Tekashi 6ix9ine, the controversial Brooklyn rapper of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, was sentenced today in New York. As Pitchfork reports, a Manhattan judge sentenced the artist (born Daniel Hernandez) to four years of probation for violating the terms of a plea deal related to his 2015 sexual misconduct case, when he was charged with the use of a child in a sexual performance. The rapper was facing one to three years of prison time and a requirement to register as a sex offender, both of which he escaped.
6ix9ine has sparked dialogue about sexual violence in hip-hop since he was detained in 2015, when a video showing the rapper simulating a sex act on a 13-year-old girl emerged. The mother of the victim filed a criminal complaint and 6ix9ine pled guilty to the charge in 2015. Since then, 6ix9ine has collected several Billboard-charting singles and collaborated with high-profile rappers like Nicki Minaj and Young Thug.
As we reported in August, 6ix9ine agreed to a plea deal that involved getting his GED, 300 hours of community service, writing a letter of apology to the victim and her family, and not committing another crime for the next two years. Since taking the plea deal in 2015, Hernandez faced additional charges for the misdemeanor assault of a police officer, reportedly choking a 16-year-old fan, and driving with a suspended license. Prosecutors argued these crimes violated the 2015 plea deal. The rapper left court with the probation sentence as well as 1,000 hours of community service and an order to avoid additional arrests and gang activity.