Trump commutes sentence of Chicago gang founder after lobbying by Ye

Many Americans may not know Larry Hoover Sr. beyond a passing reference to him in Rick Ross’ 2010 hit single “B.M.F (Blowin’ Money Fast),” in which Ross sings, “I think I’m Big Meech (Woo), Larry Hoover …”

But on Wednesday, President Donald Trump commuted the six life sentences that Hoover, a Chicago gang founder, was serving for a 1997 conviction in federal court.

Trump commuted the sentences after a campaign by hip-hop artist Ye, aka Kanye West, now Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband, who has lobbied Trump in the Oval Office to consider releasing Hoover.

Hoover, though, will not be freed. He will be transferred from the federal “Supermax” prison in Colorado, where is held now, to a state prison in Illinois to serve the rest of a 200-year sentence for crimes he was separately convicted of in state court.

Hoover founded the Gangster Disciples, a Chicago-based criminal organization that sold cocaine and other narcotics beginning in the early 1970s.

Called the “chairman of the board” and “the king” of the gang, he was also declared “one of the most notorious criminals in Illinois history.” Prosecutors have said in court filings that “Hoover directed violence and drug trafficking in Chicago from at least 1970 until 1995.”

Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that the Gangster Disciples profited $109 million each year from the sale of narcotics, “a substantial proportion of which went straight to Hoover’s family’s pockets.”

Praise for the commutation

Hoover’s attorneys praised Trump’s decision.

“The Courts have demonstrated a complete unwillingness to consider Mr. Hoover’s considerable growth and complete rehabilitation,” Jennifer Bonjean and Justin Moore told CBS News in a statement.

“Despite the Court’s unwillingness to do the right thing, Mr. Hoover has been able to keep his voice alive through the incredible work of many advocates and supporters,” they added. “Thankfully, Mr. Hoover’s pleas were heard by President Trump who took action to deliver justice for Mr. Hoover.”

Larry Hoover Jr., Hoover’s son, has called for his father’s release for years and was featured in the 2021 Kanye West song “Jesus Lord.”

Hoover has said from prison that he changed the name of his group from “Gangster Disciples” to “Growth and Development.” He said he now discourages violence and has made education mandatory for his followers, pushing inmates to develop job skills they can use after they are released.

Hoover’s family has said he is no longer associated with the Gangster Disciples.

Prosecutors opposed release

But federal prosecutors recently have said Bureau of Prisons intelligence records show that Hoover did not want to be disassociated from the gang.

In September, attorneys for the Justice Department argued in court that “Hoover remains the heralded leader of the GDs, despite the intensive monitoring to which he is subject at Florence ADX,” which is the highest-level security prison in the United States and home to convicted terrorists and Juán “El Chapo” Guzmán.

They strongly urged the court to decline any effort to release Hoover as part of the “First Step Act” supported by Kardashian, which Trump signed into law during his first administration.

“Hoover has well earned his life sentence, and he is not the type of defendant Congress intended to benefit in enacting the First Step Act,” prosecutors wrote.

During the 2108 Oval Office meeting with Trump, Ye urged him to commute Hoover’s sentence.

“The reason why they imprisoned him is because he started doing positive for the community,” Ye said. “He started showing that he actually had power, that he wasn’t just one of a monolithic voice, but he could wrap people around.

“So there’s theories that there’s infinite amounts of universe and there’s alternate universe,” Ye added. “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 of Chicago.”

After news of the commutation broke Wednesday, Ye posted on X, “WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FREEING LARRY HOOVER.”