Credit: Alamy

Lil Wayne’s Young Money empire has given so much over the years and has produced some of the most popular artists in hip-hop today. Prior to forming his label, Lil Wayne was chopping the charts on his own and giving fans an unfathomable amount of music with his mixtapes.

That said, as a highly respected figure who has been rapping at the top level for over two decades, the culture is very protective of the New Orleans native. So, in 2020, when Lil Wayne found himself in serious legal trouble, fans were eager for the issue to be sorted.

During the pandemic, Wayne pled guilty to a federal weapons possession charge. The potential outcome could have been up to a decade in prison. However, akin to when the president helped free A$AP Rocky from a Swedish jail, Donald Trump intervened and in January of 2021, before he left The White House, the 45th president used his pardon powers to give an executive grant of clemency to Wayne.

The charge levelled against Lil Wayne was related to an incident in 2019 at Florida’s Opa-Locka airport. According to police records, Lil Wayne’s private jet, which had flown from LA to Miami, had marijuana and weapons on board. He was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition after a law enforcement search.

Following the events of January 6th in 2021, Donald Trump faced impeachment due to his suspected involvement in the raiding on Washington’s Capitol building. That said, on the last day of his presidency, he chose to extend pardons and overturn the sentences of several rappers convicted of crimes, including  Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

Following the pardon, The White House released a statement explaining the reasoning behind Trump’s decision. The statement read, “Brett Berish of Sovereign Brands, who supports a pardon for Mr. Carter, describes him as ‘trustworthy, kind-hearted and generous.’ Mr. Carter has exhibited this generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of food banks.”

It continued, “Deion Sanders, who also wrote in support of this pardon, calls Mr. Wayne ‘a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, [and] a game changer.’”

Following the event, Wayne took to social media, writing, “I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give to my family, my art, and my community. I also want to thank [attorney Bradford Cohen] for working so diligently to secure another chance for me. Love!”