Although Tekashi 69 faces serious prison time since his arrest, his legal troubles are far from over. While the rapper was arrested recently on racketeering charges, had his bail denied, plead “not guilty,” and will be waiting for his trial date for the next year, even more legal drama has surfaced in the days since he was first charged with racketeering as part of the Nine Trey Blood set’s reckless reign of violent activities.
And while he managed to narrowly dodge significant prison time in his lingering case regarding use of a child in a sexual performance, since then, his life has been a seemingly endless series of headaches — many of his own creation. From music videos costing way more money than they’re worth to cell phone footage that may cost his freedom, Tekashi 69 may have even more on his plate than he knows what to do with. Here’s a rundown of the other legal issues that have surfaced since he was taken into custody on November 19.
He Reportedly Ordered A Hit On Chief Keef’s Cousin
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According to TMZ, apparently the official authority on all things the rapper’s case at the moment, Tekashi made threats toward Chief Keef’s cousin Tadoe just a few days before unidentified assailants shot at Chief Keef at the W Hotel in New York’s Times Square.
In a video on TMZ’s site, Tekashi confirms Tadoe’s location via FaceTime, of all methods, then brags to his entourage about placing a $30,000 hit on him. In the lead-up to the actual shooting, Tekashi and Keef had been trading threats via social media, but when questioned by police and TMZ, Tekashi denied having anything to do with the shooting. Unfortunately, this new video may undermine that assertion and bolster prosecutors’ claims that Tekashi was involved in at least one shooting plot.
He May Owe $100,000 To A Security Firm
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During his recent trip to Los Angeles for ComplexCon, Tekashi reportedly hired a huge security team for 24/7 protection, including bulletproof SUVs, for the duration of his stay to the tune of $97,165.
However, according to TMZ, the loud-spoken New Yorker has yet to settle the bill, even after a shooting incident at his music video set with Kanye West and Nicki Minaj necessitated the addition of a third security team, amounting to an additional 25 hours of protection.
He Might Be Getting Sued By A Former Booking Agent
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During what would turn out to be his final radio interview with Power’s The Breakfast Club, Tekashi claimed MTA Booking cheated him out of the vast majority of a supposed $3.6 million deal, of which he only received a couple hundred thousand. TMZ reported that while MTA did allow that they’d worked with the rapper extensively on a North American tour including two shows in Mexico (that were both canceled), he was paid $700K in deposits and that the agency went above and beyond to ensure that he made it to his court dates as well as his show dates.
Now, the company may be suing him for defamation, demanding that the rapper apologize for his statements and return the $860K in deposits he was paid for the US and Mexico shows, as well as a pair of appearances in Germany. MTA contends that his statements resulted in a loss of business and death threats against its agents, and that the $750K Tekashi’s lawyer offered for bail was actually from the deposit money it wants back.
He May Have Stiffed Fashion Nova On A Deal
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In a twist convoluted enough for an episode of a telenovela, Fashion Nova may have a claim to a significant portion of Tekashi’s bank account as well. According to TMZ’s record company sources, part of his recent interrupted video shoot with Nicki Minaj and Kanye West was to include both a visual and lyrical reference to Fashion Nova, the company that rose to fame via Instagram influencer endorsements.
Reportedly, Tekashi was supposed to mention the brand in the lyrics of “Mama,” while the music video for the song would prominently display the brand’s logo onscreen. Unfortunately, the video was never finished, and the lyric was changed, apparently at the behest of Nicki Minaj, who supposedly requested he remove the reference out of annoyance at the brand’s recent deal with her rival Cardi B. The company isn’t quite requesting a refund, preferring to wait and see how the trial goes, but any victory here for Tekashi may end up being pyrrhic at best.
His Album Release Was Kind Of A Disaster
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Dummy Boy, Tekashi’s highly-anticipated debut album, may have been the highest-profile casualty of Tekashi’s recent arrest aside from himself. First, the album was unceremoniously shelved. Then it leaked online. Then, after signing a new distribution deal, Dummy Boy finally landed on Tuesday — three days after its planned release — with relatively minimal fanfare and scathing reviews.
What may have otherwise been the silver lining in his increasingly stormy cloud-covered sky is turning into a trouble all itself. Tekashi may not be having the worst month ever, but it’s getting close. However, considering all that he did to get here, it’s still hard to feel too sorry for him.
