In a dramatic spectacle streamed live to his followers, controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine (legal name Daniel Hernandez) surrendered himself Tuesday at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), beginning another prison term. The 29-year-old artist arrived in a luxury vehicle accompanied by internet personality Adin Ross and a camera crew, turning himself in for a three-month sentence related to supervised release violations.
The Brooklyn facility represents a convergence of high-profile detainees, currently housing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores alongside Luigi Mangione, the accused murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. This institution has developed notorious status within the federal prison system, with multiple judges describing conditions as “hell on earth” due to persistent violence and substandard facilities.
MDC Brooklyn has historically contained numerous infamous inmates, including R&B singer R. Kelly, music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Ghislaine Maxwell, longtime associate of financier Jeffrey Epstein. The facility remains New York City’s sole federal jail despite its troubled reputation.
Hernandez’s legal troubles stem from a 2019 racketeering case involving the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang, for which he received a two-year prison sentence followed by five years supervised release. His current incarceration results from discovered narcotics and an assault incident—violating his post-release conditions. Prosecutors documented small quantities of cocaine and ecstasy discovered during a Miami home raid, along with Hernandez physically attacking a Florida mall patron who taunted him about cooperating with authorities.
Despite his legal representatives not immediately commenting on Tuesday’s surrender, previous statements indicated the rapper anticipates completing his sentence to resume musical activities. Hernandez initially gained fame through his 2017 single “Gummo” but subsequently became entangled in serious criminal proceedings despite his cooperation with federal investigations.