Tekashi 6ix9ine documentary director calls rapper a ‘horrible human being’

Karam Gill says he was initially reluctant to go near the subject of the highly controversial rapper

The director behind a forthcoming documentary series on controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has described him as “truly a horrible human being”.

The three-part series Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine debuts on Showtime in the US on 21 February.

Director Karam Gill, who did not meet Tekashi (real name Daniel Hernandez) for the project, told Page Six that the interviews used in the series are from unreleased post-prison tapes acquired by his production team.

“I think viewers will be shocked to realise how hyper calculated [he is]” Gill said. “Tekashi was someone who never did anything online on accident. Every click, word and action online was designed with care to spark a reaction.”

He said that he was reluctant to go near the project at first because he believed Tekashi was “a toxic individual in our culture”.

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However, he apparently decided it was “extremely important” to highlight the wider context of Tekashi’s rise to fame.

“We’re living in the era of manufactured celebrity, where people can create inauthentic online personas and rise to fame without any talent or morals. Tekashi’s story is exactly that — he’s someone who realised the power of having your own platform,” he said.

Tekashi 6ix9ine performs during the Philipp Plein fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week on 21 September, 2018. (MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images)

Tekashi’s lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, told Page Six: “It’s the furthest thing from the truth. Danny’s talent speaks for itself, and Danny is a good human being.”

“Daniel Hernandez never was interviewed for [the docuseries], and never participated. It is interesting and almost unbelievable without ever having met the person… how [the director] characterised him,” he added. “ It’s hard to fathom. No one can comment about his talent… and how he characterised him when he never met the person.”

In the trailer for the project, Tekashi states: “If I was to die today, I’d be a legend. I know that for a fact.”

In 2018, the rapper was sentenced to two years in prison on racketeering and other charges. He was released last spring.

On Sunday (14 February), footage emerged of an apparent stand-off between Tekashi and rapper Meek Mill.