XXXTENTACION is one of the most complicated figures in hip-hop history.
His breakout hit, “Look At Me Now!,” didn’t catch fire until more than a year after it was released, sparking conversations about whether Drake stole the flow used in the song.
At the time, XXXTENTACION was in jail on charges including aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, witness tampering, and false imprisonment. He was released in March 2017, and within a year, he had become one of the biggest stars in rap, releasing a No. 1 album in ?.
Although he was partly credited with sparking the rowdy SoundCloud revolution that was overtaking rap at the time, his music was far more melodic, genre-bending, and emotive. His songs resonated deeply with fans, forging a unique bond with those who saw him as a sensitive, misunderstood soul. At the same time, he became a polarizing figure in mainstream rap circles. Despite his popularity, universal acceptance eluded XXX, as allegations and controversy followed him throughout his career.
He did appear on No Jumper early on, which later become his definitive video interview. And in 2018, he allowed an intern from the Miami New Times significant access—into his home and his inner circle.
That article detailed, in horrific details, the numerous allegations against him and for the first time, Geneva Ayala, one of his alleged victims spoke out on the record. About a week after the article was published, XXXTENTACION was gunned down near his home in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
However, his legacy has only grown stronger, with books, documentaries, and posthumous albums keeping his memory alive. Over time, his connection with fans has deepened. January 23 marks his birthday, and in 2026, he would have turned 28. In an attempt to explore his impact, here are 10 things you didn’t know about XXXTENTACION.
1.XXXTENTACION was named after a Bob Marley song
XXXTENTACION’s real name was Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy.
In a 2018 interview with Florida Files, X’s father, Dwayne Onfroy, discussed the origins of his estranged son’s name. He explained that he named him Jahseh after a 1974 Bob Marley song called “So Jah Seh.” During the interview, he said:
“[His name] came from Bob Marley. Who you would call God, we as Rastafarians would say, ‘Jah.’ So ‘Jah’ is God, and ‘Seh’ is said. God said. From the mouth of God.”
2.The Look at Me Now cover art wasn’t a random photo; it actually has an interesting backstory
XXXTENTACION’s “Look at Me Now!” features one of his most iconic covers—a photo of a 12-year-old kid with a blunt in his nose. The image isn’t random: the boy on the cover is KidPronto, a friend of X from his city.
“I was smoking, and I just put it in my nose, took a picture, and sent it to the group chat as a joke,” he told Complex in 2020. “We were just playing, and X was like, ‘I’m going to use this as my next song cover.’ He wasn’t big or anything back then, so I didn’t really think anything of it.”
X went ahead and used the photo as the cover art, and the song eventually blew up. Similar to X, KidPronto also ran into trouble with authorities. In 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder related to a 2019 stabbing.
3.XXXTENTACION was known for his body odor
Rumors about XXXTENTACION’s body odor and his alleged avoidance of deodorant have circulated for years on Reddit and Instagram.
The most definitive confirmation, however, came from producer John Cunningham, who worked closely with XXX over the years, including executive producing ?.
During two separate AMAs, Cunningham confirmed that the rapper didn’t use deodorant and emphatically acknowledged that he “did smell”—repeating “yes” three times for emphasis.
4.XXXTENTACION met Ski Mask the Slump God in jail
XXXTENTACION and Ski Mask had a very complicated, up-and-down relationship over the years.
One thing is undeniable: they were formative to each other’s development, with XXX helping Ski Mask establish himself as a rapper.
The two first met in a Florida juvenile detention center in the early 2010s. During an interview with Complex, Ski Mask called going to jail one of the smartest things he did—partly because it allowed him to meet XXX.
5.XXXTENTACION had a hole in his heart
According to Look at Me!, a biography about the rapper, XXXTENTACION was born with a rare heart condition called Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), which contributed to his slight build—he stood just 5’6”.
The book also notes that, as a child, other kids were discouraged from playing too roughly with him because of his condition.
6.? and 17 are two of the most streamed rap albums of all time
In 2023, Spotify celebrated 50 years of hip-hop by releasing a list of the most streamed rap albums ever.
Sitting right at the top was ? by XXXTENTACION, led by hit singles like “Moonlight,” “Changes,” and “SAD!” The album has accumulated more streams than Drake’s Scorpion and Views, as well as Travis Scott’s Astroworld.
Also landing in the top 10 was 17, which came in at No. 6. As of now, ? has over 12 billion streams, while 17 has surpassed 10 billion.
7.XXXTENTACION has one of the most popular Instagram posts of all time
XXXTENTACION’s Instagram currently has only two posts on his feed.
One was shared by his estate on what would have been his 28th birthday. The other was posted before his death and features a black-and-white photo of the rapper upside down, with the caption “LOVE IS WAR.”
Over the years, this post has become one of the most popular in Instagram history. It is currently the 12th most-liked post, with 34 million likes and 10 million comments, with a good amount of them coming from devastated fans of the rapper.
8.XXXTENTACION lived with Denzel Curry for a short amount of time
In the mid 2010s, Denzel Curry had the ULT house where he had members of his crew living. This at one point included XXXTENTACION, who he met at a party he threw. During an interview with Montreality, he talked about the situation, saying:
“X got into some type of trouble,” says Denzel. “I was like, yo, you can stay at the crib, and I’ll keep you out of trouble.”
He also adds:
“Anybody who’s portrayed as the abuser is the abused… really you’re just a hurt child on the inside.”
The two would have their ups and downs over the years, but it seems that at the time of X’s death, they were in a good spot.
9.XXXTENTACION’s musical influences touched a wide spectrum of genres
One of XXXTENTACION’s earlier interviews was with XXL while he was still in jail. In the interview, he discussed the music that inspired him and what he listened to at the time, mentioning artists such as Nirvana, The Weeknd, and Ski Mask the Slump God.
When discussing the music he listened to earlier in his life, he also named artists like The Fray, Three Days Grace, Asking Alexandria, Odd Future, Papa Roach, and underground rapper Immortal Technique, who he said “he loved.”
10.Kingdom Hearts was his favorite video game
On X, XXXTENTACION openly shared his love for Kingdom Hearts, the classic video game series that blends RPG gameplay with Disney characters.
He loved the game so deeply that it even inspired his son Gekyume’s name.
“[XXXTENTACION] took a couple of letters from different characters from his favorite video game, Kingdom Hearts, and just mashed them all together,” said Jenesis Sanchez, Gekyume’s mother, explaining the origin of her son’s name. “I know it’s kind of hard to say Gekyume, but he goes by ‘Yume’ as well.”
After his death, Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura released a tribute song and video honoring the late rapper.