Tekashi 69, aka 6ix9ine, may not be having the best time of things recently, but it seems he’s tried to shake things up by giving himself a brand new look.
The rapper, real name David Hernandez, is well known for his Instagram posts and videos badmouthing other rappers and often singing his own praises, but the troubled 24-year-old has been relatively absent from social media in recent weeks.
His last post was five weeks ago. However, a video emerged yesterday of the rapper hanging out with one of his fans in New York; talking directly to the camera as he gave a shout out to his fan and her friends.
6ix9ine’s new look includes a beard
The first thing fans noticed about the new video was how the rapper is looking very different from the Tekashi 69 we all either love or hate. He’s done away with his trademark rainbow locks, settling with his plain-colored brown hair.
And he’s got some facial hair going on. That’s right; he seems to be growing a beard.
Tekashi 69 also seems subdued
Fans also noticed 6ix9ine’s rather subdued demeanor, which has left the Gummo rapper open to sympathy or mocking, depending on where you stand on the loving or hating of this controversial star.
One Instagram user commented under the video: “His spirit seems broken. I kinda feel bad for him.” Others suggested that he might be feeling down after sales of his recent album slumped: “Those album sales really humbled this man.”
Tekashi’s latest album Tattle Tales failed to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last month, and some folks have speculated that this may be why he’s been quiet on social media. Breakfast Club host Charlemagne made fun of Tekashi when he said: “By the way, he went quiet after his album flopped.”
The rapper has also had some health problems lately; he was hospitalized two weeks ago in Florida when he overdosed on the weight loss pill, Hydroxycut. He reportedly had double the recommended dose and mixed it with caffeine, which caused him to have an elevated heart rate combined with profuse sweating.
His hospitalization led to rumors that he had died; however, he was released from the hospital a short time later. The rapper had reportedly beefed up to 200 pounds while under house arrest and is now trying to trim down to a slender 150.