Tekashi 69 is set to take the stand against his alleged kidnappers but apparently he’ll be doing so without the presence of his family, according to TMZ. TMZ reported that the members of 69’s immediate family are concerned about members of the Nine Trey Bloods attacking them in retaliation for the rapper’s cooperation with the prosecution. They’ve already employed extra security but won’t take the additional risk of actually appearing in or near the courthouse, lest they be spotted and possibly attacked by members of the gang, with whom Tekashi associated during his controversial rise to fame.
Tekashi took a deal to shorten his prison sentence which required him to testify against his former associates — a move that many in the hip-hop community, such as 50 Cent, Meek Mill, and YG, have condemned. Somewhat ironically, 50 reportedly offered to employ a lawyer for 69 but was rejected, as the younger rapper had apparently already taken the plea deal.
The defense in the kidnapping case has already tried to undermine his credibility, accusing him of faking the kidnapping for publicity and trying to enter his prior sex case conviction as evidence that he was an unreliable witness, however, the judge already rejected that particular gambit. The trial is set to begin Monday, September 16.
