By Attiyya Atkins, A+ Editing & Content Creation
Kodak Black, rapper and Pompano native has been commuted by former President Donald Trump. He was serving a three-year federal sentence for falsifying information on a document used to buy guns from a Miami gun shop.
According to the Sun Sentinel, the rapper’s commutation “was one of 73 last-minute clemency grants issued by Trump on the last day of his term as president.”
In May 2019, the 23-year-old rapper pleaded guilty to falsifying information on federal documents and using them to buy guns from a gun store in Miami, which landed him behind bars. According to the White House, “Kodak Black is a prominent artist and community leader. This commutation is supported by numerous religious leaders, including Pastor Darrell Scott and Rabbi Schneur Kaplan. In fact, 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.”
Black, who’s legal name is Bill K. Kapri, is not only known for his rap music but his large number of legal problems including one involving a sexual assault in South Carolina. It should be noted that Bradford Cohen, Black’s lawyer, also knows President Donald Trump personally since he was a contestant on Trump’s 2009 reality show, Celebrity Apprentice.
Kodak Black also had some fellow celebrity friends appealing for him to be pardoned including “fellow Pompano Beach native and Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson, and Atlanta rapper, Lil Yachty.
Kodak Black has been one of the faces of the thriving hip-hop scene in South Florida. However, allegations and arrests have pushed him into the limelight as well. Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., also known as Lil Wayne, was another rapper in Miami (originally from New Orleans) that was fully pardoned by Trump. In December, when a gold-plated handgun was found in the rapper’s bag after he had on board a chartered flight to Miami, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Although Lil Wayne had been free on a $250,000 bond, he still faces a maximum of ten years in prison if convicted. As reported by the White House, Lil Wayne exhibited “generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of foodbanks.” Former NFL star, Deion Sanders, was the one who encouraged the pardon, citing Lil Wayne as “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.”
