Daniel Hernandez (born May 8, 1996), known by his stage name 6ix9ine (pronounced "six nine"), also known as Tekashi69 or simply Tekashi, is an American rapper. 　　Personal life 　　Born in Bushwick, Brooklyn to a Mexican mother and a Puerto Rican father, Hernandez was expelled from school in 8th grade, and did not return. In 2009, his father was murdered, which led to Hernandez working various jobs and selling marijuana in order to help his mother financially. 　　Career 　　Hernandez's commercial debut single "Gummo" was released on November 10, 2017 and eventually peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was certified platinum by the RIAA on March 5, 2018. His next single "Kooda" debuted at 61 on the Hot 100 the week of December 23, 2017. On January 14, 2018, Hernandez released his third single "Keke" with Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie. Shortly afterwards, Hernandez announced his debut mixtape, Day69. The mixtape was released on February 23, 2018, and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 album chart with 55,000 album-equivalent units, of which 20,000 were pure sales. According to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times, the tape was an outgrowth of the "SoundCloud rap explosion", and was notable for its willingness to deviate from hip-hop's norms and prevailing sound. 　　Hernandez also rose to prominence on social media due to a July 2017 Instagram post that went viral on both Reddit and Twitter, where Hernandez's eccentric appearance (rainbow-dyed hair, a rainbow grill, and multiple versions of the number 69 tattooed on his body) turned him into an internet meme. Musical style 　　Hernandez has a "hyper-aggressive, full-throated approach" to rap.