Tekashi 6ix9ine has never precisely followed the rules, but this time, his disappearing act cost him a good chunk of change. A federal judge has ordered the controversial rapper to pay up to $250,000 for reneging on a high-profile Washington, D.C. concert only to be seen performing on the same night elsewhere.
The legal dispute dates back to a sold-out show at Echostage in October 2018. Before the promoters Hit Fame LLC and After Hours LLC arranged it, the show was slated as a significant event during Howard University’s homecoming celebrations. VIP tables were sold out, ticket sales brought in more than $165,000, and more than 3,000 eager fans lined up in the cold rain to see 6ix9ine take the stage.
But rather than performing the high-energy set he is known for, the Brooklyn rapper did a disappearing act. He left without saying anything to the promoters and was later seen performing at Powerhouse NJ at the Prudential Center in Newark that same night.
As patrons grew impatient outside the venue, the Echostage staff had no choice but to call off the concert just 30 minutes before doors were scheduled to open for fear of a full-blown riot. What happened next was a logistical disaster: thousands of refunds, Users outraged on social media, and a tsunami of threats directed at the promoters, who had been ghosted just as severely as the audience.
According to court documents, 6ix9ine had already earned nearly $60,000 in performance fees before the event. The money was funneled primarily through his former manager, Kifano “Shotti” Jordan, who received a prison sentence for unrelated charges. In the months leading up to the no-show, the rapper’s team had exchanged back-and-forth with promoters, renegotiating, rescheduling, and receiving wired payments. Then, with things finally locked in, communication with the rapper and his team went cold.
Even one of his agents suggested that the show might not go on weeks ago. Still, 6ix9ine shot a video touting the gig as a “make-up date for the Howard homecoming,” a clip that, notably, was never released to the public.
Following years of legal wrangling, the court has decided that 6ix9ine breached the terms of his contract and must pay for the financial fallout of his no-show. While the judge dismissed claims of defamation and unjust enrichment for failing to prove them, she ordered $250,000 in damages to be paid to the concert promoters.
The rapper, however, has pressed back, arguing that he was never actually compensated for the gig despite the ruling. In a since-deleted Instagram rant, he declared, “The people did not pay me” and “the money never came to me,” suggesting that Shotti was to blame. But the court ruled that his statements were too vague to be deemed defamatory against the plaintiffs.
Although 6ix9ine escaped many of the allegations thrown at him, his last-minute flip-flop disappointed fans and resulted in a mega-killing bill to pay. Perhaps he’ll have learned a lesson about pulling disappearing acts the next time.
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