Now that controversial rapper Tekashi 69 is (mostly) back on the streets, the fervor surrounding his case and the other members of the Nine Trey set has died down. However, the cases for many of the members were still ongoing as recently as this morning, when 69 associate Kooda B was sentenced to 54 months in prison, as reported by Complex. After his release, Kooda will be on probation for another three years.
Kooda pled guilty last year to assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering as the trigger man in an attempted shooting of Chicago rapper Chief Keef in New York in June 2018. During the trial, court documents revealed that Tekashi allegedly offered Kooda — real name Kintea McKenzie — $20,000 to shoot Keef outside the Times Square W Hotel. Kooda reportedly settled for just half of that. Tekashi implicated himself in the shooting by allowing himself to be filmed threatening Keef’s cousin Tadoe on FaceTime, saying “I swear to God I got a 30 pack.”
Complex quotes Judge Paul Engelmayer’s comments, in which the judge censured Kooda for his participation in gang activity. “[A] number of the videos you made prior to your arrest in this case seemed to glorify and promote gangs,” he said. “You often held a red bandana, a common symbol of the Bloods, and you made hand gestures believed to be gang symbols. The government’s sentencing letter reproduces your lyrics, which affirmatively promote violence as you rap about shootings and kidnappings and other violence, and guns. And these videos were made through the summer of 2019, long after you had been charged in this case. I found that disappointing. So let me be blunt: you need to grow up and get a more mature perspective on gang activity. If you continue to pursue a career involving rapping and public performances, I hope you will stop romanticizing gang violence. I hope you have learned from this experience that gang violence is not something to celebrate.”
For his part, Kooda expressed his remorse, “That was an extremely foolish choice I made. I allowed myself to look up to and listen to someone with more success and fame. That was not the right thing to do. I regret it and it won’t happen again. I thought he was a good friend. I was excited that he named a song after me.”