Soulja Boy arrested in Melrosa: Here's what happened

Rapper Soulja Boy was arrested in Melrose early Sunday.

Rapper DeAndre Cortez Way, better known as Soulja Boy, was arrested early Sunday in Melrose. According to NBC Los Angeles, police stopped the vehicle around 2:30 am local time, then spotted a gun in the car. He was booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Way traveled as a passenger.

Soulja Boy was arrested in Melrose on Sunday, August 3. (Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP)

The Los Angeles Police Department has not released details on what triggered the stop or the weapon specifics. The arrest stemmed from a routine traffic stop. Officers say a gun was visible inside the vehicle. They arrested him shortly after the discovery and took him in for booking. No comment has come from his team, and it is unclear if he has legal representation speaking publicly.

Where was Soulja Boy before his arrest?

Sources confirmed to TMZ that Soulja Boy was in the car when officers noticed the firearm. He had been out in Hollywood just hours earlier. Fans saw him at his own celebrity tour event on Melrose Ave, and he even posted clips on Instagram from a birthday party at the nightclub Poppy late Saturday night. Early Sunday morning, cops pulled over the vehicle and found the weapon.

Who is Soulja Boy?

Soulja Boy shot to fame in 2007 with Crank That (Soulja Boy), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. His debut album quickly followed. He built his brand through social media, was named a Forbes Hip-Hop Cash King in 2010, and signed acts like Lil B and Riff Raff to his label, Stacks on Deck Entertainment.

Since then, his career has had ups and downs. Albums like iSouljaBoyTellem and The DeAndre Way saw moderate success. Still, he stuck around through savvy self-promotion online. Grammy nominations and BET awards came his way, and he branched into video games and producing.

This is not the first time Soulja Boy has faced legal trouble. In April, a judge ordered him to pay $4 million in a sexual battery case.

FAQs

Why was Soulja Boy arrested?

Police say they found a firearm during a traffic stop in Melrose and booked him as a felon in possession of a weapon.

Who is Soulja Boy?

Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, is an American rapper famous for “Crank That.”

Did Soulja Boy drive the vehicle?

Reports indicate he was a passenger when officers spotted the gun.

Do we know what triggered the traffic stop?

Authorities have not disclosed why the vehicle was pulled over.

Has Soulja Boy commented on the arrest?

No public statement has come from the rapper or his representatives yet.