This week, while much of the country celebrated the inauguration of President Joe Biden, Lil Wayne took to his social media to instead thank former president Donald Trump, whose administration pardoned the rapper during its final days in the White House.
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“I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give to my family, my art, and my community,” wrote the 38-year-old emcee. “I also want to thank @bradfordcohen for working so diligently to secure another chance for me. Love!”
He then signed off with his full government name, “Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.”
Early Wednesday, Trump issued a slew of 11th-hour pardons and commutations that included his onetime political strategist, a former top fundraiser, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. Most notably that list – of 73 pardons and 70 commutations- did not include himself or his family.
Wayne specifically received a pardon after pleading guilty to a gun possession charge in Miami, while Kodak Black received a commutation after he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge.
According to Billboard, “Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Wayne endorsed Trump for president and co-signed his “Platinum Plan” for the Black community, which led skeptics to believe it was all a tactic to receive a pardon. But Bradford Cohen, the lawyer who helped set up Trump’s meeting with Lil Wayne, denied the speculation in an interview with The New York Times.”
Kodak Black (real name Bill Kahan Kapri) also posted on Twitter to thank Trump for commuting his 46-month sentence.
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“I Want To Thank The President @RealDonaldTrump For His Commitment To Justice Reform And Shortening My Sentence. I Also Want To Thank Everyone For Their Support And Love,” he wrote, tagging Dan Scavino, the former White House deputy chief of staff for communications and director of social media. “It Means More Than You Will Ever Know. I Want To Continue Giving Back, Learning And Growing.”
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