Embattled Brooklyn, New York rapper Daniel Hernandez — better known as Tekashi 69 or 6ix9ine — was dealt another blow in his ongoing racketeering case today, resulting in yet another setback to his suddenly troubled career. According to TMZ, the rapper entered a plea of “not guilty” to charges including conspiracy to sell drugs and commit robberies, but won’t get a chance to plead his case until September 14, 2019. As bail was denied early on in the proceedings, Tekashi’s lawyer plans to appeal directly to the trial judge, but things don’t look good for him.
The arrest, which was reported on November 19, took place just as authorities say Tekashi was planning to make a break for it to avoid members of his crew who had turned on him and apparently planned to do him harm. He was arrested along with his former manager, his bodyguard, and another member of the crew and charged with six counts including a pair of shootings, one of which resulted in a bystander being hit in the foot.
As Tekashi has been locked up and unable to participate in promotional activities, his label, Ten Thousand Projects, postponed his Dummy Boy debut indefinitely. Meanwhile, it’s clear that someone in charge doesn’t feel that the gang-affiliated rapper is safe inside; he was recently transferred from the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center to another facility often used to house prisoners who have testified against criminal associates. He’ll have to get comfortable there; unless his lawyer can manage a bail deal, 6ix9ine will be stuck there for nearly a year waiting for the chance to plead his case.
