Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince has been working tirelessly to free Larry Hoover Sr. from prison. Hoover co-founded the ruthless Chicago street gang, the Gangster Disciples, in the late 1960s and was ultimately arrested for the 1973 murder of William Young. As a result, he was sentenced to 200 years in prison.
Then in 1997, after a 17-year investigation of conspiracy, extortion, money laundering, and running a continuing criminal enterprise by leading the gang from state prison, he received another life sentence. He’s been behind the bars of the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Security Facility in Florence, Colorado ever since.
On Wednesday (July 6), federal court reporter for The Chicago Sun-Times, Jon Seidel, tweeted Hoover had “renewed his bid for a sentencing break” with help from R. Kelly and Bill Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean.
As part of Larry Hoover’s most recent bid for freedom, the 71-year-old wrote two letters directed to the judge and the public, again renouncing his affiliation with the Gangster Disciples. As he explained in part, he’s “no longer the Larry Hoover people sometimes talk about, or he who is written about in the papers, or the crime figure described by the government.”
He also scoffed at being revered as a symbol in the streets, acknowledging he knows “anecdotally that some misguided people” continue to elevate him like some kind of deity.
“I wish this were not so,” he wrote. “Regardless, these people are apart from me and do what they do with zero encouragement or direction from me […] To be clear, if I had any ability to influence them, I’d ask that they’d forget me and forsake the gang life forever.
“I have long since renounced my association with any and all criminal organizations and their membership. I am no longer a member, leader, or even an elder statesman of the Gangster Disciples. I want nothing to do with it now and forever.”
Hoover has appeared on the phone from prison on multiple tracks of Geto Boys’ 1996 album The Resurrection, which was recorded at Prince’s studio. Prince was also instrumental in putting the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert together featuring former foes Kanye West and Drake. The show took place last December at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles — but according to his son Larry Hoover, Jr., Hoover wasn’t exactly happy about it.
“Yeah, he’s aware of it and he has to be concerned because he doesn’t know how it may affect him,” Hoover Jr. told The Drea O Show at the time. “He’s concerned that it may affect him negatively because it’s showing his influence, but his influence is positive. Him being an influential person, it just won’t disappear. I didn’t think it would happen, but it was possible, but not probable.”
Drake & Kanye West Benefit Concert Sparks Concern From Larry Hoover Sr.
Bonjean and fellow attorney Justin Moore wrote in a new motion “the Larry Hoover who graces the cover of the government’s opposition papers … died long ago, notwithstanding the government’s unfounded claim that he harbors a desire to reclaim his title as the king of the Gangster Disciples, an enterprise that bears little resemblance to the organization he built in the 1970s.”
Larry Hoover doesn’t need his name to be printed alongside someone else’s to be recognized. Larry Hoover can stand on his name alone…
I was thinking the same thing lol
Hey smart asses, this is a hip hop site. Does Larry Hoover rap or own a label? That’s fucking why.
Your dumb.. Hip hop is the culture fool not just music.. ignorance is a killer bruh
if u consider hiphop a ” culture ” and u follow it and believe in it, kys
Well why do you hang around a hip hop site trolling? It’s a culture and it’s better off without loser posers like you
No…hip hop is still just music, and saying that it is an entire culture is stupid. Musicians don’t care about culture any more than actors or politicians. Musicians care about money and fame.
Hip hop is more than just music. So are you saying breakdancing isn’t hip hop?
language, clothes are also things that are contributed to hip hop. You must be 25 years old or younger. You donr know shit
At this point we’re wasting tax dollars keeping him in prison. You think he’s gonna be organizing gang wars at 71?
why are black folks so interested in helping this loser that destroyed so many black families ? dude even got caught slippin behind prison and got another life sentence, but they want to free this dude? smh
U are a dumbass. He was and still is more than what u have read. Do your research b4 you make ignore outbursts. You are a real clown
Put some respect on Larry Hoover name. Let them out will make a lot of change and a lot of other people’s decisions and choices.
I mean let him out will make a lot of change in a lot of communities around United States Larry Hoover is willing to change a lot decision and choices in prison and out on the streets.
Sad they let dude out for shooting president Kennedy but won’t let this man out at 71 years old all behind bad decisions people he don’t even talk to or know are making in the streets
they kno he has nothing to do with any of the madness.
I’m sure they kno this because all they do is monitor and record in prison they kno he’s not running any criminal enterprise Uncle Sam should be ashamed ?
This is why education is important lol the dude who shot JFK got killed smh
Reading is fundamental, with that being said go educate yourself you dummy
You can’t be that history ignorant?
Oswald, the man that shot Kennedy was murdered quite quickly. The president you’re thinking is the greatest on we have ever had Ronald Reagan.
The guy renounced his affiliation. He’s old enough to do that and still be respected by the streets. But the man isn’t doing anything at that age except trying to live a normal life, get some sex, etc.
racist arent really into a revolution after all lol just as i tough j prince is fascist from Sudan
Define Fascism.
Might aswell cut the dreads
Hip hop is a culture and the music is a . movement! If lyrics, beats, videos can influence a diverse audience, than that’s a culture. Black, Latino, Whites, Asians ect. Simulating from the same source see defines a cultural presence.
Still gon die in prison regardless.
FREE LARRY HOOVER EVERYONE DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE HES PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE A CHANGE MAN