Prior to Tekashi 6ix9ine taking the stand in his kidnapping trial on Tuesday, there were plenty of his fellow artists who swore off ever working with him. Some have written him off completely while a handful of others continue to support the New York rapper who has turned into a federal informant. During Tekashi's testimony, it was revealed that the rapper became a source for the government the day after he was arrested he and named off his associates, their crimes, and even stated that fellow rapper Trippie Red was a gang member.
This news shook up the hip hop industry as Tekashi's trial has been a topic of conversations for the better part of a year, but before he was pegged to be a snitch, the 23-year-old collaborated with friends to deliver popular hits. Nicki Minaj, Fetty Wap, Murda Beatz, A Boogie with da Hoodie, Anuel AA, Bobby Shmurda, Casanova, 50 Cent, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Gunna, Kanye West, and Tory Lanez have all locked down singles with 6ix9ine. Many of those artists have kept the incarcerated rapper at arm's length since his arrest while others have vowed never to work with him again. Tory Lanez, however, never says never.
In a conversation with Complex, Lanez was asked if, when 6ix9ine gets released from federal custody, he would work with the rapper once more. "I mean, I really don't know," he began. "I don't know how he's gonna feel when he gets out of jail. I don't know what he's got going on in his life. Personally, whatever it is, music is music, bro, at the end of the day. However it happens for him. As a person, bro, and regardless of whatever he did, I kinda miss that guy. That was my n*gga. He's a funny guy. As a person, he was a funny guy. Maybe n*ggas won't say that or won't say...I really just don't care. I don't give a f*ck about how people view me. N*ggas don't like me already. I don't care."
Lanez then presented an example using himself as the target. "God forbid I kill somebody tomorrow and I go to jail and y'all look at me as a murderer for the rest of my life. That doesn't change the songs that I made. It doesn't change the way I had you rockin'. It doesn't change...you felt this way about me. If I did something that deteriorated the way that you felt about me, that's that."
Lanez did say that he can't identify with Tekashi's circumstances because he would have never put himself in that position. However, for those that do, they know what they're getting themselves into and with those choices comes following a certain set of rules to keep things hush-hush. Check out a clip of Lanez speaking about Tekashi 6ix9ine and his full interview with Complex below.