Rappers want fellow artist Loon out of prison and are petitioning the White House for it

The hip-hop community is banding together to get the sentence commuted for the one-time Bad Boy artist who is serving time on a drug charge

Kia Morgan-Smith

Jun 26, 2019

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A group of rappers have banded together to rally behind Harlem rapper Loon and petitioned President Trump to advocate for his release from prison where he’s serving a 14-year sentence.

Born Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, the “How You Want That” rapper was once signed to Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records but was arrested in 2011 and in 2013 was convicted on drug charges. Loon is serving time for conspiracy with intent to traffic one or more kilos of heroin and his fellow rap artists thinks he’s got a chance to get out.

One precedent to site in a case like this is Kim Kardashian who met with Trump and ultimately had a hand in getting Alice Johnson her freedom after her drug conviction. Kardashian has been working with the Buried Alive Project to help win freedom for at least 17 inmates.

Vibe reports that a number of artists signed a letter addressed to Trump on June 13, including Snoop Dogg, Kevin Garnett, Jason Flom, movie producer Scott Budnick, Faith Evans, Stevie J, Roc Nation rapper Freeway, model Jeremy Meeks.

Loon has since changed his name to Amir Junaid Muhadith, converted to Islam and put his music career behind him in 2008.

In April he wrote a statement about his fight to get released:

“This administration’s commitment to criminal justice reform has given me hope that I might see justice in my case,” Loon said, according to AllHipHop.

Loon told Vibe: “It is only through the overwhelming push by this administration to change the state of our criminal justice system that real progress is finally being made.”

“Alongside an extraordinary group of individuals such as Weldon Angelos, Jason Flom, Faith Evans, Kevin Garnett, Jessica Jackson Sloan at #cut50 and so many others who are not only advocating on my behalf but seek to support broader change for a broken and unjust system. It is through my own desire for change and the support of so many that I return back to society as an asset to my community, a loving husband and father, and an advocate in our battle for real criminal justice reform.”

In the petition which was organized by former producer Weldon Angelos, they wrote to Trump:

“We strongly urge you to grant him [Loon] a presidential commutation of sentence without delay,” he wrote. “It’s ridiculous that this talented individual was given such a long sentence for merely making an introduction. What purpose is served by keeping him in prison? He completely changed his life around years before he was indicted. This is just another example of a wasteful and destructive criminal justice system.”

If things don’t work out. Loon is scheduled to be out anyway in November 2021.