Daniel Hernandez or mostly known as Tekashi 6ix9ine’s wasted no time having the spotlight following his early prison release last month, and quickly began raking in money with the release of his new song, Gooba.
Tekashi released ‘Gooba’ last week and gained attention with a record-breaking Instagram Live video, in which the rapper defended his cooperation with law enforcement. Tekashi also used the social media platform to promote his new merch, including hoodies, t-shirts, and rainbow-patterned face-masks.
According to TMZ, Tekashi reportedly made $2 million in less than a week as a result of his new music and return to social media. The rapper achieved all of this from home, where he remains on house arrest as he carries out the remaining months of his two-year prison sentence.
Tekashi wanted to share some of his wealth with No Kid Hungry, an organization which helps to feed millions of children who face hunger across the US, but the nonprofit declined the $200,000 donation.
“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. As a child-focused campaign, it is our policy to decline funding from donors whose activities do not align with our mission and values.” No Kid Hungry said in a statement.
It must be hard for a non profit organization that is built on donations to reject money, but No Kid Hungry obviously has principles that it chose to stick by.
In 2018, Tekashi was arrested on racketeering charges and was part of the gang Nine Trey Bloods before he turned on other alleged gang members as part of a plea deal to cut down his jail time. He was also handed four years probation and 1,000 hours community service stemming from a 2015 arrest on charges of using a child in a sexual performance.
USA Today asked No Kid Hungry on which ‘activities’ specifically did not align with the organization’s mission, but a spokesperson declined to comment further.
It’s likely that Tekashi’s past offenses are at least in part the reason behind the rejection, but while the charity has insisted it is sticking to policy, the rapper has accused the organisation of being ‘cruel’.
He addressed the organisation in a now-deleted post on his Instagram page, writing: @nokidhungry rather take food out the mouth of these innocent children I never seen something so cruel.
Some fans agreed with the rapper and pointed out that ‘‘money is money’’, no matter where it comes from, but others have commended No Kid Hungry for choosing to stick on its principles.