Two rappers were among the entertainment figures included in a list of 140 people who were pardoned or had their sentences commuted by President Donald Trump in a last-minute clemency flurry early Wednesday. But the news was not as good for one hopeful celebrity.
鈥 Rapper Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was given a full pardon. The Grammy-winner was charged in Florida on Nov. 17 with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a federal
鈥 Rapper Kodak Black, born Bill K. Kapri, was granted a commutation. The 鈥淭unnel Vision鈥 rapper is serving a three-year prison sentence for falsifying documents used to purchase weapons at a Miami gun store. Supporters included Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, and athletes Lamar Jackson and Jack Brewer. Kodak Black has sold over 30 million singles since 2014, and has had several multiplatinum and platinum-certified singles, including 鈥淶eze,鈥 鈥淣o Flockin鈥欌 and 鈥淩oll in Peace.鈥 His lawyer, Bradford Cohen, was once a contestant on Trump鈥檚 鈥淐elebrity Apprentice鈥 show. The pardon notes that Kodak Black paid for schoolchildren's notebooks, supplies to daycare
鈥 Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, was granted a full pardon. Perez was arrested in 1994 for drug possession, and in 1998 for grand larceny and possession of a firearm. In 2019, she was named head of the entertainment company founded by rapper Jay-Z that鈥檚 home to such artists as Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Megan Thee Stallion. The pardon mentions that 鈥淧erez has taken full accountability for her actions and has turned her life around. She has been gainfully employed and has been an advocate for criminal justice reform in her community.鈥
鈥 鈥淭iger King鈥 Joe Exotic had hoped for good news, but it was not to be. The zookeeper-turned-reality-TV-star was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in federal prison for violating federal wildlife laws and for his role in a failed murder-for-hire plot. His team was so confident in a pardon that they鈥檇 readied a celebratory limousine and a hair and wardrobe team to whisk him away from a Texas prison. But he wasn鈥檛 on the list announced Wednesday morning. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was prominently featured in the popular Netflix documentary 鈥淭iger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.鈥
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Associated Press reporter Curt Anderson in Miami contributed to this report.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press