NEW YORK >> In a third day of explosive testimony, the rapper known as Tekashi 69 (or 6ix9ine) told a packed federal courtroom in Manhattan that he was not the only well-known rapper associated with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a gang that prosecutors say is responsible for a string of violent crimes throughout the city.

As prosecutors were about to play a recording of a phone conversation, 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was asked to identify the voices on it. He said one of them belonged to Jim Jones, whom he called a “retired rapper” and said was a member of the gang.

Before today, Jones, a Harlem-based rapper who released an album in May, had not been publicly linked to Hernandez’s case. In November, federal prosecutors brought sweeping racketeering and firearms charges against Hernandez and alleged members of the Nine Trey gang.

Immediately after those charges landed, Hernandez cut a deal with prosecutors. In exchange for testifying against his former associates, prosecutors agreed to ask the judge to reduce his sentence.

On Wednesday, Hernandez sought to further distance himself from the Nine Trey gang and even his own boisterous persona. “I knew the formula was to repeat it,” he said. “The gang image, like, promote it.”

On Wednesday, Hernandez was an eager witness.

He sat for hours, detailing the inner workings of the gang and hip-hop industry. He outlined Nine Trey’s leadership. He also translated slang for the people in the courtroom.

At one point, Hernandez listed the alleged gang affiliations of other rappers, including Trippie Redd, Chief Keef and Casanova.

Hernandez also recounted an incident in July 2018, saying he was kidnapped by Nine Trey members in a dispute over control of his rising career. “I had mad thoughts running through my head,” he said. “I was tired of being extorted.”

Also that month, prosecutors said, the gang was responsible for shooting an innocent bystander in the foot. It is also suspected of being responsible for a gunshot fired inside the Barclays Center three months earlier.

In April 2018, prosecutors said, gang members robbed a man at gunpoint in Times Square. Prosecutors said the attack was directed and filmed by Hernandez.

In his first day of testimony, Hernandez said he had peppered his music videos and Instagram account with references to the Nine Trey gang as a marketing ploy. “That’s what people liked,” he said.

In court, he has begun to shed his cultivated image as he turned government witness against his former crew. Though his face tattoos were plainly visible, his rainbow-dyed hair was growing out, revealing his natural black hair.

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