Tekashi 6ix9ine turns 30 years old today, unexpectedly becoming one of the most connected international figures with the Cuban entertainment scene, the cast, and the island's urban culture.
The New York rapper of Mexican-Puerto Rican descent, whose real name is Daniel Hernández, reached this milestone at a time of personal and media resurgence: a baby on the way, new music, and a series of connections with Cuba that few artists in his trajectory can boast.
From Bushwick to Pinar del Río
It all began in March 2023, when Tekashi landed in Pinar del Río to shoot the music video for "Leyenda Viva" with Lenier Mesa, his first collaboration with a Cuban artist.
The images of the tattooed rapper dressed as a peasant, cutting sugarcane, driving oxen, and walking through the tobacco fields of Viñales went viral immediately.
The music video surpassed two million views in less than 24 hours, nine million in three days, and achieved over 24 million views on YouTube.
That same summer, in August 2023, Tekashi returned to Cuba to perform at the Santa María Music Fest, in Cayo Santa María, Villa Clara, along with his then-partner Yailin La Más Viral.
It was there that Yailin declared her love from the stage: "Thank you for coming into my life. Thank you for giving me the courage I deserve."
Tekashi responded in his own way, posting after the performance in Cuba: "I love you Cuba. As for the envious, you hold concerts to survive your fake lives. I perform for free and I'm still on top of those who hate me."
"From Cuba to the world"
The connection with the cast deepened in October 2024 with the premiere of "Papita Frita," alongside Oniel Bebeshito and Lenier Mesa, a tribute to the late Cuban singer El Taiger.
Chocolate MC, a historical figure in the genre, reacted with excitement: "I dreamed of this more than 15 years ago; my team would be at the top."
In September 2025, "Habla Toro" was released, another collaboration with Bebeshito and Lenier, featuring a cowboy aesthetic that blended urban elements with traditional Cuban rural music.
Three collaborations with Cuban artists in less than two years, all connected by the theme of casting.
A very Cuban romantic life
But Tekashi's connection to Cuba didn't stop at music alone.
After his relationship with Yailin La Más Viral and then with the Cuban singer Hallel Génesis, in April 2025 he started dating Aliday Alter, a 29-year-old Cuban woman living in Miami.
One of the couple's most viral moments came when Aliday got a tattoo of Tekashi's face on her neck.
On April 7, just five days after leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Tekashi confirmed in a stream that Aliday is pregnant: "She got pregnant while I was in jail."
On Wednesday, two days before her birthday, Aliday posted a carousel on Instagram with the message "Baby on the way," showcasing her advanced pregnancy surrounded by Hermès bags and luxury jewelry, in a post that fans dubbed "Mom Hermès."
Alongside her was Tekashi, wearing a Louis Vuitton cap and holding a blue ostrich leather Birkin, in a display that sparked reactions on social media.
The baby will be the couple's first child together and Tekashi's third.
Few international artists have built such a genuine and lasting connection with the urban Cuban universe as the Brooklyn rapper who today blows out 30 candles with a Cuban by his side, a baby on the way, and the music playing in the background.
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