Kahlee310’s snitch rapper reactions
By Mike Madriaga
The original story was featured in the print edition of the San Diego Reader on July 9, 2020.
San Diego hip-hop heads were baffled as to how Tekashi 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj’s “Trollz” copped the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 list on June 12.
Near the beginning of the three-plus-minute cut, 6ix9ine raps:
I know you don’t like me, you wanna fight me
You don’t want no problems at your party, don’t invite me
I don’t worry ’bout you n—-z please stop talking ’bout me
Always talking ’bout me ’cause you looking for the clouty
I reached out to Instagram to see if any were feelin’ or liking the bass-infused track. Most replies were of disdain, which contrasts with the duo’s accompanying YouTube video that accumulated 148 million clicks and garnered a disproportional 648,000 dislikes to its current 4,700,000 likes.
“I’m obviously not feeling the fact that [6ix9ine] is a snitch,” said Kahlee310, “but what I hate even more is that he’d literally do anything for the money or fame, and he’s got millions of kids out there following anything he says.”
Local fashion model Lookimabat isn’t a part of the “Gooba” rapper’s 23.6 million IG followers. “It’s because he’s a snitch,” she commented on my timeline. “He’s (supposedly) donating money to an organization that bails people out of jail, but he snitched and got a lot of people put in jail. Kind of hypocritical if you ask me.”
The Brooklyn-raised, 24-year-old 6ix9ine, known to his former acquaintances as Daniel Hernandez, performed at the Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘n Out event at Viejas Arena in 2018. Shortly after, 6ix9ine reportedly testified against some of his former entourage in order to serve less time on his own racketeering, firearms, and drug trafficking conviction. The rainbow-haired rapper, who has asthma, was reportedly let out of prison early in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Kahlee310, 35 years old, is a Mira Mesa-based hip-hop artist. He hosts #HipHopWEDS, a weekly platform for live hip-hop events and local artists’ features.
“For me and what I’m into, I’d have to give him a three out of ten. He seems willing to do anything on stage which might satisfy his supporters, and you can’t discount the fans’ hype reaction, though that’s also due to his overall shock and celebrity. But for whatever that’s worth, he loses mad points for rapping over his vocals, and he still has a hype man singing half his words. We’re definitely not down with that. I don’t wanna see that from any rapper, emcee, or singer. For me it’s lazy, and ruins the experience.”
“And, what do you admire about him?” I asked.
Screenshot from the “TROLLZ” video by Nicki Minaj (left) and 6ix9ine
“Far from admiration, but if I had to compliment him on something, it would be his understanding of social media and ability to go viral…. Mix that with a ghostwriter and the willingness to abandon all principles and ethics, and you have a successful rap star in 2020. If I throw out all the emotion and dislike for him as a person, the music is cool. Shout out to his ghostwriter.”
Arny, a local hip-hop dancer, and graffiti artist disagree with the “pa-trolling …. it was an impressive music video, it’s ultra colorful, and with us going through shitty ass times in lockdown, it’s something refreshing to hear and see. Even though 6ix9ine did scandalous things, we ain’t perfect, he and Nicki are producing something avant-garde in a Skittles kinda way to transport us temporarily outta the pandemic prison. I think the other hip-hoppers are miffed because they didn’t do it to this level first.”