Categories: MusicNews

Trump pardons Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, leaves The Tiger King high and dry

Lil Wayne and fan discussing the upcoming release of Tha Carter VI

Taking a break from his last-minute packing, Donald Trump used his final night in office as The President of the United States to issue a flurry of pardons, including one for his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, as well as for … rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

Lil Wayne infamously met with Trump before the last election, praising his work on criminal justice reform.

According to The White House, the 38-year-old Wayne “exhibited … generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of food banks”.

Wayne had been facing up to a decade in jail after police found guns on his private plane in Miami in December 2019.

Trump also commuted the sentence of 23-year-old rapper Kodak Black (Bill K Kapri), who had been sentenced to four years in jail in 2019 for making a false statement to buy a firearm.

“Black is a prominent artist and community leader,” according to a statement from White House officials. “He has committed to supporting a variety of charitable efforts, such as providing educational resources to students and families of fallen law enforcement officers and the underprivileged.”

While rumours had been flying that Trump would also pardon Joe Exotic, aka The Tiger King, following his relentless campaigning, Exotic was left out of yesterday’s pardoning spree. Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence for his involvement in a murder-for-hire plot as well as for animal abuse charges. At least Exotic has his upcoming biopic starring Nicholas Cage to look forward to.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ inauguration will be celebrated with a series of live and virtual concerts today, including Lady Gaga singing the national anthem at the inauguration, as well as in-person performances from Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks, and a reunion of 90s one-hit-wonders New Radicals dusting off “You Get What You Give.”

There will also be a series of televised sets airing on the major US networks tonight as Celebrating America, featuring the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Demi Lovato, and Justin Timberlake. Tom Hanks will host the event, which will air on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. ET on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. The event will also stream via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch.

Gabriel Sigler