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Rapper-turned-snitch Tekashi 6ix9ine threw rhymesters Cardi B and Jim Jones under the bus as members of the Bloods as he testified about how he used his former crew to advance his career, on Thursday.
The 23-year-old rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, ticked off the names of Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods members as he took the stand in Manhattan federal court against reputed associates Anthony “Harv” Ellison and Aljermiah “Nuke” Mack.
Under cross-examination, Tekashi confirmed that Cardi B was a Bloods member.
“You knew Cardi B was a Blood?” Mack’s attorney Alex Huot asked.
“Correct,” Tekashi replied.
“You know Cardi B made music videos with Bloods in the background?” Huot asked, again getting a “yes” from Tekashi.
“Yes,” Tekashi replied.
Still, he denied copying her blueprint for fame by including members in his music videos.
“I knew who she was. I didn’t pay attention,” he told the court.
During his testimony, the rapper has detailed his life of crime with the crew, all while name-checking members such as rapper Jones, whom he identified as a Blood and “retired rapper.”
Jurors on Thursday heard a wiretapped call between Jones and Nine Trey godfather Jamal “Mel Murda” Jones after Tekashi went on Power 105.1 to slam the crew as “fraud” and “dirty Bloods.”
“He not a gang member no more. He was never a gang member,” Jones allegedly said of Tekashi in November 2018. “They going to have to violate shorty because shorty is on some bulls–t.”
Outside the of the courthouse, hip-hop fans retaliated online against Tekashi for his apparent betrayal of Jones, which spawned a tidal wave of memes.
“Jim Jones is 45 years old, and some dude with jujubee colored hair is dropping his name in federal court on some gang s–t,” one user tweeted.
The “Gummo” singer faces faces 47 years to life on gun and racketeering charges, though he could walk free on time served for cooperating in the racketeering trial.
The face-tattooed rapper — who told the court that he’s been signing autographs in prison — could be out of lockup and promoting his gang-life-inspired hits as early as January.
On Thursday, Tekashi was questioned on whether he was singing in the case to help the government or to get a more lenient sentence.
“Little bit of both,” he testified.
Reps for Cardi denied that she used to be a Bloods member.
“She’s not and has never been affiliated with this gang,” her rep said.
Additional reporting by Carlos Greer
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