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Case thrown out against Roddy Ricch, who leads chant against NYPD after release

A man holding a microphone and wearing a white puffer jacket on stage
Roddy Ricch performs during the 7th Annual BET Experience at Staples Center.
(Scott Dudelson / Getty Images)
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Roddy Ricch is a free man.

The Compton rapper was released from jail Sunday, less than a day after he was arrested on weapons charges while heading to his scheduled set at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York.

Police said they took Ricch to jail after a private security firm had noticed a gun in a car he was riding in, forcing him to miss his set. However, Ricch was released in time for his Sunday performance at Summer Jam, where he led the crowd in a “F— NYPD chant.”

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Ricch, 23, born Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., and two other men in the car — 46-year-old Michael Figueroa of Brooklyn and 57-year-old Carlos Collins of Eastchester, N.Y. — were charged with criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and unlawful possession of the device.

Thanks to a meme-friendly hook on his song “The Box” and a subsequent flood of TikTok videos, Roddy Ricch rolls into the Grammys as hip-hop’s breakout star.

Jan. 22, 2020

When reached Monday morning by phone, a representative for District Attorney Melinda Katz said the case had been thrown out but did not provide a reason. Another representative for Katz said charges were not filed.

Fans had already lined up for Ricch’s performance at the Governors Ball when the news broke of his arrest Saturday. Ricch was slotted to perform at 6:30 p.m. ET, but the Governors Ball tweeted that Ricch wouldn’t be able to perform at 7:11 p.m. ET, more than 40 minutes after he was supposed to start.

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There has been no word from Ricch except for his Instagram story Sunday afternoon as he walked out of jail, laughing to the camera and saying he needed a shower.

Ricch’s arrest was one part of a turbulent weekend for hip-hop at the festival. Friday, Migos dropped out of their scheduled performance hours before they were set to take the stage, and their replacement, Lil Wayne, also canceled, citing “flight disruptions.”

Hometown hero ASAP Ferg ended up slotting in for Migos and Lil Wayne, although the festival was not able to find a replacement for Ricch. And Young Thug thanked his fans from jail, where he awaits trial in his ongoing gang-related case after being denied bail on June 2.

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“You know, this isn’t just about me or YSL,” Thug said. “I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and now I see that Black artists and rappers don’t have that, you know, freedom. Everybody please sign the ‘Protect Black Art’ petition and keep praying for us. I love you all.”

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Monday morning, Post Malone announced Ricch will be his special guest on the just-announced “Twelve Carat” tour, on the heels of his latest album, “Twelve Carat Toothache.” Tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

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