American rapper A$AP Rocky revealed in a new interview that he was “mad thankful” former President Donald Trump pushed for his release from a Swedish prison two years ago.
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, spent a month in a Swedish prison in 2019 for an alleged assault in Stockholm. While Mr. Mayers was awaiting trial behind bars, Mr. Trump tweeted on July 25, 2019: “Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM.”
Mr. Trump at the time said he lobbied Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to release the rapper and even offered to “personally vouch for his bail.”
Mr. Mayers was eventually found guilty and given a two-year conditional sentence that imposed no further jail time, GQ magazine reported.
“I was mad thankful that he did that, because he didn’t have to!” the 32-year-old rapper told GQ. “He took the time out of his day.”
The support, Mr. Mayers said, “made me happy while being in there, because when you in jail, you feel like nobody cares. You can get lost, and you feel soulless. Like, you feel low, bro.”
The rapper was criticized upon his return to the U.S. for not issuing a public thank you to the president. During a January 2020 appearance on the “The Breakfast Club” radio show, he clarified that he thanked the administration privately.
“I was very thankful for what happened, for him supporting me,” he said at the time. “Regardless of all the political [expletive], man, I kept it cordial and very respectful because I was thankful. That was it.”
