Kanye West Asks Trump to Pardon Chicago Gang Leader Larry Hoover: “It’s Important For Me To Get Hoover Out Because In An Alternate Universe, I Am Him”

In 1973, notorious leader and founder of the Chicago street gang, Gangster Disciples, Larry Hoover was charged for the murder of a 19-year-old in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. 

The murder, which was carried out over stolen drugs and money, earned Hoover 150 to 200 years in prison for ordering the hit. However, his time behind bars did not stop Hoover’s gangster lifestyle, as he took over the South Side’s drug trade, and helped form the Folks Nation, which produced even more gangs.

But by 1995, Hoover’s business blew up, after a 17-year undercover investigation by the federal government. As a result, Hoover was re-arrested and indicted for drug conspiracy, extortion, and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise. 

Two years later, Hoover was found guilty on all charges, and sentenced to six life sentences. But now, 45 years after his first conviction, fellow Chicago native is looking to give Hoover some much needed good news after over two decades, and lifetimes to go behind bars. 

In an attempt to follow his wife, Kim Kardashian’s lead – in convincing Donald Trump to grant a non-violent lifer clemency – West asked Trump to do the same for Hoover. 

On Thursday, West visited the White House to sit down with Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner to discuss black employment, manufacturing jobs, and criminal justice reform. Instead, the conversation turned into, yet, another ‘Ye rant about the controversial MAGA hat, Trump’s impact on him, and of course Hoover. 

In the discussion, West said Hoover is jailed “because he started doing positive for the community. He started showing that he actually had power. That he wasn’t just one of a monolithic voice, that could wrap people around.” 

“There’s infinite amounts of the universe and there’s alternate universe,” he said. “So it’s very important for me to get Hoover out because in an alternate universe, I am him and I have to go and get him free. Because he was doing positive inside Chicago just like I’m moving back to Chicago, and it’s not just about, you know, getting on stage and being an entertainer and having a monolithic voice that’s forced to be a specific part.” 

After that, he doubled down on his hot take about welfare. 

“Welfare is the reason why a lot of black people end up being Democrat, first of all, it’s a limit on the amount of jobs, so the fathers lose the jobs and they say we’ll give you more money for having more kids.”