The Hype House is ready to take accountability for collaborating with 6ix9ine. Sort of.
Last week, Hype House manager Thomas Petrou “surprised” the famous TikTok collective with rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine in his latest vlog. Multiple Hype House members, including Tayler Holder and Olivia Ponton, went on to create TikTok videos with the controversial artist, copping immediate backlash for their association with such a problematic figure given their young fan-base.
In 2018, Tekashi 6ix9ine— whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez— pled guilty for his use of a child in sexual performance. He received four years of probation and is required to complete 1,000 hours of community service.
While many Hype House members have deleted their collaborations with the shamed rapper, Thomas has refused to remove his original vlog. In speaking with The Hollywood Fix, the 22-year-old now admits that working with 6ix9ine was “not the move” and calls it a “mistake.”
“We all make mistakes and move on,” Thomas told a paparazzo. “I try to learn from them and not make the same one in the future.” Thomas admits he did not know “all of the back story” on the rapper’s history with minors.
Despite the response, Thomas says he doesn’t plan on taking his vlog down because “there’s no point in going back on it.” He says true accountability comes from owning up to your mistakes and not making the same ones moving forward.
However, it doesn’t seem Tekashi 6ix9ine has been so understanding. In a TikTok posted September 11th, the rapper seemingly shaded Hype House members for removing their content. The clip shows 6ix9ine tearing down promotional posters of himself with the caption, “Me and the Hype House deleting videos like no one would notice.”
Hopefully The Hype House has upped their vetting process for future collabs to avoid amplifying sexual predators moving forward.