Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were expected to receive pardons from former President Trump, Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez was a surprise.
In the days before outgoing President Trump finally revealed his long list of last-minute pardons and commutations at around 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday, several names in the entertainment world had been mentioned as likely candidates: some accurate (rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, Death Row Records cofounder Michael “Harry O” Harris); some inaccurate (Joe Exotic); some whose music background is less known (longtime Rudy Giuliani and Jared Kushner associate Ken Kurson, who played in indie-rock bands in the late ‘80s). But few expected to see the name of Desiree Perez, who is CEO of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation empire and, along with her husband, Roc Nation Sports chief Juan Perez, is a longtime and valued associate of the rapper’s. “President Trump granted a full pardon to Desiree Perez,” the relevant section of the Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency reads. “Ms. Perez was involved in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Since her conviction, Ms. Perez has taken full accountability for her actions and has turned her life around. She has been gainfully employed and has been an advocate for criminal justice reform in her community.” “Gainfully employed” is almost a comic understatement for the successful CEO of a billionaire’s multi-faceted, multi-million-dollar entertainment and sports company that oversees the careers of artists including Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, J. Cole, Big Sean, Megan Thee Stallion and many others, along with multiple successful athletes, and programs the Super Bowl Halftime show and other aspects of the NFL’s entertainment (it’s no coincidence that last year’s halftime performers were Shakira and longtime friend of Roc Jennifer Lopez). And Perez’s past offenses are among the less-notorious in Trump’s extremely long list of executive pardons and commutations.
