Rapper thanks Trump for pardon on gun conviction

A Louisiana rapper who was convicted on gun charges is now thanking President Donald Trump for pardoning him, saying he is "giving me the opportunity to keep building -- as a man, as a father, and as an artist." 

NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, made the statement as Trump issued a number of pardons Wednesday.  

Last year, Gaulden was sentenced by a federal judge in Utah after he acknowledged possessing weapons despite being a convicted felon. However, he reached an agreement that resolved Utah state charges against him and settled two sets of federal charges against him -- one carried a 23-month sentence and the other ordered five years of probation and a $200,000 fine. 

"I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and ...