Southern rapper Lil Wayne was booked in Yuma, Ariz. on three felony drug charges Wednesday morning.
Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was being held at the Yuma County Sheriff’s jail, said Capt. Eben Bratcher.
Carter was taken for a video arraignment late Wednesday morning in a justice court in Wellton, 35 miles east of Yuma.
The 28-year-old faces charges of possession of dangerous drugs, narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
In Tucson on Jan. 20, Carter headlined a hip-hop show, dubbed “The Tucson Takeover,” at the Tucson Convention Center’s arena. The TCC box office estimated some 4, 200 fans attended the event, with ticket prices ranging from $45 to $75.
Bratcher said Carter was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents at a Border Patrol checkpoint 78 miles from Yuma. Carter was heading east, likely coming from California. Two other men were arrested with him, Bratcher said.
People are also reading…
Carter’s next scheduled concert is Friday in Richmond, Virginia, according to ticketmaster.com.
Hailing from New Orleans, Carter is known as one of the most prolific young voices in the hip-hop world, behind his creative rhymes and word associations, which often reference marijuana.
In October, Carter and several other rappers were named in a federal lawsuit filed by music publishing companies, accusing them of sampling other artists’ songs without paying licensing fees.
Rapper Birdman and Lil Wayne won a viewers’ choice award for their song “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” at Black Entertainment Television’s 2007 Hip-Hop Awards.
Sheriff’s Major Leon Wilmot said he didn’t know if Wayne had an attorney.
New Tucson lounge to embrace dark and cozy
