Convicted gang member and rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine says he would vote for Trump in his first interview since being released from prison
- Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, gave his first post-prison interview to the New York Times.
- He said in the interview that he's regularly compared to President Donald Trump.
- He also said he'd vote for Trump in the upcoming presidential election, after asking Times reporter Joe Coscarelli if felons could vote.
- During the interview, he also discussed his music and cooperating with authorities, as well allegations of domestic abuse from an ex-girlfriend.
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine says he would vote for President Donald Trump in his first interview to the press since being released from prison.
The rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was released from home confinement in August upon finishing his sentence on crimes related to his involvement with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang.
He gave his first interview to The New York Times, during which he said he's regularly compared to Trump — though he doesn't necessarily agree with it.
"I don't think Trump trolls. I think Trump is genuinely Trump," Hernandez told Times reporter Joe Coscarelli. "I get compared to Trump every day. But I love Mexican people. I don't think we're the same."
When Coscarelli asked if Hernandez had ever voted, the 24-year-old rapper questioned if felons could vote before saying: "I would vote for Trump."
In the revealing interview, Hernandez also discussed his music, obsession with fame, involvement in a child-sex case, and allegations of domestic abuse from an ex-girlfriend.
He also spoke about his decision to cooperate with authorities the case against the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang, and concerns for his life if he ever returned to Bed-Stuy, his old neighborhood in Brooklyn.
"Right now, if I left this interview and took the train by myself to Bed-Stuy, I wouldn't come back. If you took a trip to an island full of cannibals, are you coming back? But you don't put yourself in stupid situations," he said.
Because he cooperated with authorities and pleaded guilty to several crimes, Hernandez was sentenced to just two years in prison, including 13 months time served. He was released in August on good behavior.
Hernandez signed a $10 million record deal while in prison, and his first post-prison album is due out on Friday.
As for what he plans to do next, he told The Times: "Just keep dominating."
Read the full New York Times interview here.
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