Posted by 6ix9ine’s reputation as a nefarious internet troll and notorious snitch has been well documented by now. But for whatever reason, multiple documentaries are still being made about his brief yet somehow lucrative career — including Supervillain. The director of the impending film Karam Gill was initially hesitant to take on the project, calling 6ix9ine a truly “horrible human being” with no talent or morals.
“I think viewers will be shocked to realize how hyper calculated [he is],” Gill reportedly told Page Six. “Tekashi was someone who never did anything online on accident. Every click, word and action online was designed with care to spark a reaction. I never really wanted to explore Tekashi’s story specifically, and actually was hesitant about the project at first because of how he has been such a toxic individual in our culture.
“But from a wider scope, I realized it’s an extremely important story that shines a light on where we are as a culture. We’re living in the era of manufactured celebrity, where people can create inauthentic online personas and rise to fame without any talent or morals. Tekashi’s story is exactly that — he’s someone who realized the power of having your own platform.”
6ix9ine currently boasts over 23.4 million Instagram followers and reeled in nearly four million views in less than an hour when he resurfaced last week with a snippet of his upcoming single. Gill says that’s part of his “uncanny ability to spark a reaction.”
He added, “I was surprised to find out how much of a social media mastermind [Tekashi] truly was. His understanding of how human beings operate on these platforms is incredible. The public and media hates him because he is truly a horrible human being who has done terrible things. And from an overall perspective, he loves to instigate and aggravate which is something that naturally sparks a reaction.”
The 24-year-old Brooklyn native was convicted of several felony charges related to a 2018 racketeering case but due to his cooperation with the federal government, he received a significantly reduced sentence and granted a “compassionate release” last April amid COVID-19 concerns.
Tekashi 6ix9ine’s ‘Supervillain’ SHOWTIME Docuseries Gets 1st Trailer
Once out of the Queens Detention Facility, he immediately got back to familiar antics. Over the weekend, Meek Mill accused him of trying to reel him into trouble after the GUMMO rapper confronted him outside of an Atlanta club. In a clip of the incident, which Meek recorded, 6ix9ine is seen yelling at Meek behind the safety of several large security guards.
6ix9ine’s attorney Dawn Florio previously wouldn’t engage in such activities but apparently that isn’t stopping him.
Gill sounds almost grateful he didn’t have to meet 6ix9ine in person to do the documentary.
“I have never met him nor spoken with him,” he said. “The interview we have in the film is from unreleased post-prison tapes that our larger production team acquired. To me this project was an opportunity to capture this time in human history, a time where we have seen pop culture figures, and even presidents, shape their own realities and manipulate us all through digital media.”
The three-part Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine debuts February 21 on SHOWTIME. Its executive producers include Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Rolling Stone’s Gus Wenner and Jonathan Chinn and Simon Chinn of Lightbox.