Kanye West and Drake made music history last night as they shared the stage together for the first time in several years.
The two rappers performed at the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Thursday with Kanye as the headliner and Drake as special guest.
It was a special moment for fans of the stars as they had been embroiled in a very public bitter feud for years before recently reconciling.
It was also the first time Kanye, 44, had headlined a show in five years after cancelling his last tour in 2016 due to mental health reasons.
The All Of The Lights hitmaker first announced the Free Larry Hoover concert in early November, explaining that he wanted to raise awareness for prison reform as well as end his beef with Drake, 35.
As fans relive the moments of last night’s epic show, here’s the lowdown on why it happened and the case of Larry Hoover.
Who is Larry Hoover?
Larry Hoover has been referenced many times in hip hop with the likes of Rick Ross and Geto Boys among those to name-drop him in their lyrics.
Hoover, 71, has been in prison since 1973 when he was convicted and sentenced to 150-200 years for ordering the killing of a 19-year-old neighbourhood drug dealer.
In 1997, he was then handed six life sentences after being found guilty of a number of charges, including federal drug conspiracy, extortion and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise.
He is accused of being a leader of the Chicago gang called Gangster Disciples between 1970 and 1995. According to court documents, the gang are alleged to have sold ‘great quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs in Chicago’.
Those who support Hoover argue that he is rehabilitated, evidenced in him reportedly denouncing violence and encouraging Gangster Disciples members to get an education.
Hoover has made unsuccessful attempts to appeal his verdict or to be put in a lower security prison. However in July, Judge Harry Leinenweber rejected the appeal, referring to Hoover as ‘one of the most notorious criminals in Illinois history’ and stating there could be a ‘risk of harm’ if he were to be freed.
‘Hoover is renowned and celebrated to this day by the Gangster Disciples,’ the judge wrote.
‘To the extent that any one person can deter another to commit crimes, Hoover’s life imprisonment symbolically demonstrates that the rule of law reaches even those in power who seem untouchable.’
Kanye’s interest in Hoover’s case is no doubt largely due to both hailing from Chicago.
On his Donda album, released in September, the tracks Jesus Lord and Jesus Lord, Pt. 2″ feature a recorded message by Hoover’s son Larry Hoover Jr., in which he discusses the cracks in America’s criminal justice system and the impact of Hoover’s incarceration on his family.
In 2018, Kanye presented Hoover’s case to then-President Donald Trump to consider a pardon, but this was unsuccessful.
Why were Drake and Kanye West feuding?
Drake and Kanye were known to be friends and even worked together on music, including Forever in 2009 with Lil Wayne, Big Sean’s Blessings in 2015 and Pop Style with Jay Z in 2016.
However, things turned sour in 2018 when rumours emerged that Drake had previously been romantically involved with Kanye’s wife Kim.
That was also the year when Pusha T leaked the secret that Drake had fathered a child, son Adonis, and it’s said Kanye was one of the few people who knew about it. Kanye later embarked on a Twitter rant, accusing Drake of ‘threatening’ his family.
The following year, Drake addressed the feud in an interview, and said: ‘We have personal situations, and… a lot of his issues with me, I can’t fix them for him.’
In another Twitter rant in September 2020, Kanye said he needed ‘a public apology from J Cole and Drake to start with immediately’. Needless to say, he didn’t get one.
Fast forward to August 2021 and Kanye leaked his rival’s home address on social media, while Drake retaliated in September by reportedly moving his Certified Lover Boy album release date to coincide with Kanye’s album Donda.
However in November, the pair finally reconciled with Drake flying Kanye out to his Toronto mansion to squash the beef at a party.
Drake then agreed to perform at the Free Larry Hoover and all was right again.
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