6ix9ine
A rapper who turned internet trolling and legal chaos into a chart-topping, controversy-fueled spectacle.
Born 1996 (age 30)·American rapper·Birthday: May 8·Millennials
Biography
Born Daniel Hernandez in Bushwick, Brooklyn, 6ix9ine erupted from the New York drill scene with a blistering, confrontational sound and a neon-bright aesthetic. His career became a dizzying cycle of viral hits, like "Gummo" and the Nicki Minaj-assisted "FEFE," and public meltdowns, played out in real time on social media. His notoriety peaked when his testimony in a 2019 federal racketeering trial, which led to a reduced sentence for cooperating with authorities, laid bare a life entangled with gang affiliations. This chapter cemented his image as a figure who blurred the lines between performance art and real-life peril, making him a polarizing emblem of the streaming era's appetite for disruption at any cost.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
6ix9ine was born in 1996, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When 6ix9ine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1996
#1 Movie
Independence Day
Best Picture
The English Patient
#1 TV Show
ER
6ix9ine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1996Born
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2001Started school
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2009Became a teenager
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Could drive
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2014Could vote
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Turned 21
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Turned 30
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His debut studio album, "Dummy Boy," debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 in 2018.
- The single "FEFE" with Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
- His music videos, such as for "GOOBA," have garnered billions of views on YouTube.
- He set a record for the most concurrent viewers for a YouTube premiere with the debut of "GOOBA" in 2020.
Did You Know?
His distinctive rainbow-colored hair and face tattoos are a central part of his public persona.
He was born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a neighborhood he frequently references in his music.
He testified for the prosecution in a high-profile federal racketeering case against members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
“I’m not a rapper, I’m a rockstar.”
