Music

Kanye West and Drake to host benefit concert to free former gang leader from prison

Having squashed their alleged beef, the rappers are moving forward with the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert, which takes place in L.A. in December.

By Tyler Aquilina

Published on November 20, 2021 03:25PM EST

It's what two old nemeses always do after squashing their beef: Host a benefit concert together to free a former Chicago gang leader from prison.

With their lengthy feud apparently now behind them, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Drake will team up for the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert, an event to "raise awareness and support for Larry Hoover and the cause of prison and sentencing reform," according to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum's website.

Kanye West, Drake — Kanye West; Drake. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Mike Marsland/WireImage

The concert, headlined by Ye with the "Passionfruit" singer-rapper making a "special guest appearance," will take place at the L.A. stadium on Dec. 9. It would be Drake's first performance since Travis Scott's Astroworld festival this month.

Representatives for Ye and Drake did not immediately respond to EW's requests for comment.

Ye, however, shared a poster for the event on Instagram with the caption "God's Plan," referencing Drake's 2018 single.

He also issued a statement on the Coliseum's website, saying, "I believe this event will not only bring awareness to our cause but prove to people everywhere how much more we can accomplish when we lay our pride aside and come together."

Hoover, co-founder of the Chicago street gang Gangster Disciples, has been imprisoned for decades after he was sentenced to 150-200 years for murder in 1973. He later received a life sentence for running a drug ring from behind bars.

Ye has been trying to secure Hoover's release for several years, asking former President Donald Trump to commute his sentence in 2018. More recently, Larry Hoover Jr. appeared on the rapper's song "Jesus Lord," off his latest album, Donda, to speak about his father.

Hoover Jr. previously urged Drake to mend fences with Ye in order to help the effort to free his father and mentioned the possibility of a benefit concert.

"This would be big," the younger Hoover told TMZ. "This is like Michael Jackson and Prince, the one we'd never seen, and it's gonna be a ripple effect. We need togetherness and peace in this hip-hop community."

Tickets for the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert go on sale Monday, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

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