Tekashi 6ix9ine makes his living by inciting controversy and creating outrage, an age-old strategy used by shock jocks who thrive on stirring up trouble as well as political pundits pretending to value free speech. It serves him well.
“KEKE” features Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie on an infectious beat and remains one of the most iconic songs from 6ix9ine’s career, helping propel him towards becoming an international superstar.
1. Gummo
In July 2017, an unconventional rapper adorned with rainbow hair and tattoos covering half his face stepped outside a Brooklyn brownstone and shot the music video that would revolutionize his career: Gummo. Daniel Hernandez (popularly known as Tekashi 6ix9ine) was joined in front of it by approximately 100 Nine Trey Gangsta Blood members clad in red bandanas.
Gummo differs from traditional rap videos in its lack of plot and focus on spectacle, with few narrative elements and few narrative pieces. Instead, its world is rife with bigotry, hedonism, sexual perversion and other sinister activities – children wander around on their own while older men prey upon their own families.
Sixix9ine first gained fame with his aggressive rapping style and energetic beats in 2017, but legal troubles quickly overshadowed his career; eventually being sentenced to 47 years in prison for various violent crimes and drug trafficking offenses.
2. Gummo II
As a young man, 6ix9ine led two distinct lives. On one hand he was one of hip-hop’s hottest new talents; on the other he belonged to Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods which committed robberies, drug dealing and gunned down rivals. Harmony Korine’s Gummo captures this dichotomy with its blend of repugnancy and fashion-magazine gloss giving the film its unavoidable allure and can’t-look-away allure.
“KIKA” features 6ix9ine in an immersive, neon-lit environment filled with scantily-clad women and luxury cars – its aggressive lyrics and controversial image helping propel him into the limelight. Critics have noted its explicit content and glorificence of violence; nonetheless, this song remains a hit with fans and critics alike with over 243 Million YouTube views to its name.
3. Gummo III
Tekashi 6ix9ine, known for his controversial lyrics and aggressive beat, rose to fame with his debut single “GUMMO” released in 2017. This track featured hard-hitting beats and aggressive lyrics boasting about his street cred and warning opponents to watch out. Additionally, its video featured iconic stills from Gus Van Sant’s 1997 film of the same name which have become widely recognized on the internet and pop culture alike.
“KEKE” by 6ix9ine features his aggressive rap style over an infectious beat, featuring Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie as perfect counterparts to his energy. The video for “KEKE” has amassed over one billion views on YouTube – making it one of his biggest hits; yet its release caused controversy due to explicit lyrics that reference his criminal past, such as sexual misconduct charges and racketeering charges.
4. Gummo IV
Tekashi69, an acclaimed rapper and reality TV star known for his controversial songs such as GOOBA, has become embroiled in several contentious public feuds recently, most notably one between himself and fellow hip-hop rapper YG that has led to threats being issued against both their lives and families.
Harmony Korine’s debut as director traces the daily struggles of residents of tornado-ravaged Xenia, Ohio through a non-narrative series of dark vignettes that range from avant-garde to experimental and shocking depictions of youth-in-crisis – sure to shock and offend audiences alike.
Gummo IV by Favaretto is an example of his work utilizing Duchampian displacement techniques; whereby functional objects are taken out of their usual context and presented in an inappropriate setting. At first, this piece consisted of five car wash brushes in various shades of blue mounted vertically on a metal slab and operated by an electrical motor to spin at random intervals.
6. Gummo VI
Tekashi69, better known by his stage name Tekashi69 is widely recognized for his aggressive musical style and controversial public persona. A frequent target of legal cases and publicized feuds among artists, he is well-known for his rainbow hair and extensive tattoos that symbolize his Nine Treys gang.
Gummo may not seem like the type of horror film, but its nonlinear narrative gives way to depiction of teenage life that devolves into sniffing glue and cutting cats in tornado-ravaged Xenia, Ohio. Although most scenes are grotesque and repulsive, their lack of humanity provokes more disgust than anything else; its depiction of human mildew recalls John Cassavetes and Robert Bresson films; Tekashi 6ix9ine would no doubt appreciate this ugly yet beautiful provocation!
7. Gummo VII
Gummo, Harmony Korine’s debut as director, is an incoherent collection of short vignettes that reveal little more about its characters’ lives than that they are bored youth living in Ohio. Chloe Sevigny stands out in this more experimental environment than she ever did in Boys Don’t Cry’s more conventional Manhattan setting; her character alone shows any sign of dignity within this film.
Korine’s film may appear like an absurdist vanity project, but its success cannot be denied. It combines ball-out parochialism with naturalism and celebrates human diversity without accepting them as givens – making it a critical shorthand for films that celebrate such diversity. Furthermore, this movie marked an important step forward for Jade Tekashi 6ix9ine of musician Tekashi 6ix9ine’s on/off relationship (she plays Solomon the Mute Teen in this flick).
8. Gummo VIII
Harmony Korine made his directorial debut with this powerful indie drama about eccentric, bored teenagers who kill time by sniffing glue and murdering cats in a tornado-ravaged small town. This indelible depiction of America’s dark side remains one of our generation’s most revered cult films.
Korine’s unnerving film offers an unnerving vision of social collapse – featuring images such as mutilated cats, wood-panelled station wagons and piles of crusty laundry that provoke feelings of revulsion – without devolve into allegory or horror-show kitsch.
Gummo does not follow an easily predictable narrative path or resolve itself in any conventional fashion, reflecting Korine’s belief that movies should include beginning, middle, and ending scenes without necessarily occurring sequentially. His subsequent film Kids was an examination of skateboarding’s intersection with sexual culture that received both KNF award at Rotterdam Film Festival as well as FIPRESCI award at Venice.
9. Gummo IX
Daniel Hernandez is more commonly known by his stage name 6ix9ine; a former member of 5th Regiment rap group who now makes a living from rapping solo. Known for his highly tattooed appearance and numerous public spats with fellow rappers.
Gummo, Harmony Korine’s directorial debut, is an offbeat collection of vignettes set in an Ohio town devastated by a tornado. Featuring characters like cat-killing teenagers and an awkward yet charismatic boy wearing bunny ears as bunny ears themselves, the film defies traditional narrative in favor of an engaging stream-of-consciousness style filmmaking experience.
While Korine never makes an overt moral judgment of his characters in Xenia, his depiction of landlocked America and its inclines towards violence and sexual perversion is startling. His style owes much to that of Larry Clark and Werner Herzog but its primary source is American teenagers’ experiences of daily life.
10. Gummo X
Supreme has collaborated with Harmony Korine on an exclusive capsule collection inspired by Gummo, his experimental American film released in 1997 that explored themes like loneliness, addiction and boredom.
This drop features t-shirts, basketball jerseys and windbreakers with iconic stills from the film. Chloe Sevigny poses as Dot on a mesh t-shirt while red coach jackets display graphics featuring characters from the movie.
Rapper Daniel Hernandez, better known by his stage name 6ix9ine, made headlines recently for his controversial public persona and legal issues as well as for his extensive tattoos and feuds with fellow rappers. For this Instagram video post he donned a white Bunny Boy shirt from our line. He has long been at the center of controversy due to these factors and more.