In Hollywood and in the media, 2017 was a year of reckoning — powerful men brought down under the weight of their own misdeeds. But the opposite happened in hip-hop: Many of the genre’s most creatively promising rising talent arrived with troubling back stories, speeding onto the Billboard charts — and into the ears of millions — while operating under the cloud of criminal accusations or convictions. And unlike those who were quickly removed from perches of power, these young artists thrived, in spite of — or perhaps in part owing to — the severity of the allegations lodged against them.

The accusations of heinous criminal behavior are clear: XXXTentacion has been charged with the assault of a pregnant woman and later with witness tampering; he pleaded not guilty to all charges. Tay-K is facing a pair of murder charges, for which he maintains his innocence. Kodak Black has had a string of arrests and is facing trial for criminal sexual conduct; his lawyers say he is innocent. And 6ix9ine pleaded guilty in 2015 to the use of a child in a sexual performance.

But the statistics are just as clear: XXXTentacion’s first album, “17,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, and his breakthrough single “Look at Me,” which began as a SoundCloud loosie, made it to No. 34 on the Hot 100. Tay-K’s “The Race” went to No. 44 on the Hot 100. Currently, 6ix9ine has two songs on the Hot 100, “Gummo” at No. 14 and “Kooda” at No. 54. Kodak Black’s first album, “Painting Pictures,” debuted at No. 3 on the album chart, and was certified gold. “Tunnel Vision,” a single from that album, was certified double platinum and went to No. 6 on the Hot 100.