Lil Wayne has been denied entry to the UK and forced to cancel a planned appearance at Strawberries & Creem Festival 2022 over a past criminal conviction.
Strawberries and Creem first announced the news on Twitter, writing, “Lil Wayne has been refused entry to the UK directly by the Home Office in a last minute decision. We are deeply disappointed by this sudden and negative ruling.”
In a statement to Consequence, the Home Office wrote, “Any individual who has been sentenced to a custodial sentence of 12 months or more must have their application refused.” The spokesperson also directed attention to Section 9.4.1 of the Immigration Rules, which marks additional considerations for “persistent offender[s] who shows a particular disregard for the law,” and those who “committed a criminal offense, or offenses, which caused serious harm.”
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In 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to one year in prison on charges related to a 2007 arrest for gun possession. He served only eight months of that 12-month sentence.
The UK does allow some people with criminal records into the country. Prospective visitors must secure a criminal record certificate if the sentence occurred less than 10 years ago, though that does not seem to apply in the case of Lil Wayne’s 2010 conviction. The Home Office did not specify which part of the Immigration Rules that Wayne had violated.
It is also unclear if the Home Office weighed Lil Wayne’s legal troubles in 2020, when he pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge. However, Wayne was pardoned for that offense by then-President Trump in January 2021. Consequence sought additional clarification on why Lil Wayne’s entry to the UK was denied, but the Home Office declined any further comment.
Strawberries & Creem goes down in Cambridge June 18th and 19th. Ludacris will replace Lil Wayne, and tickets are available here. If you’re hoping to catch Lil Wayne specifically, your best chance might be Summerfest 2022. Tickets are available here.
Lil Wayne will no longer be performing at Strawberries & Creem 2022.
LUDACRIS will now perform on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/cywZip2DsY— Strawberries & Creem Festival (@SandCFestival) June 15, 2022