A charity has rejected a 200,000 dollar (£163,000) donation from controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine.
No Kid Hungry said it had a policy to decline funding from donors “whose activities do not align with our mission and values”.
Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, described the decision as “cruel”. He was recently released from prison for his involvement in a violent US street gang.
No Kid Hungry said in a statement: “We are grateful for Mr Hernandez’s generous offer to donate to No Kid Hungry but we have informed his representatives that we have declined this donation.
“As a child-focused campaign, it is our policy to decline funding from donors whose activities do not align with our mission and values.”
Hernandez, 24, is known for his distinctive appearance of facial tattoos and rainbow-coloured hair.
Since exploding onto the hip hop scene in 2017, he has been dogged by controversy and legal woes.
He was handed a two-year prison sentence in December for his involvement with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, his crimes including orchestrating a shooting in which an innocent bystander was wounded.
Hernandez faced a far longer spell behind bars but turned star witness for the prosecution, a decision that has seen him shunned by portions of the rap music community.
He was freed from a New York prison early in April because he was at risk of contracting coronavirus because of his asthma.
Hernandez returned with new music in typically bombastic fashion last week, taking part in an Instagram Live stream that at one point was viewed by a record two million users.