It is one of the most frustrating things in modern music history. You’re talking to a friend about the 2010s SoundCloud era, someone mentions the "Look at Me!" rapper, and suddenly everyone in the room has a different way of saying his name. Some people treat it like a Roman numeral. Others try to pronounce every single letter like it’s a weirdly formatted password. If you have ever wondered how do you say XXXTentacion without sounding like you’ve never used the internet before, you aren't alone. Even news anchors on major networks struggled with this for years, often tripping over the "X"s like they were navigating a verbal minefield.
The reality is actually way simpler than the spelling suggests. It’s "Ex-Ex-Ex-Ten-Tah-See-Ohn."
Let’s break that down because the "tacion" part is where things usually go off the rails. It’s a play on the Spanish word tentación, which translates to temptation. If you can say the word "temptation" in Spanish, you’ve already won half the battle. The "XXX" at the beginning is just the letters. You literally just say the letter X three times.
Why the spelling is so confusing
Jahseh Onfroy, the man behind the moniker, didn't exactly make it easy for the casual listener. In an era where rappers were naming themselves Lil Pump or Post Malone, XXXTentacion opted for something that looked like a corrupted file name. It was intentional. He wanted it to be striking. He wanted it to be different. But the visual clutter of those three X’s often leads people to think it’s a Roman numeral—calling him "Thirty Tentacion"—which is objectively wrong. Or worse, people try to mash the X’s together into a weird buzzing sound.
Don't do that.
Honestly, the name is a bit of a linguistic soup. You have the "XXX" which represents his past interest in adult content (as he mentioned in early interviews) and then the "Tentacion" which is pure Spanish. It’s a mix of raw, internet-age branding and his heritage. When you put it together, you get a name that sounds like a ritualistic chant. It’s rhythmic. It’s five syllables of "Ex-Ex-Ex-Ten-Tah-See-Ohn."
Common mistakes you should probably stop making
Most people fail because they overthink it. They see the "tacion" and they think of words like "station" or "vacation." If you say "Ex-Ex-Ex-Ten-Tay-Shun," you are using an English phonetic structure for a Spanish word. It’s a common slip-up. You’ll hear it in early YouTube reaction videos from 2016 and 2017 before the name became a household staple.
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Then there is the "Ten-Tack-Ee-On" crowd. I don't know where the "K" sound comes from, but it’s out there. It sounds like a brand of high-performance tires. Just remember: the "C" in Spanish, especially in this context, makes a soft "S" sound.
The man behind the syllables
To understand why the name is pronounced this way, you have to look at Jahseh’s background. Born in Plantation, Florida, his upbringing was a chaotic mix of cultures. Florida is a melting pot, and the Spanish influence is everywhere. Using "Tentacion" wasn't just a random choice; it was a nod to the linguistic environment he grew up in.
He was a polarizing figure. That’s an understatement. Between the legal troubles and the meteoric rise of his "17" and "?" albums, the name became a symbol of a very specific, moody, lo-fi hip-hop movement. Because his music dealt so heavily with depression, anger, and redemption, the "temptation" aspect of his name felt fittingly dark. It wasn't just a cool-sounding word. It was a brand built on the tension between his public persona and his internal struggles.
Did he ever change how he said it?
Actually, yes and no. In his very first interviews—think the famous "No Jumper" interview with Adam22—he was very clear about the pronunciation. But as he got more famous, he often referred to himself simply as "X."
This was a massive relief for everyone.
Saying "X" is infinitely easier than navigating the full five-syllable marathon. Most of his peers, from Ski Mask the Slump God to Juice WRLD, almost exclusively called him X. If you’re in a casual conversation and you don't want to sound like you’re trying too hard to perfect your Spanish accent, "X" is the universal shorthand. It’s the "Jay-Z" of the SoundCloud generation.
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The "XXX" prefix in internet culture
We have to talk about the "XXX" part. Before it was a rapper's name, those three letters were the universal symbol for "this is something you shouldn't watch at work." Onfroy knew this. He was a product of the internet, a kid who grew up on message boards and early social media. By putting "XXX" in front of "Tentacion," he was effectively "SEO-proofing" his name in a weird, counter-intuitive way. It made him stand out in a sea of "Lil" rappers.
It also created a bit of a nightmare for early search algorithms. If you searched for his name in 2015, you might get a mix of SoundCloud links and... other things. But that was part of the allure. It was gritty. It felt underground. When you finally figured out how do you say XXXTentacion, you felt like you were part of an inner circle. You weren't just a casual fan; you were someone who "got it."
Pronunciation in the media
When he passed away in 2018, the media had to learn the name fast. It was a bizarre moment for journalism. You had veteran news anchors on CNN and the BBC trying to announce the death of a "SoundCloud rapper" while struggling with the "Ex-Ex-Ex" part of his name. Some anchors just gave up and called him "Ex-Ex-Ex-Ten-Tah-See-On." Others went with "Triple X-Tentacion."
"Triple X" is technically acceptable, but it’s not how Jahseh usually said it. It feels a bit formal, like calling someone by their full middle name when they prefer a nickname. If you want to be 100% accurate to the artist's own voice, you stick to the individual letters.
A quick cheat sheet for your brain
- X-X-X: Just the letters.
- Ten: Like the number.
- Ta: Like the start of "Taco."
- Ci: Like "See."
- On: Like "Own" but shorter.
Combine them. It’s a rhythmic flow. Ex-Ex-Ex-Ten-Tah-See-Ohn.
Why it still matters today
You might think, "Who cares? He’s been gone for years." But his streaming numbers say otherwise. He is still one of the most-listened-to artists on Spotify and Apple Music. New fans are discovering "SAD!" and "Moonlight" every single day. And every day, a new teenager looks at their phone screen and thinks, "Wait, how do I actually say this guy's name?"
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Music is a social experience. You talk about it. You share it. Nothing kills a vibe faster than trying to recommend a song and stuttering over the artist's name. Knowing how to say it correctly is about respect for the artist’s intent and the culture he came from. It’s a small detail, but in hip-hop, details are everything.
The influence on names that followed
After X, we saw a surge in artists using unconventional punctuation and prefixes. The "X" became a symbol. It paved the way for names that look like they were typed by someone having a seizure but actually have deep personal meanings. But none have quite the phonetic complexity of the original.
Think about it. We have artists like 6ix9ine (Six-Nine) or Pouya (Poo-ya). They’re straightforward. XXXTentacion remains the final boss of rap name pronunciation.
Final tips for mastering the name
If you’re still struggling, try saying it faster. The faster you say it, the more the syllables blend into a single, cohesive word. It stops being a series of letters and starts being a name.
Also, don't be afraid to just say "X" if you’re in a rush. Everyone knows who you’re talking about. The legacy of Jahseh Onfroy isn't tied to how well people can navigate his five-syllable branding; it’s tied to the music he left behind. But if you’re going to say it, say it right.
- Start with the three X's as individual letters.
- Transition into "Ten."
- Use the Spanish "tah-see-ohn" ending.
- Avoid the "shun" sound at all costs.
Now you’re ready to talk about the Florida scene without sounding like a confused parent. It’s a bit of a tongue twister at first, but once you get the rhythm down, it’s actually pretty catchy. That was the whole point. He wanted a name that stayed in your mouth, a name that made you work just a little bit harder to understand it.
What to do next
If you want to really hear it in action, go back and watch the 2017 XXL Freshman Class cyphers. Hearing the other rappers say his name—and hearing him introduce himself—is the best way to lock it into your memory. You'll notice the slight variations in cadence, but the core sound remains the same. Once you hear it a dozen times, the spelling starts to make sense. Sorta.
Stop calling him "Triple X." Stop calling him "Ex-Ten-Tack-Ion." Just stick to the script. The "Ex-Ex-Ex-Ten-Tah-See-Ohn" script. It’s the only one that counts.