NEWS
6ix9ine has shared some of the wildest stories in hip-hop, leaving it up to fans to decide what’s real and what’s part of his trolling persona. He’s built a reputation as rap’s biggest provocateur, but this time, his claim might actually hold some truth. In a recent interview, the rapper recalled offering NBA YoungBoy a massive deal to collaborate on a song.
According to the Bushwick native, he was ready to pay $1 million for the guest verse. The conversation, which surfaced through DJ Akademiks, revealed that 6ix9ine wanted YoungBoy to feature on his 2022 single “GINE.” Instead, the track dropped as a solo release on April 15, 2022.
6ix9ine explained that their talks were serious and that they were close to hitting the studio together. However, it seems YoungBoy wanted to take the record in a more positive direction, something that didn’t align with what the “GUMMO” rapper had in mind.
In his own words, “I’m not on no positive sh*t. I don’t wanna be positive.”
YoungBoy may have decided to step back because of the real-life themes tied to the track. The song references 6ix9ine’s time with the Nine Trey Bloods, a chapter that’s well-documented and controversial.
The track also mentions Lul Timm, one of YoungBoy’s affiliates who was accused of murdering King Von.
Timm, who was seen hanging out with DJ Akademiks during one of YoungBoy’s tour stops, reportedly declined the song because of the allegations and legal issues surrounding him at the time. According to 6ix9ine, he only offered him “10 bands.” Kodak Black was also approached for the record.
Altogether, the story lines up with previous rumors about a potential collaboration between two of rap’s most polarizing figures. Discussions about a joint effort surfaced around four years ago and even lingered into 2024, though nothing ever materialized.
One collaboration that seems entirely off the table is between 6ix9ine and 21 Savage. During a recent chat with DJ Akademiks, 6ix9ine took aim at the UK-born rapper, claiming he’s better than him because he’s American-born.
21 later tweeted, saying that everyone seems to be “in a race to be the corniest alive,” leading fans to believe the message was directed at the rainbow-haired MC.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
