No Snitching: A Look at how mediums are influenced
BY: Markel Warren
Project overview
“No snitching”
1)
Overview
I will be exploring the media’s perception and coverage on “snitching” as it relates to the
Tekashi 6ixnine’s Racketeering case. Tekashi 69 born Daniel Hernandez is a Brooklyn based
rapper who involved himself with the New York street gang called the nine-trey bloods. He
would fund the nine-trey bloods and in return he would get protection and an image. He used this
image to sell records but the trail of crimes he left eventually caught up to him. He was arrested
in November of 2018 on several accounts of racketeering, illegal firearm possession and aiding
in an attempted murder along with other nine-trey blood gang members. Tekashi 69 was
sentenced to 2 years in prison after spending 11 months prior to his December court date. In
September of 2019 he agreed to cooperate with authorities for a lesser sentence. He was looking
at a 37-year minimum but through his cooperation he got 2 years in prison and a 5-year
supervised release. As of 2020 he is under protective custody but still has a strong social media
presence. Many rappers, social media personalities, and activist took to social media to criticizes
or encourage Tekashi for his behavior. I will explore this culture behavior of snitching and how
social media played a role in Tekashi 69’s music career and led to his eventual downfall.
2)
Goals
My goals for this project are to correctly link cultural behavior to social media use. I want to find
out how different mediums of media are influenced. I want to explore the term “snitching” and
how it is used in different mediums. I want to formulate a project that will help others understand
why media culture is against the snitching agenda. I also want to explore how social media
positively and negatively affected Tekashi 69 music career.
3)
Sources
The type of sources I will be using is print media, videos from broadcast media and social media
I will be using an interview on YouTube for hot 97. The video is called Tekashi 69 trail broken
down by Lisa Evers, who was at the trail. The use of this video is important because little press
was allowed inside the courtroom at the time of the trail. This video is an eye witness portrayal
of the proceedings. Although eye witness testimony can be biased she is a journalist so, there is
some sort of credibility in what she is sayings. I will also use Instagram as a source. I will look
up specific post from Tekashi’s page to get an overall census of how people feel about the
rapper. I will also use articles as a basis to see how public opinion effected the trail of Tekashi. I
will look up different articles on the trial and find the difference in the writing style and context
use to describe the trail. I will also reference songs by YG, Rick Ross, And NLE Choppa since
they referenced Tekashi in their music. I will also study Tekashi 69 social media habits in order
to get a better understanding of why people have a negative or positive opinion about him. I will
also use my bias about Tekashi as a starting point to compare and contrast hip-hop purist from
the general public. Since I am an independent artist in the music industry I will give my opinion
so there is a broader spectrum of viewpoints in the project.
4)
Methods
I will analyze the basic themes presented in the overall census of comments I gather. I will use
data sampling as a tactic to get these themes that come from the comment section of Tekashi’s
Instagram page. I will then come to a conclusion of the overall view of people towards Tekashi. I
will also analyze how his portrayal changes form media outlet to media outlet. I will do this by
looking at different media outlets such as YouTube videos and videos of other outlets. I will also
lookout how his portrayed in print media as well. Print media paints a picture and analyzing
different articles of his trail will give me the information I need. I will look a different article son
his trail and see the picture that the media painted of him. After I have gathered the census of
opinion I will compare and contrast them to formulate them into subcategories to get more
specific.
5)
Issues and problems
The problems I see with this project is narrowing the opinions down to a category. There will be
several opinions and the only way to get a accurate account would be a sampling method.
Another problem I see is looking for credible sources for the media outlet portions. Many people
wrote about this court case and narrowing it down to a few sites will be difficult. The credibility
of the articles another publisher is also a concern. How valid are some of these articles? If they
have no attribution it would make the data a collect flawed.
6)
Background
I decided to do this project because social media tends to run every aspect of life. We receive the
majority of our news from an online source. I don’t remember the last time I watched the
physical news. People want their information fast. I also did this topic because I’m affected by it.
I am a black rapper who is trying to make it big in the music industry so I can learn from his
experience and how not to do it. the issue is black culture being influenced by social media.
Although Tekashi is Puerto Rican he integrated himself into a black space and caused an influx
of negative activity to be presented to the media. Hip-hop culture is black culture because we as
a community made the genre. Hip-hop gets blamed for crime, sex and violence because of the
lyrics and image that are put out. But these things are part of the culture and were just giving you
a preview of what happens in the black community because the culture created from oppression.
Hip-hop problems are a black problem and what Tekashi did was feed fire to a burning problem.
Project sources
Source 1: I will be using the video titled Tekashi 69 Trial Broken down by Lisa Evers. Who was
at the Trail on YouTube. The video is an eye-witness account of the nine-trey bloods conspiracy
preliminary hearing. At this point in the trail Tekashi 69 was already sentenced to 47 years. This
video is the Lisa Evers account of him being the star witness for the federal government. (In the
video she details the atmosphere of the proceedings. She also goes into detail about the
government indictment of the gang before Tekashi 69. She said the US government has been
building a case since 2013 and Tekashi was an easy target after he aligned himself with the gang.
She also went on to discuss Tekashi 69’s prior criminal record and how people believed he was
working with the government before the introduction of the nine-trey bloods gang. The theory is
that his prior charges were dropped because he was working with the government according to
the video. This theory has never been proven. She also said that security was high. She said she
had to go through two checkpoint and surrender her phone.) Any type of recording was banned
during the proceedings so this is the best account I can get. I used this video specifically because
very few people were allowed in the courtroom. I hope by using the source I can get a better
picture of what happened in the trail and how the affected what the media said.
Method: I will use this video to gather a journalistic viewpoint of the trail journalist usually don’t
have an opinion so this source will be complete use as a subjective. This source will be used for
its unbiased viewpoint. I will use observation as the research method because the video is an
eye-witness account of what happened. I will record the information as it is Cleary stated and the
analyze it for personal biased. I will then use the information to formulate how he is portrayed in
Broadcast media.
Source 2: the second source I will be using is the New York Times article Tekashi 69: How His
Trial Testimony left him labeled a “Snitch”. the New York Times is known for its attribution
when it comes to stories. I will use this trusted source to examine how print media painted a
picture of Tekashi 69. The article examines what led to Tekashi being arrested and testifying. It
also examines how social media tagged the “snitch” label on the rapper. I will also use pitchforks
article Why Tekashi 6ix9ines’ testimony matters for the future of hip-hop on trial. I will also use
vulture’s article Tekashi 6ix9ine snitches on gang members in court testimony. I will sue these
three sources because each one is a different type of print media. New York times is a traditional
form of print media, pitchfork is music blog and vulture is a pop culture from of print media. I
will analyze the themes in each source.
Method: I will use observation as my method of research. This method works best because I will
have to analyze the wording and grammar of each article. I will the take the information to
formulate the themes of each article. I will then take each theme and come to a conclusion. This
conclusion will be the portrayal of Tekashi 69 in print media.
Source 3: I have been examining Tekashi 69’s Instagram page and Social media post related to
the trial. I will take a sample of data (twitter post) related to Tekashi 69 trail and categorize them
int two groups. The two groups are categorized as against and for Tekashi 69. I will take 6 post
of each category and analyze them in order to get precise view of how social media feels about
Tekashi 69. I will repeat the same method for Instagram but I will only be taking samples from
Tekashi’s Instagram page. This will help media get a better understanding of public opinion of
Tekashi 69’s trail.
Method: I will use data sampling as my research method. Thesis works best because I’m taking
samples from two different social media outlets and am trying to formulate the themes in each
sample. After putting all the samples in the categories I will analyze them and come to
conclusion on my findings. This will be the viewpoint of his portrayal on social media.
Background:
I decided to do this project because media tends to run every aspect of life. We receive the
majority of our news from a different source and that can lead to how we view certain things.
Our views can change when we read something or view something new that can add value to our
interpretation of things and I want to analyze that. People view things different and I feel that it’s
important to get all views before you come to a conclusion. In my opinion what happened to
Tekashi 69 was wrong but and a feel like he gets the “bad end of the stick”. The media came
with different stories and explanations of what happened but we as public never got to hear his
side. I feel like people didn’t let him explain his side of the story and bashed him. he was young
artist looking to make a name for himself and a gang decided to take advantage of his
vulnerability. The media would give him coverage whenever he coughed and public opinion
eventually swayed. The public got tired of the antics and turned against him, the media in sense
created Tekashi 69 and now when everything is going bad they’re throwing him under the dirt.
They created a social media giant and tarnished everything he built when reality set in. the
“snitch” label is given to those who the public deems unfit. If you associate yourself with illegal
activities and get caught and the proceed to tell on all involved the you’re a snitch. Getting hit a
label like that really traps you in a box when your career field is predicated on human interaction
and public opinion. I don’t believe Tekashi is a snitch because the people he associates himself
with used his fame in order to disguise illegal activities that he might have not been aware of.
They kidnapped him and threaten his family. On the other hand, you have to take accountability
for your actions and they were a criminal organization so “a spade is a spade. If I was in the
same situation I would have did the same thing. The media made it easy to hate him and tag him
with a label. He seemed to take on the label that was given to him and relish in the limelight for
a bit then fell off the face of the earth. I want to examine how social media took an 18 year old
rapper and turned him into the polarizing figure that people love to hate.
Reasoning for project: (I am a black male in America who is trying to make it big in the music
industry. I can learn from his experience and how not to make the same mistakes. The issue is
black culture (hip-hop culture) being portrayed in a manner that is contradictory to what it stands
for. Tekashi integrated himself into a “black space” (culture) and caused an influx of negative
press which shinned a light on all negative aspect of black culture without showing the positive
the media tends to run with whatever narrative is popular and never apologizes when they
misinform the public. I want to also explore why the media does this and how this effects social
media.)
Source 1: I analyzed the YouTube video Tekashi 69 Trial broken down by Lisa Evers. The
method I used for the video was observation. What I observed was a detailing of the Tekashi 69
court case and some of the outlandish things that were done during his time in the spotlight.
Video description:
•
Tekashi 69 plead guilty to all charges that where against him
•
He was used as the sole witness to bring down the nine trey bloods gang organization
•
Tekashi 69 publicly ordered at hit on former collaborator Trippie Redd
•
Property taxes and insurance rates were raised on studios and venues located in New
York due to altercation that occurred between Tekashi 69 and Trippie Redd
•
Public opinion of Tekashi swayed from internet troll to public enemy
•
The street code of snitching was used to debate whether they believe him to be a snitch or
not. (street code: if you are willing participant in a crime and you know the outcome you don’t
snitch. but if you are an unwilling participant in a crime you can snitch)
•
Lisa Evers by term believed Tekashi 69 snitch because she was in the courtroom at the
time
Things that were said: Lisa Evers said Tekashi 69 getting involved with the nine trey bloods
gang took the case to another level. Tekashi being an internet troll and main stream rapper made
the case and everything surrounding it public knowledge. She also went on to say that the us
government has been building a case since 2013 and Tekashi was an easy target after he aligned
himself with the gang. During the trail Tekashi demeanor was different and humble. He no
longer wanted to be looked at as Tekashi 69 but Daniel Hernandez. She also said if he gets out
(eventually he does) hell never be able to live the life he did before all fo this happened.
Interpretation: the media and the public believe he is a snitch and his street credit is ruined and
he will forever be tagged with the snitch label since it was such a public thing. They believe he
tarnished the legacy of hip-hop by involving himself with and gang and getting caught. Social
media decided to “cancel” Tekashi 69 because of how he went about break the quote on quote
“street code”.
Source 2: For the second source I used observation as my method to analyze the 3 articles. What
I observed was some biased on the behalf of the publications. Some of the terminology used
showed biased that was put into the story.
Tekashi 69: How His Trial Testimony left him labeled a “Snitch”
•
Description: This New York times article is a description of Tekashi 69’s trial nd what
lead to it. It went into details about what was said, who was there, and what this means for the
rapper.
What was said in the articles:
o
His trail left him labeled as a snitch in the yes of his hip-hop pears
o
His former charges where used against him when he was convicted
o
His arrest singled the end of his rise in the hip-hop world
o
He agreed to cooperate after pleading guilty
Interpretation: this article showed light biased. They describe his rap career as meteoric and
made him look guilty with the wording of certain texts.
Why Tekashi 6ix9ines’ testimony matters for the future of hip-hop on trial
•
Description: this article was about the Tekashi 69 trial and how it affects hip-hop. They
went into a discussion about how rap videos and lyrics are used in court cases. They also
mentioned the blurred line between a rap image and person and how this trial can damage the
integrity of hip-hop.
What was said in the articles:
o
Tekashi had a three-day testimony
o
Music videos and lyrics were used as evidence in the prosecution.
o
There is a blurred line between a rapper’s artistic credibility and real-life credibility
o
Tekashi testified that his role in the gang was financial support
o
the debate of whether rap lyrics should be used in court
Interpretation: this article was completely biased. They facts where attributed but put in the way
to show bias. The person who wrote this article disliked Tekashi very much and it shows in the
langue used.
Tekashi 6ix9ine snitches on gang members in court testimony
•
Description: this article is a further detailing of the trail proceedings. This article goes
into specific quoted details about the case.
What was said in the articles:
o
Tekashi seemed to enjoy his music when it was used as evidence because he was swaying
his head
o
Tekashi knew the formula to be successful and that was associating himself with a gang
o
He made a plea deal with the Manhattan U.S. attorney office
Interpretation: this article showed no biased in its detailing of the case. It was quoted and had
attributed facts.
Source 3: I analyzed the tweets and Instagram post for my third sources. I used data sampling
and split the comments/ tweet into two groups. The two groups are “Snitch” and “not a snitch”.
Instagram:
Description: his Instagram was full of support with very few hate
Analysis: (Not a snitch)
Interpretation: this means that regardless of everything that has happened Tekashi still has loyal
fans. The media caters to the majority and his fans are not the majority.
Twitter
Description: twitter was a mixed bag of emotions. I saw more hate than love and many people
were against him snitching.
Analysis: (snitch)
Interpretation: the majority of people on this platform think he is a snitch and some of the articles
use this public opinion as a reference on how to write their articles. Whatever the majority is
whether it be for or against publication will always cater to the majority.
Data sample used:
Positive
Negative
Instagram
Conclusion:
From the data samples collected and the information given the general public believes Tekashi
69 is a snitch. Although his fanbase is still behind him many of them still believe him to be a
snitch and choose to accept that but still support him. This belief from the general public
influenced how writers and publishers wrote their articles. Public opinion shaped how the articles
were written because the news tends to wavier to whatever side is most popular. The same
description of Tekashi 69 was painted out through each of the three articles and through the
social media data samples.
Discuss:
The data showed that public opinion shapes how the news is broadcast. The story that the news
releases always caters to the majority. The public opinion of Tekashi 69 from social media was
negative, the majority believe he was the bad guy and in turn the news wrote to that agenda. The
interesting part about this is his fans opinions. The data showed how sustainable people are to
change. If a fan was in the minority he would change his opinion.
Describe: the articles proved the journalistic viewpoint of Tekashi 69 was negative. I felt that
using the journalistic viewpoint which is really the viewpoint of the majority (social media) was
a waste of time. The journalistic viewpoint was the popular viewpoint. The data used was purely
opinionated and the problem with using social media is you can’t tell if a person is being honest.
Like I said before according to the data a person in the minority joined the majority. The only
valuable source was the YouTube video and that still had themes of biased because the interview
came into the interview with a certain picture of Tekashi 69.
Interpret: the information was an accurate account of how social media can influence different
mediums. I couldn’t find a article, video, documentary, or social media about Tekashi 69 without
their being some form of biased. Everything about journalism and entertainment media is
influenced by social media. The information is reliable because I was exploring how the media
would influence people perceptions and the overall perception towards Tekashi 69 was negative.
According to articles he tarnished the legacy of Hip-hop and turned it into a circus. He feed into
the notion of hip-hop being about violence, sex and, drugs. Since hip-hop is a black space we get
linked together. If one does it all does it. This is the root of racism, stereotypes and biguatry that
we fought so hard to overcome. But when you have those who are black that ate accepted into
black culture then this is the end result. This perception was already the majority and he didn’t
help us overcome it.
Verdict: I was Successful in showing how different mediums are influenced by public opinion.
All the different types of mediums were swayed in some way to cater to the majority. I was also
successful in showing how the term snitching was used in different mediums. I was unsuccessful
in showing how media culture is against the snitching agenda. The verdict is Tekashi’s career
was defined by social media both positively and negatively. That negativity eventually led to his
down fall. They wanted a bad guy and became that.