystery of its lasting appeal.

While creative positioning during oral sex likely dates back centuries, using "69" as shorthand originated more recently. The term first clearly appeared in the famous 1972 sex manual The Joy of Sex . Author Alex Comfort openly named and depicted the mutual oral position, giving rise to the now well-known label.

But some claim 69 was included in erotic literature as far back as the late 1800s. The Kama Sutra , My Secret Life by Anonymous, and other earlier texts describe physical arrangements resembling 69 without directly coining it.

By the sexual revolution of the 1960s, oral sex shed some taboos and 69 gained wider recognition. Free love proponents even touted 69‘s mutual pleasure as representing equality.

The rise of internet porn cemented 69 as a standard term. As of 2022, it boasts over 182 million Google search results – much higher than related terms like "face sitting" or "blowjob." PornHub data reveals it‘s among the top 20 most searched positions.

Clearly, 69 resonates well beyond just a sexual act. But what is it about this particular position that captured public imagination?

The Psychological Appeal of Sex Memes

Memes relating to sex acts allow people to publicly engage with risqué topics. According to psychologists, finding humor in taboo subjects helps reduce stigma. By packaging it as a joke, we can derive pleasure from provocation without the shame.

The popularity of 69 memes mirrors the human attraction to dirty jokes more broadly. Sex gives us a rebellious thrill. Number-based euphemisms like 69 let us winkingly admit to sexual desires that society still expects us to keep private.

Experts also cite the benign violation theory in explaining risqué humor‘s appeal. Laughing at something edgy, but not too edgy, creates amusement. 69 perfectly encapsulates this sweet spot – just naughty enough without going too far.

69 By the Numbers: Quantifying a Meme

Now let‘s explore just how deeply 69 permeates digital culture through some key statistics:

• On Twitter, #69 has over 11 million mentions . That‘s more than #420, which tops out around 5 million.
• Googling "69 meaning" yields 182 million results , while "420 meaning" shows 68 million.
• Since 2016, the emoji 😏 winking face (aka "the 69 emoji") has been used over 36 billion times on Twitter.
• On Reddit, there are dozens of subreddits dedicated to 69 jokes and memes with thousands of members.
• Urban Dictionary has over 500 submissions defining 69 . They range from detailing the sex act to celebrating 69‘s awesomeness.
• PornHub Insights shares that searches for "69" grew over 25% from 2021 to 2022. Clearly interest remains strong!

So by many metrics, 69 dominates other sexual search terms and memes in popularity. Its meaning enjoys nearly universal recognition.

Next let‘s analyze how it permeates pop culture.

69 in Music, TV, and Film

References to the sexual position appear across all forms of entertainment media:

• Songs like "69" by Murphy Lee, "Summer Girls" by LFO, "The Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang, Travis Scott‘s "Goosebumps", and many others use 69 as not-so-subtle innuendo.
• Heavy metal band Mötley Crüe has an instrumental track titled "Suite 69" on their album Theatre of Pain .
• Rapper CupcakKe‘s song "Deepthroat" includes the lyric "He eat me out like it‘s dinner time, 69, damn that‘s fine".
• Pop singer Ariana Grande caused controversy with her song "Side to Side" which begins "I‘ve been here all night, I‘ve been here all day" and involves plenty of hip thrust choreography.
• In HBO‘s Euphoria , Cassie tells her friends about a sexual encounter and says, "So I‘m laying there, just 69ing with this guy…"
• On the sitcom Friends , Monica reveals that her ex-boyfriend had a third nipple under his actual nipple. Chandler quips, "Wow, so it must‘ve been pretty big then…" alluding to 69.
• In the Netflix series Sex Education , Otis practices sex positions with a pillow including 69.
• Even children‘s cartoons sneak in references, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles song lyric "Tubin‘ it in style, 69 is our number."
• In the raunchy comedy Sausage Party , a bagel and taco engage in a 69 position. One passionately states "Oh my God, I‘m 69ing right now!"
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery includes a scene focused entirely on characters engaging in a 69 with carnival music playing.

Across decades, writers continue sprinkling 69 references to add sexual shock value. While subtle at times, the pop culture citations reinforce its status as a wink-wink cult favorite.

Reddit‘s Obsession with 69

The social discussion site Reddit offers insightful glimpses into why users remain so fixated on 69. Two threads in particular encapsulate the pervasive humor around it:

• A post titled "Today is 6/9. 69 comments and 69 upvotes please." received over 175,000 upvotes. The comments feature strings of "Nice" in a communal 69 celebration.
• "What‘s the sexiest digit?" has a top reply of simply "6" with 9 upvotes. It perfectly demonstrates the clever double meaning.

People on Reddit use 69 to bond around their shared immaturity. As one commenter put it: "69 is the kidney stone of sex positions. It hurts to try it but once you pass it you make sure everyone knows."

Numerology and Spiritual Symbolism

Beyond just the sexual position, the digits 6 and 9 hold deeper meanings:

• Yin and yang – 69 represents the harmony between opposing forces. 6 flipped upside down forms 9, just as yin forms yang.
• Twin flames – Seeing 69 may mean you and your "twin flame" destined partner are about to reunite. Some believe twin flames split from one soul and forever seek to rejoin.
• Numerology – 69 reduces to 15 (6 + 9), then further reduces to 6 (1 + 5). Six represents equilibrium and union.
• Kabbalah – Jewish mystics view 69 as the multiplication of chai or "living" (18) and yah or God (26). It signals life with God.

So in spiritual contexts, 69 carries sacred meaning regarding unity and "oneness" beyond the bedroom.

Conclusion: 69 Shows No Signs of Losing Its Luster

Unlike most internet fads, 69 has shown impressive longevity across five decades and counting. Its origins as the slang name for a sex position fueled an ongoing cultural fascination – one we don‘t seem to tire of even today.

Memes often fade quickly, but 69 touches on elements of the human experience that remain:

Sexuality – The desire to express this integral part of life while also laughing at its awkwardness.

Taboo – The thrilling contradiction between private acts and public jokes.

Bonding – The silly connections we form around inside references.

Of course, for many 69 will always be just a harmless, goofy euphemism. But its popularity reveals deeper truths about society‘s relationship to sex and humor. 69‘s meaning continues to adapt – but the appeal remains as strong as ever.

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: September 22, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

Cleopatra VII ruled ancient Egypt as co-regent (first with her father, then with her two younger brothers and finally with her son) for almost three decades. She was part of a dynasty of Macedonian rulers founded by Ptolemy, who served as general under Alexander the Great during his conquest of Egypt in 332 B.C. Well-educated and clever, Cleopatra could speak various languages and served as the dominant ruler in all three of her co-regencies. Her romantic liaisons and military alliances with the Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, as well as her supposed exotic beauty and powers of seduction, earned her an enduring place in history and popular myth.

Cleopatra: Early Life and Ascension to Throne

Since no contemporary accounts exist of Cleopatra’s life, it is difficult to piece together her biography with much certainty. Much of what is known about her life comes from the work of Greco-Roman scholars, particularly Plutarch. Born in 70 or 69 B.C., Cleopatra was a daughter of Ptolemy XII (Auletes), a descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander The Great ’s generals and the founder of the Ptolemaic line in Egypt . Her mother was believed to be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, the king’s wife (and possibly his half-sister). In 51 B.C., upon the apparently natural death of Auletes, the Egyptian throne passed to 18-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII.

Did you know? In the days between Cleopatra's death and Octavian's formal annexation of Egypt, her 16-year-old son Caesarion was officially sole ruler. He had no way of taking power, however, and was captured and executed shortly after his mother's suicide.

Soon after the siblings’ ascension to the throne, Ptolemy’s advisers acted against Cleopatra, who was forced to flee Egypt for Syria in 49 B.C. She raised an army of mercenaries and returned the following year to face her brother’s forces in a civil war at Pelusium, on Egypt’s eastern border. Meanwhile, after allowing the Roman general Pompey to be murdered, Ptolemy XIII welcomed the arrival of Pompey’s rival, Julius Caesar , to Alexandria. In order to help her cause, Cleopatra sought Caesar’s support, reportedly smuggling herself into the royal palace to plead her case with him.

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Caesar and Cleopatra

For his part, Caesar needed to fund his own return to power in Rome , and needed Egypt to repay the debts incurred by Auletes. After four months of war between Caesar’s outnumbered forces and those of Ptolemy XIII, Roman reinforcements arrived; Ptolemy was forced to flee Alexandria and was believed to have drowned in the Nile River. Entering Alexandria as an unpopular conqueror, Caesar restored the throne to the equally unpopular Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIV (then 13 years old). Caesar remained in Egypt with Cleopatra for a time, and around 47 B.C. she gave birth to a son, Ptolemy Caesar. He was believed to be Caesar’s child, and was known by the Egyptian people as Caesarion, or Little Caesar.

Sometime in 46-45 B.C., Cleopatra traveled with Ptolemy XIV and Caesarion to Rome to visit Caesar, who had returned earlier. After Caesar was murdered in March 44 B.C., Cleopatra went back to Egypt; Ptolemy XIV was killed soon after (possibly by Cleopatra’s agents) and the three-year-old Caesarion was named co-regent with his mother, as Ptolemy XV. By this point, Cleopatra had strongly identified herself with the goddess Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. (This was consistent with the ancient Egyptian tradition of associating royalty with divinity in order to reinforce the position of kings and queens. Cleopatra III had also claimed to be associated with Isis, and Cleopatra VII was referred to as the “New Isis.”) She spoke as many as a dozen languages and was renowned for her “irresistible charm,” according to Plutarch.

Cleopatra’s Seduction of Mark Antony

With her infant son as co-regent, Cleopatra’s hold on power in Egypt was more secure than it had ever been. Still, unreliable flooding of the Nile resulted in failing crops, leading to inflation and hunger. Meanwhile, a conflict was raging in Rome between a second triumvirate of Caesar’s allies ( Mark Antony , Octavian and Lepidus) and his assassins, Brutus and Cassius. Both sides asked for Egyptian support, and after some stalling, Cleopatra sent four Roman legions stationed in Egypt by Caesar to support the triumvirate. In 42 B.C., after defeating the forces of Brutus and Cassius in the battles of Philippi, Mark Antony and Octavian divided power in Rome.

Mark Antony soon summoned Cleopatra to the Cicilian city of Tarsus (south of modern Turkey) to explain the role she had played in the complicated aftermath of Caesar’s assassination. According to the story recorded by Plutarch (and later dramatized famously by William Shakespeare ), Cleopatra sailed to Tarsus in an elaborate ship, dressed in the robes of Isis. Antony, who associated himself with the Greek deity Dionysus, was seduced by her charms. 

He agreed to protect Egypt and Cleopatra’s crown, pledging support for the removal of her younger sister and rival Arsinoe, then in exile. Cleopatra returned to Egypt, followed shortly thereafter by Antony, who left behind his third wife, Fulvia, and their children in Rome. He spent the winter of 41-40 B.C. in Alexandria, during which he and Cleopatra famously formed a drinking society called “The Inimitable Livers.” In 40 B.C., after Antony’s return to Rome, Cleopatra gave birth to twins, Alexander Helios (sun) and Cleopatra Selene (moon).

Cleopatra: Power Struggle

After Fulvia took ill and died, Antony was forced to prove his loyalty to Octavian by making a diplomatic marriage with Octavian’s half-sister Octavia. Egypt grew more prosperous under Cleopatra’s rule, and in 37 B.C. Antony again met with Cleopatra to obtain funds for his long-delayed military campaign against the kingdom of Parthia. In exchange, he agreed to return much of Egypt’s eastern empire, including Cyprus, Crete, Cyrenaica (Libya), Jericho and large portions of Syria and Lebanon. They again became lovers, and Cleopatra gave birth to another son, Ptolemy Philadelphos, in 36 B.C.

After a humiliating defeat in Parthia, Antony publicly rejected his wife Octavia’s efforts to rejoin him and instead returned to Egypt and Cleopatra. In a public celebration in 34 B.C. known as the “Donations of Alexandria,” Antony declared Caesarion as Caesar’s son and rightful heir (as opposed to his adopted son, Octavian) and awarded land to each of his children with Cleopatra. This began a war of propaganda between him and the furious Octavian, who claimed that Antony was entirely under Cleopatra’s control and would abandon Rome and found a new capital in Egypt. In late 32 B.C., the Roman Senate stripped Antony of all his titles, and Octavian declared war on Cleopatra.

Cleopatra: Defeat and Death

On September 2, 31 B.C., Octavian’s forces soundly defeated those of Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium . Cleopatra’s ships deserted the battle and fled to Egypt, and Antony soon managed to break away and follow her with a few ships. With Alexandria under attack from Octavian’s forces, Antony heard a rumor that Cleopatra had committed suicide. He fell on his sword, and died just as news arrived that the rumor had been false.

On August 12, 30 B.C., after burying Antony and meeting with the victorious Octavian, Cleopatra closed herself in her chamber with two of her female servants. The means of her death is uncertain, but Plutarch and other writers advanced the theory that she used a poisonous snake known as the asp, a symbol of divine royalty, to commit suicide at age 39. According to her wishes, Cleopatra’s body was buried with Antony’s, leaving Octavian (later Emperor Augustus I) to celebrate his conquest of Egypt and his consolidation of power in Rome.

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(1917-1986)

Who Was Desi Arnaz?

Actor and musician Desiderio Alberto Arnaz III was born on March 2, 1917, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Born to a wealthy family, the Arnazes fled Cuba for Miami after a revolution in 1933. After working a number of odd jobs to help support the family, Desi got his first musician's gig as a guitarist for the Siboney Septet.

Music Career

After working briefly for Xavier Cugat in New York, Arnaz returned to Miami to lead a combo of his own and introduce the Conga Line to American audiences. It was such a hit, both locally and nationally, that Arnaz returned to New York to start his own band. He was offered a role in the 1939 Broadway musical Too Many Girls and later starred in Hollywood's film version. It was there that he met his future wife, Lucille Ball. They were married in 1940.

Arnaz made three more films before being inducted into the Army during WWII. During his two years in the service, he was responsible for entertaining the troops. He formed a new orchestra after being discharged and recorded several hits during the late 1940s. During this time he served as orchestra leader on Bob Hope's radio show from 1946 to 1947.

'I Love Lucy'

In 1949, Arnaz turned his efforts to developing the hit television series I Love Lucy , which ran for six years and became the most successful television program in history. Arnaz and Ball had a clear goal in mind when the series began development. Not only did they request the the show be shot on film as opposed to the cheaper kinescope, but they also retained full ownership of the program under their production company, Desilu Productions. The show aired in 1951.

The show touched on many personal and taboo issues of the time, including marriage and pregnancy. And as a couple both on and off camera, Arnaz and Ball's show had parallels to their actual marriage, giving birth to their son on the show on the same day that Ball gave birth to their son in real life. The novelty of the series, coupled with Arnaz and Ball's strong chemistry, proved to be a success. I Love Lucy became the No. 1 show in the country for four of its six seasons. The series ended in 1957.

Personal Life

Arnaz's marriage to Ball ended in 1960. He sold his share of Desilu Productions to Ball in 1963. After that, Arnaz made a few forays into television, working largely behind the scenes. He served as a producer on such shows as The Mothers-In-Law in the late 1960s. With his second wife, Edith, he lived in Del Mar, California. He died of cancer at his home there in 1986 at the age of 69.

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Quick facts.

• Name: Desi Arnaz
• Birth Year: 1917
• Birth date: March 2, 1917
• Birth City: Santiago de Cuba
• Birth Country: Cuba
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born actor and musician who is remembered for his marriage to Lucille Ball and their TV show, 'I Love Lucy.'
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Nacionalities
• Interesting Facts
• Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball gave birth to their actual son Desi Arnaz, Jr. on January 19, 1953, the same day that they gave birth to Little Ricky on the series I Love Lucy .
• Death Year: 1986
• Death date: December 2, 1986
• Death State: California
• Death City: Del Mar
• Death Country: United States

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Desi Arnaz Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/desi-arnaz
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: December 7, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• Comedy needs heart and warmth, even a tear or two, not just a lot of slapstick laughs.

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