Tekashi 6ix9ine says there is "no difference" between him and Tupac

Tekashi 6ix9ine says there is “no difference” between himself and Tupac Shakur.

Speaking of the troubled past that they share in his first interview since being released from prison, 6ix9ine spoke of how he sees himself as the same kind of artist as Tupac.

• READ MORE: The troubling rise of Tekashi 6ix9ine

Speaking to The New York Times, the rapper was asked to comment on the view that he doesn’t deserve to be a public figure, or to have fame, based on his abusive past (6ix9ine filmed an underage girl performing a sexual act back in 2015).

“No, I don’t,” he responded. “Tupac Shakur was convicted of rape. Is Tupac Shakur loved or hated? Loved! What’s the difference between me and Tupac Shakur? I never caught a rape charge — ever.”

After being told that his music isn’t as introspective as Tupac’s, the rapper responded: “This is one of his biggest songs,” while playing Tupac’s ‘Troublesome 96’ aloud from his phone. “What’s the difference between that and ‘Billy’? ‘A born leader, never leave the crib without my heater!’ You’re telling me he gave back through his art? You’re lying to me.”
After being told that he only [has] one kind of record, while Tupac was a “multifaceted artist,” 6ix9ine responded: “I got to feed what, in 2020, is relevant. I got to feed the masses. There’s no difference between me and Tupac Shakur.”

Elsewhere in the interview, 6ix9ine spoke of the experience of testifying against the Nine Trey gang. The rapper served a 24-month sentence after pleading guilty to nine charges including conspiracy to murder and armed robbery, but his prison sentence was dramatically cut after he testified during the trial of Nine Trey members Anthony “Harv” Ellison and Aljermiah “Nuke” Mack.

“I was following a street code that was upheld by me and that I thought was real,” he said of his initial decision to stay loyal to the gang. “Before I broke the street code, how many times was it broken to me? “It’s all about honor, loyalty.”

“Well, let’s talk about if sleeping with somebody’s girl is honor, kidnapping somebody is honor, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from them is honor, trying to kill them is honor. “Snitching’s not street!” But street is taking advantage of one of your homies?”