Lil Wayne was one of the most prominent celebrity endorsements for former President Donald Trump during the 2020 election. The rapper posed for photos with the controversial President, co-signing his Platinum Plan for Black Americans. On Tuesday night, Trump used his final hours in the Oval Office to pardon over seventy people, including Lil Wayne, granting clemency to another seventy, including Kodak Black. Bradford Cohen, the shared attorney of Kodak and Wayne, has already issued a statement on their respective situations, but he's speaking out a second time to combat claims that Tunechi only endorsed Trump to get pardoned.
Speaking with The New York Times, Bradford Cohen said that he helped organize the meeting between Lil Wayne and Trump, denying that it was a strategic decision for the rapper to endorse Trump to earn a Presidential pardon. Cohen claims that the meeting likely did help to sway Trump in deciding to pardon Wayne, but it was not the rapper's intention.
"It never hurts that someone gets a full understanding of an individual when they're just looking at a piece of paper," he said. "In hindsight, I guess it worked out."
Cohen goes on to say that Trump and Wayne shared a connection following their meeting. "I think they had a very strong connection," he added. "He’s in the entertainment world. He’s got a style that’s similar in terms of the way that he carries himself, and a lot of rappers and people in the industry relate to that."
Lil Wayne's pardon has been celebrated by some of hip-hop's greats, including 2 Chainz, Royce Da 5'9", Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, and more.