Gekyume Onfroy, the young son of late XXXTentacion, has a photoshopped image of himself and his father as his phone background. Just 6 years old, Gekyume never did meet his dad, having died before he was born. But this digital memento is a testament to a deep emotional bond, painstakingly built by his family, with a father whose memory looms large in music and beyond.
XXXTentacion, born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, was a trailblazing artist whose raw, emotive sound paved the way for the emo rap and SoundCloud rap movements. His brief life was tragically ended in a botched robbery in Deerfield Beach, Florida, when he was shot and killed on June 18, 2018. His death at the tender age of 20 shocked the music community, with fans and relatives left in shocked despair.
Seven months later, his girlfriend, Jenesis Sanchez, gave birth to their son, Gekyume, on January 26, 2019. The name, meaning “a different state” or “next universe of thought,” was selected by the rapper before his death, showing his artistic flair. Today, as a young boy growing up in the public spotlight, with a father whose fame is long-reaching, Gekyume is surrounded by efforts at keeping XXXTentacion’s memory alive.
Jenesis Sanchez has taken on the role of preserving her son’s connection to his father. In a 2019 interview with WPLG Local 10, she expressed her determination to share stories and memories with Gekyume, saying,
“I want him to know everything about his dad.”
Alongside her, XXXTentacion’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, reinforces this bond by sharing glimpses of Gekyume’s life on social media, often highlighting his resemblance to his father.
The photoshopped photograph in Gekyume’s phone, likely created by a family member or a hardcore fan, gives him a material link with XXXTentacion. It creates a scene that never was, a father and son, bridging the gap left by loss. That this is something a child as young as 6 does, by making it his wallpaper, is revealing, indicating a mix of love, interest, and pride in a father he has heard about from others’ descriptions.
