The Rio Grande Valley joined a national conversation last week when Facebook users expressed disapproval of Clayton’s Beach Bar’s Spring Break booking of Daniel Hernandez — also known as aka Teka$hi69 or 6ix9ine.
The Brooklyn-based artist’s popularity and notoriety soared almost concurrently with both Billboard hits and the resurfacing of three-year-old child sex crime charges.
At a recent show following the Super Bowl, 6ix9ine’s crew flung objects thrown onto the Minneapolis stage into a hostile crowd. At least one venue has nixed his concert after details of his past legal troubles emerged, and Hernandez has canceled the European leg of his tour to study for his GED, which is part of a requirement of a court plea agreement.
Hernandez admitted years ago that his appearance, including face tattoos and multi-colored hair, is part of the “scumbag persona” he’s cultivated as an artist and is meant to illicit “shock value.”
The then 18-year-old burgeoning rapper made these statements nearly three years ago in early March 2015, during an interview.
The interview was not for the promotion of an album or performance — instead Hernandez sat across from detectives and answered questions after police arrested him in connection with an assault on a minor — to which Hernandez was a witness.
The criminal complaint filed against Hernandez details the incident with a detailed account of the footage that purported to show the rapper and another man, Taquan Anderson, with the minor.
“ …The child engag(ing) in oral sexual intercourse with the separately charged defendant, Taquan Anderson, while the defendant, Daniel Hernandez, stands behind the child making a thrusting motion with his pelvis and smacking her on her buttocks,” the complaint states. “The child is nude in the video.”
Hernandez shared the videos via social media and pleaded guilty in 2015 to three felony counts of using a minor in a sexual performance, according to court records.
Now 21, Hernandez was originally scheduled for sentencing in January, but according to court documents originally obtained by the online outlet Jezebel, his sentencing was moved to April.
Recently the rising performer has drawn attention for his 13-week run on the Billboard Top 100, but now he’s facing a wave of backlash after the assault incident’s details were made public.
Hoping to appeal to the Spring Break demographic, the owner of Clayton’s Beach Bar announced they had booked Hernandez to perform next month.
But if the Facebook comment section announcing the controversial rapper’s show at Clayton’s Beach Bar is any indication of the March 14 event, the rapper could be in for more.
The business condemned “any artists’ misconduct on or off the stage,” in a Sunday news release. They were surprised to learn of “an inappropriate video taped incident” referring to the 2015 case.
While venue owner Clayton Brashear acknowledged Hernandez’s legal issues, he said Clayton’s focuses on the Billboard charts when booking artists. Hernandez’s single “Gummo” hit No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Numerous Facebook comments critical of Hernandez and the venue were met with the response, “See you at the show,” along with a cowboy emoji, from Clayton’s account.
