Tekashi 6ix9ine: Rapper has $200,000 donation rejected by No Kid Hungry charity
Written by News on 13/05/2020
Controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has had a $200,000 dollar (£163,000) donation rejected by a children’s charity.
The music star, real name Daniel Hernandez, was recently released from prison for his involvement in a violent US street gang.
He has described the decision by No Kid Hungry as “cruel”.
The US charity, which aims to reduce child hunger and poverty, said it had a policy to decline funding from donors “whose activities do not align with our mission and values”.
“We are grateful for Mr Hernandez’s generous offer to donate to No Kid Hungry but we have informed his representatives that we have declined this donation,” No Kid Hungry said in a statement.
“As a child-focused campaign, it is our policy to decline funding from donors whose activities do not align with our mission and values.”
Hernandez rose to fame in 2017 and is known for his distinctive appearance of facial tattoos and rainbow-coloured hair as well as his music.
However, he has been surrounded by controversy and legal problems, and was given a a two-year prison sentence in December for his involvement with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
His crimes included orchestrating a shooting in which an innocent bystander was wounded.
The 24-year-old was facing a much longer term but turned witness for the prosecution, a deal that earned him leniency from charges that could have subjected him to a mandatory minimum 37 years in jail.
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The decision has seen him shunned by some members of the rap music community.
He was freed from prison in New York early in April, to serve the remainder of his sentence at an undisclosed location, because he was at a higher risk from coronavirus in jail due to having asthma.
Hernandez returned with new music last week, taking part in an Instagram Live stream that at one point was viewed by a record two million users.
He released a new song, Gooba, and video created during lockdown, with his ankle monitor visible at times.
(c) Sky News 2020: Tekashi 6ix9ine: Rapper has $200,000 donation rejected by No Kid Hungry charity
