Rapper 2 Chainz arrested: ring mistaken for brass knuckles?
2 Chainz, a rapper named and known for his predilection for flashy jewelry, was arrested Tuesday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport for toting an off-limits accessory: an alleged set of brass knuckles.
Born Tauheed Epps, and featured on recent songs by Kanye West and Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz was detained at the Delta Airlines terminal when airport officials found “metal knuckles” in his carry-on luggage, according to MTV News.
A Port Authority officer confirmed the arrest to MTV and said, “The knuckles were in his personal bag and sounded the alarm.”
Fellow hip-hop artists Big Sean and DJ Drama rushed to 2 Chainz’s defense on Twitter, saying that the offending item was not a set of brass knuckles but rather a four-finger ring, a staple hip-hop accessory since the days of Slick Rick and Big Daddy Kane in the 1980s.
Big Sean said the ring spelled “hood” and added, “We had a shoot [sic] yesturday n he was rockin em,” while DJ Drama posted a photo of 2 Chainz wearing the alleged ring and introduced a “#free2chainz” hashtag.
The incident marks an otherwise good day for 2 Chainz, who will appear on the premiere episode of MTV’s “Hip Hop Squares.” The remixed version of the classic tic-tac-toe-inspired game show “Hollywood Squares” features such rappers as Common, Fat Joe and Ghostface Killah.
As our sister blog Pop & Hiss points out, 2 Chainz is gaining professional traction with a gig on Drake’s Club Paradise tour, his debut single “No Lie” and a well-received cameo on Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap.”
RELATED:
Live review: Drake’s Club Paradise tour
Album review: Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded’
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
