Tekashi 6ix9ine, real name Daniel Hernandez, is no stranger to beef. This time, he's embattled in a legal feud with tattoo artist Takashi Matsuba, who reportedly inspired the rapper's own stage name. The beef reportedly stems from claims 6ix9ine made in two recent documentaries about the controversial star, 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez and Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine, respectively.
In both of the Tekashi 6ix9ine documentaries, the rapper claims that Takashi Matsuba is a heroin addict. When Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine aired on Showtime, the rapper explained where his stage name came from, and proceeded to name-drop Matsuba.
The "Fefe" rapper says, "There was this tattoo artist named Takashi from our neighborhood. And he was this heroin addict. He did heroin to create. He did it to get himself in his little world. He did it to be himself. And that’s where I got the name Tekashi from. And that’s who I am."
WATCH: the clip-in-question from "Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine"
The director of the Tekashi 6ix9ine Hulu documentary also references Takashi Matsuba. In 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez, the director is heard stating, "Peter's roommate, a Japanese tattoo artist named Takashi would inspire Danny's new persona, Tekashi69." During the director's statements, Matsuba's full name is printed on the screen.
WATCH: the clip-in-question from "69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez"
The tattoo artist is none too happy about the claims in these docs, and the simple fact that Tekashi 6ix9ine essentially stole his name in the first place, save for a letter. What's more, he says that he is being falsely accused of habitual heroin use.
Per legal documents obtained by TMZ, Matsuba says that 6ix9ine "has created confusion and the false public perception," that the tattoo artist uses heroin. Matsuba's legal documents further states, "tattooing requires the use of needles, and heroin is connected in the public’s mind with hypodermic needles." After requesting producers of the Hulu project to remove his name, image, and likeness, Hulu refused to make the edits.
Matsuba is suing for damages.
