Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been released from prison early Thursday morning, April 9, following concerns over the spread of COVID-19 among inmates.
Tekashi, real name Daniel Hernandez, was sentenced to serve two years in prison relating to gang affiliation. Prior to his sentence he was diagnosed with asthma which placed him as a high-risk casualty in the result of an outbreak within the prison. Due to the extenuating circumstances, he is sentenced to serve out the rest of his time under house arrest. The condition of his release has left many people wondering if new music from the rapper may be coming in the near future.
In the sphere of hip-hop, it isn’t uncommon for rappers to make or release a project shortly after returning from a prison sentence. Some well known examples of this are: Meek Mill’s 2018 surprise-release Legends of the Summer- EP, released 3 months after his return from prison and Tupac’s All Eyez On Me, which was released only a few weeks after the rapper was freed.
Since his release, Tekashi has been quiet on social media; a platform he is most famous for utilizing to his advantage. The only updates have been a change to his profile picture on Instagram as well as a new bio, asking why people are calling him a snitch (pictured). Despite not posting any notable updates, he has still managed to gain 1.2 million followers in the past week. Many are not surprised by the silence, due to how Tekashi’s series of trials involved him giving up the names of many high-profile gang members as part of a plea deal. He has been given the option of entering witness protection following his official release, but Tekashi’s lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, has already stated that “(Tekashi) hopes to resume his career.”
Given the circumstances of his release, it isn’t much speculation to say that Tekashi has access to recording equipment within his house. With a past net worth of approximately $5 million, it is also safe to assume that a sizable chunk of that money is gone due to trial fees and any government seizures. On top of being unable to leave home, these factors lead me to believe we can expect a new Tekashi track in the near future.
Since it would seem a new project is on the way, the question on any Tekashi-fans mind is whether they can expect a single or a full-length album. To this, I would say that a single or EP is far more likely seeing as the rappers most recent album DUMMY BOY was released in the heat of his trials back in 2018. Just how quickly this is released depends on how much work Tekashi did while incarcerated.
Written By: Michael Miserendino