Tekashi69 is a reputation slayer ... so says a Japanese tattoo artist in a new lawsuit claiming the rapper jacked his name and defamed him by calling him a heroin addict.
The tattoo artist, Takashi Matsuba, filed legal docs in NY claiming his reputation is in danger thanks to Tekashi69. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Matsuba claims 6ix9ine "has created confusion and the false public perception that" Matsuba is associated with Tekashi69. He says he’s not.
Matsuba says the confusion is easy to see … the rapper’s moniker is substantially similar to Matsuba's first name. Only 1 letter's different.
Matsuba says in the Hulu documentary "69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez" ... there's a scene where the tattoo artist's name "TAKASHI MATSUBA" is superimposed on the screen. He claims the director's then heard saying "Peter's roommate, a Japanese tattoo artist named Takashi would inspire Danny's new persona, Tekashi69."
Matsuba also has beef with Showtime, claiming the documentary on that channel defamed him in the March documentary "Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine."
Matsuba says Tekashi's heard in the doc saying, "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.”
Matsuba says the quote is false and defamatory because he has never used heroin.
The tattoo artist says the quote is damaging to his profession because "tattooing requires the use of needles, and heroin is connected in the public’s mind with hypodermic needles.”
Matsuba says he demanded producers to edit the documentary to remove his image, name and likeness from the Hulu doc ... but says they've refused. He's suing for damages.
We've reached out to Tekashi and Showtime for comment, so far no word back.