Some incarcerated hip hop glitterati were set free after getting pardons and commutations in the hours before the official end of the presidency of the twice impeached seditionist in chief.
In addition to every Trump criminal crony he had not previously pardoned, most notable among the 143 last-minute pardons include former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, sentenced to 28 years in 2008 on 24 federal felony counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, extortion and racketeering. Commuted to time served.
It was a full pardon for rapper Lil Wayne (Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.), who faced 10 years in prison due to a prior gun conviction, after pleading guilty to illegally carrying a flashy gold-plated .45 caliber Glock handgun and ammo while traveling on a private plane in 2019.
Rapper Kodak Black’s (legally Bill Kapri, born Dieuson Octave) 4-year sentence commuted for lying on paperwork he submitted in an attempt to buy guns.
Desiree Perez, CEO of rapper Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, was given a full pardon after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute drugs.
Death row Records cofounder Michael “Harry O” Harris’ sentence was commuted after nearly 30 years in prison on attempted murder and cocaine trafficking charges, according to The Daily Beast.
It appears that the biggest name he left off his pardons list was himself.
Sources: Billboard, New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, WDIV
