Who is Jay Rock? Grammy-winning rapper, Kendrick Lamar collaborator arrested in Los Angeles

Rapper Jay Rock, who shared the Best Rap Performance Grammy win for a Black Panther OST with Kendrick Lamar in 2019, was arrested on a felony weapons charge.

Grammy-winning rapper Jay Rock, known for his frequent collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, was arrested this week. Los Angeles Police Department officers nabbed the 39-year-old artist in the Watts area on Thursday around 6 pm.

LA native rapper Jay Rock, whose real name is Johnny Reed McKinzie III. was arrested this week on a felony weapons charge. (Instagram / jayrock)

Rock, whose legal name is Johnny Reed McKinzie, was arrested after he was initially caught trespassing and drinking in public near the Nickerson Gardens housing complex. The rapper tried to flee the scene by running from his vehicle. However, cops eventually caught up with him and detained him, per the LAPD. A search of his car at the time of the arrest led authorities to discover a firearm. He was ultimately booked into the Los Angeles jail after 8 pm on felony possession of a firearm. The Los Angeles native was held there overnight.

According to the Daily Mail, McKinzie grew up in the housing complex with Top Dawg Entertainment founder Anthony Tiffith.

Jay Rock's previous arrest, motorcycle crash

Rock’s March 13 arrest wasn’t his first brush with the legal system. Back in 2009, he was detained over a connection with a shooting in his Watts neighbourhood. He was later cleared. On top of that, the LA native had a near-fatal accident in 2016. He spent months recovering from the aftermath of a motorcycle crash that left his pelvis and leg shattered.

Months later, he told Billboard, “I was just doing what real dudes do. I was on my bike. Accidents happen,” adding “By God’s grace, he protected me the whole way It took me a couple weeks to get back out here ’cause you know, you can’t bring a strong one down.”

Mentions of the accident also trickled down in the title track (a collaboration with SZA) of his 2018 album, “Redemption,” which was stacked with features, including Kendrick Lamar, Future, J. Cole, and Jeremih. While promoting his album, the hit-making artist spoke about his street life experience and how music saved his life.

“I was just speaking on my experience, my trials and tribulations in the hood when I started rapping. I was battling with it. I didn’t know if I wanted to rap or still be in the streets. I was straddling the fence,” he said. “The hood was always bringing me back and I was doing bulls**t. I just fell in love with the music, man. The music just took control. It really saved my life. I’m here now.”

Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar were members of the rappers' collective Black Hippy

The 39-year-old American rapper was also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy, which consisted of fellow West Coast rappers Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and ScHoolboy Q. The group came together after members signed to the independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).

However, over a decade after its formation, the collective fell apart after Lamar parted ways with TDE. Nonetheless, all members have since remained frequent collaborators, partnering up for each other’s solo projects. In June 2024, the defunct quartet reunited for K. Dot's one-off ‘The Pop-Out: Ken and Friends’ concert, celebrating Juneteenth and Black Music Month in California.

The Pulitzer Award-winning rhymer’s departure from the label in 2022 prompted TDE breakup rumours. However, Jay Rock set the record straight on those speculations in an interview with DJ Whoo Kid in 2023. “People love starting rumours and spreading all type of, you know… I call it bad ink,” he addressed the issue.

“Sometimes people like to write in bad ink, you feel me? Especially on blog sites and different internet things. But we all good, though. The family, TDE family, despite what everybody’s saying — the breakup — everybody’s all good.”

The LA-bred artist also confirmed how things remained unchanged in his relationship with his former group mate Kendrick Lamar: “That’s my little brother. I hollered at him the other day. That’s still bro. Ain’t nothing changed.” Even in late 2024, TDE’s flagship artist, Jay Rock, gave a shout-out to Lamar and his iconic track “Not Like Us” ahead of his big Grammy win.

Featured on the Black Panther OST – Grammy-winning record

He’s previously joined hands with the Compton native for songs like “Money Trees,” “Hood Gonna Love It” and “King’s Dead.” The latter track was also shared with Future and James Blake and featured on the Black Panther soundtrack, ultimately winning Best Rap Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.

Having also collaborated with Anderson.Paak for “Lockdown,” Rock also made the news for protesting the death of George Floyd.