Larry Hoover commuted: Kanye West, Drake celebrate Gangster Disciples boss's ‘freedom’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday commuted Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover's sentence

Updated on: May 29, 2025, 03:42:07 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday commuted Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover's sentence. The 74-year-old was serving multiple life sentences in federal prison, including a 200-year sentence on state charges in Illinois for the 1973 murder of William ‘Pooky’ Young. He was convicted of federal charges in 1997 and sentenced to six life terms.

Kanye West and Drake at a 'Free Larry Hoover' concert (X)

While Trump's action nullifies the federal charges, it does not apply to the 200-year sentence in Illinois. However, that did not stop Kanye West aka Ye and Drake to celebrate Hoover's ‘freedom’.

The two posted pictures from their ‘free Larry Hoover’ concerts on social media.

“HOOVER FREE,” Drake wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FREEING LARRY HOOVER,” West said in a separate post.

Kanye West (now Ye), a Chicago native, has been a vocal advocate for Hoover’s release for years, citing his rehabilitation and community contributions. The rapper's support emerged publicly in 2018 when he met Trump at the White House, urging clemency for Hoover, arguing his imprisonment was due to positive community influence.

West featured Larry Hoover Jr. on the tracks ‘Jesus Lord’ and ‘Jesus Lord, Pt. 2’, where Hoover Jr discusses his father’s incarceration and judicial flaws, thanking West for taking the fight to the Oval Office.

Kanye West then organized a historic concert with Drake at the Los Angeles Coliseum on December 9, 2021, to raise awareness for Hoover’s case and prison reform. The event followed the end of West’s feud with Drake, facilitated by J. Prince.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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