Ratlinks Redux: From Post Malone to Tekashi 6ix9ine
Tekashi 6ix9ine must be doing ok in hiding if no one can leave the house
MAN, I FEEL JUST LIKE A ROCK STAR
As an older millennial, I somehow missed the memo on face tattoos. Back in my day, tattoos were quasi-taboo, spoken about yet rarely seen. Today, things have changed and face tats are not only a sign of pride but also acceptable in some lines of work.
At a recent concert headlined by Austin Richard Post, the rap/rock superstar colloquially known as Post Malone.
Halfway through his performance of Take What You Want, Malone’s recent collaboration with none other than genetic freak, Ozzy Osbourne, the obvious question was posed:
“How many face tattoos does Posty have?”
A quick image search showed no less than five tattoos, such as “Stay Away” above the right eye, a traditional barbwire headband and “Always - Tired” written across his cheeks.
Now I am not one to judge anyone’s personal fashion or life choices. I’m also sure his grandmother thinks he is still very handsome.
Yet it led me to ponder:
Face tattoos are both distinctive and very painful to apply. What if you needed to remove them?
Face tats are obviously a focal point of the Post Malone brand. Leading Posty to likely end up with more, not less, face tats.
What about all the other face tatted rappers?
Say one entering witness protection?
Behold the tale of Tekashi 6ix9ine.
If you are over the age of 30 you likely have no idea about any of this and that is OK.
A saga that has been adequately described as a “Greek telenovela tragicomedy.”
Danny Hernandez aka Tekashi 6ix9nie is one of the most notorious SoundCloud rappers known for the viral hits: "GUMMO" (358 million views) and "FEFE" (780 million views). He has roughly 14.3 million Instagram followers and is quite identifiable thanks to his multicolor braids and the numbers 6 & 9 tattooed almost 200 times on his body, most prominently on his forehead.
In a nutshell, Tekashi was not just a rapper, but also a member of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Who, according to prosecutors, are gang members responsible for violent crimes throughout New York City. At a recent trial, Tekashi acted as a cooperating witness in a sweeping racketeering and firearms case, in order to receive a reduced jail sentence.
In the rap game “street cred” matters and Mr. Hernandez has “all but eviscerated” his credibility. Leading to a sub-genre of insulting memes and worse, the gang members Mr. Hernandez testified against deeming him a “snitch” and threatening to kill him.
As part of his plea deal, prosecutors indicated Tekashi could enter the witness protection program.
Now we are all familiar with witness protection thanks to movies like Goodfellas. By enrolling in witness protection, Mr. Hernandez would be given a new name, relocated to a new town and in theory disappear into obscurity.
Takashi may have a problem.
