LOS ANGELES, CA — Rapper Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, was arrested early Sunday morning during a traffic stop on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed.
The 35-year-old artist was a passenger in a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Genesee and Melrose around 2:50 a.m. Authorities found a gun in the car, which led to Soulja Boy’s arrest. He was booked into the LAPD’s Wilshire Division jail. It remains unclear whether he has been released or his current location.
This incident marks Soulja Boy’s second arrest involving firearms. In December 2016, police discovered a gun at his Hollywood Hills residence while he was on probation. He later pleaded no contest to felony weapons possession and a misdemeanor, receiving five years of probation and community service.
In a separate legal matter, Soulja Boy was ordered by a jury in April 2023 to pay over $235,000 in punitive damages to a woman who accused him of assault at a Malibu party in 2019. Soulja Boy denied the allegations.
Authorities have yet to release further details, and Soulja Boy’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
