Soulja Boy arrested in L.A. on felon gun possession charges

U.S. rapper and producer Soulja Boy has been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of weapons-related offences, according to reports confirmed by the LAPD.

The 35-year-old artist, born DeAndre Cortez Way, was taken into custody around 2:35 a.m. on Sunday in the Melrose area after a traffic stop. 

Officers say he was a passenger in the vehicle and was allegedly found carrying a firearm—an offence given his prior felony record.

Best known for his viral 2007 hit Crank That (Soulja Boy), Way has not yet publicly commented on the arrest. His representatives have been contacted by CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. affiliate.

This incident follows another major legal setback for the rapper earlier this year. In April, a jury ordered him to pay $4.25 million in damages to a woman who accused him of repeated sexual abuse and imprisonment while working as his assistant. Though Way denied the allegations, the jury found him liable for sexual battery, assault, and gender-based violence in a civil trial.