Polarizing rapper XXXTentacion has continued to reap the benefits of his musical popularity in recent days, despite all of the controversial activities that have allegedly gone on in his personal life. Though he may have rubbed some fans the wrong way after stories of his reported violent outbursts surfaced, thanks to a testimony from a former girlfriend, he is still as popular as ever. His debut album, 17, has sold well in its first few weeks on the market and he's even made an appearance on the brand-new mixtape from Juicy J, giving the trap artist and assist on the song "Show Time." Even his biggest fans might be shocked, however, by his new look, which he debuted on Instagram last night.
Sporting some dyed, grey-colored dreads and a face that is now without eyebrows, XXX shared a selfie on the social media platform, captioning the post with simply, "he's dead." An visual combination to be sure, the rapper's gaunt-looking facial features are more noticeable now, along with his plethora of small tattoos that dot the larger spaces of skin around his eyes and on his forehead. It's definitely a shocking image and, in terms of X's intent, I'm pretty sure he wants it that way. He even shared another short video clip online detailing exactly how he feels about this new, radical transformation.
"What are you gonna say now?" he begins, holding the camera beneath his body at a horizontal angle, his newly-colored locks dangling inches from his mobile device. "Isn't it clear I don't give a f**k?" The video, presumably coming from the emcee's Snapchat account, continues with XXXTentacion sharing a direct, concise message about one's personal body image. "If you feel as if your physical identity has to be the same as everyone else's to be socially acceptable, you're stupid. Be yourself." Those closing words are certainly on the encouraging side, especially for those watching who may feel marginalized, as X does, from the traditional mainstream constraints of rap music in general. However, it's a startling enough switch in his appearance that it will undoubtedly only add to his growing reputation as an unpredictable and uncontrollable personality.