Tekashi 6ix9ine’s post-prison career was looking promising. Upon his April release, the controversial rapper got right back to work and unleashed a music video for the platinum-selling single “GOOBA,” which smashed a YouTube record for the most views in a 24-hour period, a record previously held by Eminem.
But then 6ix9ine’s album TattleTales arrived amid all of his outrageous trolling and failed to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, leading his ride-or-die DJ Akademiks to deem the album a “flop” due to first-week sales of around 50,000 total album equivalent units.
Now, Hot 97 radio personality Ebro Darden is taking it a step further and declaring 6ix9ine’s career is over. On Monday (October 26), Darden shared a Twitter post that read, “Name an artist that was ‘poppin’ in the last 3yrs that is completely finished…I’ll start. Tekashi 69.”
Name an artist that was “poppin” in the last 3yrs that is completely finished now…. I’ll start
Tekashi 69
— Kojo Ebro (@oldmanebro) October 26, 2020
Darden has been an outspoken critic of 6ix9ine, who once accused the 45-year-old radio host of blackballing his career. In June, Darden posted Apple Music’s Top 10 streaming songs on the same day 6ix9ine called him out and pointed out his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “TROLLZ” featuring Nicki Minaj was noticeably absent.
Nevertheless, 6ix9ine celebrated his first chart-topping single with a braggadocious Instagram post claiming several industry figures tried to stand in his way.
“#1 ON @billboard YOU CANT STOP ME,” 6ix9ine wrote in all caps. “YOU CANT BLACKBALL ME. DIDNT I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO RADIOOOOOOOOO (ZERO) @applemusic @spotify @thelarryjackson @carlchery DIDNT GIVE US ANY MAJOR PLAYLISTING on Spotify and Apple
“THEY TIRED SO HARD PUSHING SOMEONE ELSES SONG LET THE WORLD KNOW WHAT YA DID !!!! YOU CANT BLACKBALL MEEEEEE IM TO BIG OF A STARRRRRRRRRRRR … OH ANNDDDDDDD ALL THE FANBASES THAT TEAMED UP TO PREVENT THIS NUMBER ONE I SAW THAT TOOOOO.”
Since TattleTales’ debut at No. 4, 6ix9ine has been atypically silent on social media, although Akademiks shared a video of a bearded 6ix9ine getting a new tattoo earlier this month.