Soulja Boy Arrested In Los Angeles During Late-Night Traffic Stop

Soulja Boy was arrested early Sunday (August 3) in Los Angeles after police allegedly discovered a firearm during a traffic stop in the Melrose area, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed officers pulled over a vehicle around 2:30 a.m. local time and noticed a gun inside. The 33-year-old rapper, born DeAndre Cortez Way, was a passenger in the car and was taken into custody on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Authorities did not disclose the reason for the initial stop.

Social media posts suggest the rapper had been celebrating his birthday at West Hollywood hotspot Poppy just hours before the arrest. His birthday was July 28.

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The “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” artist, who rose to fame in 2007 with his viral dance anthem, has had multiple brushes with the law over the years. In April, a Los Angeles jury found him liable for sexual battery and assault, ordering him to pay $4 million to a woman who accused him of abusing her over a two-year period.

In 2023, Soulja Boy was also named in a Securities and Exchange Commission case involving the illegal promotion of crypto assets. He and singer Austin Mahone were the only two celebrities among those charged who declined to settle with the SEC by paying $400,000 in penalties, interest and disgorgement.

This isn’t his first run-in with weapons-related charges. In 2014, he was arrested in Los Angeles for carrying a loaded firearm, though the case was later dismissed. In 2019, he was sentenced to 240 days in jail for violating probation after police found ammunition at his home.

As of Sunday, no further details about his latest arrest have been released by LAPD.