The moment controversial rapper 6ix9ine was apprehended by authorities in the Dominican Republic on Friday night has been captured on video. The artist, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was sought after on the Caribbean island in connection to an alleged assault involving two music producers related to his girlfriend, Dominican singer Yailin La Mas, according to reports from Diario Libre.
6ix9ine, known for his distinctive rainbow-colored hair and a ’69’ tattoo on his forehead, had previously faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence in a racketeering case where he was accused of utilizing a violent gang as a ‘personal hit squad.’ However, his sentence had been significantly reduced to around two years after he cooperated with authorities and testified against the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, earning him the reputation of a ‘snitch.’
6ix9ine (HipHopDX)
The footage depicts Hernandez, 27, being led down the steps outside a hotel as a crowd cheers and records the incident with their mobile phones.
Hernandez’s arrest was confirmed by Dominican Republic-based criminal lawyer Felix Portes. In a series of Instagram posts, Portes revealed that Hernandez had attempted to leave the country via a private jet but was stopped due to a ‘migration alert’ triggered by the arrest warrant.
While the actual assault was not captured on video, a clip showing a group of men preparing to enter a building allegedly depicts the moments leading up to the attack. The men quickly left a few minutes after their arrival.
According to the Diario Libre report, Yailin and another individual were attacked by five men while she was recording a song at a studio with producer Diamond La Mafia. Yailin had left the studio at that point, and when the men arrived and couldn’t locate her, they initiated the attack. The other man struck with the butt of a gun, required surgery to realign his jaw.
Diamond La Mafia accused Hernandez of being ‘jealous’ of his relationship with Yailin. Portes stated that Hernandez was arrested in Samana and would be transferred to La Vega to face assault charges.
6ix9ine (Credits: Getty Images)
In August, the rapper was arrested in Florida for failure to appear in court regarding traffic violations. Just four months before that, he was physically assaulted in an LA Fitness gym in Florida, sustaining severe injuries to his jaw, ribs, and back. The attackers, in videos circulating online, referred to him as a ‘rat’ who wouldn’t be tolerated in their neighborhood.
6ix9ine’s notoriety diminished in 2018 after he cooperated with prosecutors, leading to reduced prison time. He had been facing a potential minimum of 47 years behind bars for various charges, including racketeering, firearm possession, armed robbery, and attempted murder, which included his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting.
He struck a controversial deal with prosecutors, serving just two years in a private jail due to security concerns, and was released ahead of schedule in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2018, he had a multiplatinum hit song, “Fefe,” with Nicki Minaj, which reached No. 3 on the pop charts, as well as “Stoopid,” featuring incarcerated rapper Bobby Shmurda.
