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Trump works to free rapper

WASHINGTON (AP) — Urged on by the first lady and celebrities including Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West, President Donald Trump said Friday he is trying to help free rapper A$AP Rocky, who has been held in police custody in Sweden for weeks.

“I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky,” Trump tweeted from aboard Air Force One, where he said he had just spoken with Kanye West about Rocky’s situation.

“So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!” Trump said.

Rocky, a platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated artist whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has been behind bars since early this month as Swedish police investigate a fight he was allegedly involved in in Stockholm before appearing at a music festival. It was not clear who else was involved, but videos published on social media appear to show a person being violently thrown onto the ground by Rocky. A defense lawyer has said it was self-defense.

The case has earned the attention of a slew of celebrities, including recording artist and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs; singer Justin Bieber; singer Shawn Mendes; actress Jada Pinkett Smith; Kardashian West’s mother, reality star Kris Jenner; singer Nicki Minaj; and rapper Post Malone, as well as Kardashian West, who has worked with the Trump administration on criminal justice reform issues.

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