Rapper Jay Rock has been arrested on felony gun possession charges after a dramatic encounter with police in Watts, California an incident that was reportedly caught on camera.
The TDE artist was taken into custody Thursday evening (March 14) near the Nickerson Gardens housing project, where authorities say he was trespassing.
According to LAPD sources, officers were conducting a routine foot patrol in the area when they called for backup due to a large crowd gathering.
When police approached Jay Rock, they claim he attempted to flee the scene, prompting officers to detain him. During a search of his vehicle, authorities allegedly discovered a firearm, which he is prohibited from possessing due to a prior felony conviction.
The rapper was arrested just before 5:30 PM PT and booked on a felon in possession of a firearm charge roughly three hours later. His car was impounded, but it remains unclear whether he has been released from custody.
The incident marks a serious legal issue for the Watts native, who has been a key figure in West Coast hip-hop through his work with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) alongside artists like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul.
