Tekashi 6ix9ine is a homegrown product there's no argument for or against it. The self-proclaimed "King of NY" shot up without a YouTube channel (since rectified) and did on his lonesome, albeit with a little push from Tr3yway in the muscle department. Along the way, Tekashi reminded his detractors of his every achievement, from plaque dissertations to numbers he posted on the board.
Last evening he did so again with a photoshopped portrait rendering of his likeness sporting 8 championship rings, all inscribed with the name of his Billboard charting singles: "Gummo," "Rondo," "Kooda," "KEKE," "Billy," "GOTTI," "Tati,"and his latest success "FEFE" featuring Nicki Minaj.
Whether you agree with the way he went about galvanizing his potential, "the numbers don't lie," as he said himself in the added caption. With "FEFE," 6ix9ine entered the top 10 for the first time, debuting at number 4 behind Drake and two iterations of Cardi B, who stays firmly in place even in the event of her convalescent period.
Several factors have contributed to an escalation in mainstream interest over Tekashi's music. The robbery, assault may register as a trick of the trade, if proven untrue. The bust ups with Trippie and Bhad Bhabie increased his profile, and appearance of a re-energized Nicki Minaj definitely helped him reach a higher rung. Maybe the next domino to fall his way will be the Kanye collaboration he said was in the works?