Vikram Gandhi is an award-winning director and journalist who has covered terrorism in Asia and has worked on controversial documentaries such as”Kumare” and “Street Fight.”
However, like many of us, he was also sucked into the phenomenon of the Troll King Rapper, Tekashi69.
In 2017, Tekashi’s rainbow hair and outlandish antics caught the attention of millions making his rise to stardom, iconic. In Gandhi’s new documentary “69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez,” he chronicles the rise and fall of the rapper and hits the streets of Brooklyn to find out who is the real Danny Hernandez. The film features Tekashi’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his daughter Sara Molina as well as a series of other former close associates including the original members of Tr3yway Entertainment.
What sets this film apart from others is Gandhi’s remarkable storytelling. Thanks to his intensive investigative work, the audience now has a backstage pass into the life of the Brooklyn native rapper. The film shows how Danny the Bodega boy went from a poor goofy kid to the rich hip hop villain we all know today.
In detail, we get to see how exactly Tekashi became apart of the dangerous Trey Nine Bloods gang and where things went sour with his former friends and business colleagues. The film touches on topics such as the infamous “Gummo” video, where he is parading around illegal firearms and gang-affiliated flags. It also dives deep into his kidnapping and racketeering charges.
Repeatedly in the documentary, Tekashi refers to himself as “The King of New York City” but the film leaves the audience wondering if his pursuit of clout was worth it. Find out more in our exclusive interview with director Vikram Gandhi above.