Update: Court transcripts obtained by Complex clarify that Tekashi 69 testified that Cardi B was a blood gang member, but not specifically a Nine Treys member.
As Tekashi 69’s testimony against Anthony “Harv” Ellison and Aljermiah “Nuke” Mack continues, even more names of alleged gang members have been revealed in the course of his questioning, including Harlem rap royalty Jim Jones and now, hip-hop’s biggest breakthrough artist of the last two years, Cardi B. Page Six reports (via The Fader) that during cross-examination, Tekashi seemingly confirmed Cardi’s membership in the same set Tekashi himself once claimed, Nine Trey.
Under cross-examination, Tekashi confirmed that Cardi B was a Blood member, though he denied he copied her blueprint for fame by including members in his music videos.
“I knew who she was. I didn’t pay attention,” he told the court.
Cardi has made no secret of her affiliation with at least a Blood gang, confirming in GQ that she once claimed membership in her teens. She also regularly makes references to this period of her life, especially through the habit of replacing hard “Cs” in various words with “Bs” — i.e. Bardi Gang, an affectionate nickname she uses for her fans. However, according to Billboard, Cardi B’s label, Atlantic Records, denies that she is a member of the Nine Trey Bloods. The Nine Trey set was scooped up in a sting that included racketeering charges that have drawn “guilty” pleas from Tekashi and his main associates, Kifano “Shotti” Jordan, Jamel “Murda Mel” Jones, and others. Nuke and Harv were the only members to reject plea deals and go to trial.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. .
