No proceeds from merchandise produced for Kanye West and Drake’s Larry Hoover benefit concert will be given to charity, a representative has confirmed.
The two rappers put their beef to bed and performed together at a special benefit show in Los Angeles on Thursday (December 9).
While proceeds from ticket sales will reportedly be donated to a selection of criminal justice reform groups, the same won’t be the case for profits from merch sales, as a representative confirmed to GQ.
A range of limited edition merchandise was produced for the concert in collaboration with Balenciaga designer Demna and Amazon Fashion. The line included a hoodie, t-shirt, jumpsuit, jeans and a hat, each with the slogan “Free Hoover” emblazoned on them. Prices ranged from $60 (£45) to $360 (£271).
The items went on sale online yesterday (December 10) with a 72-hour shopping window and can still be purchased here.
The concert was also livestreamed for free via Amazon Prime and shown at select IMAX cinemas across the US.
Hoover, 71, was convicted of ordering the killing of a 19-year-old drug dealer in 1973 and was given a sentence of 150-200 years. He co-founded the Chicago gang Gangster Disciples and was the group’s leader until 1995. In 1997, he was given a further six life sentences for federal drug conspiracy, extortion and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise.
The jailed man has unsuccessfully appealed to be released from prison or moved to a lower security institution. His supporters claim he has been kept in “severe isolation”, including being kept in solitary confinement for as long as 24 hours a day.
West previously tried to get Donald Trump to pardon Hoover in 2018. Larry Hoover Jr, who appeared on ‘DONDA’, said the benefit concert would spread his dad’s “plea for redemption worldwide and show that we are truly stronger together on behalf of any and everyone with a loved one wrongly or unjustly incarcerated”.
In a five-star review of West and Drake’s Free Larry Hoover benefit concert, NME said: “Tonight it turns out that you don’t need to have faith in anything other than the power of two talents at the top of their respective games to have a near-religious experience. Here’s to making up with your enemies.”
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