Jan. 21 (UPI) — Lil Wayne is feeling grateful for his presidential pardon from former president Donald Trump.
The 38-year-old rapper thanked Trump, 74, in a tweet Thursday after Trump granted clemency to him and dozens of others Tuesday ahead of President Joe Biden‘s inauguration.
“I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give to my family, my art, and my community,” Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., wrote.
“I also want to thank @bradfordcohen for working so diligently to secure another change for me,” he added, referencing his lawyer, Bradford Cohen. “Love!”
Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge in December following a 2019 incident at Opa Locka Executive Airport. The rapper was facing up to 10 years in federal prison.
Lil Wayne celebrated his pardon by releasing the new song “Ain’t Got Time” featuring Fousheé on Wednesday evening. The song’s lyrics appear to reference the gun charges.
“The feds, they hot on us, 100 on the thermometer / They raided my private plane, got one that’s more privater,” Lil Wayne raps, later adding, “FBI arrest me, why?”
Howard Srebnick, another attorney for Lil Wayne, addressed the pardon in a statement to Rolling Stone on Wednesday.
“A pardon for [Lil Wayne] is consistent with the views of many jurists — including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett — that prosecuting a non-violent citizen for merely possessing a firearm violates the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” Srebnick said.
Lil Wayne released his 13th studio album, “Funeral,” in January 2020
