Hip-Hop rapper Lil Baby was arrested, and NBA player James Harden was questioned in Paris for allegedly transporting drugs.
What We Know:
- Lil Baby, whose real name is Dominique Jones, was stopped by French police on Thursday after exiting his car. Officers say they stopped him and others due to a few of the individuals smelling like marijuana. They searched the group and arrested Lil Baby and at least one other member of his entourage. Harden, who was nearby, came over to intervene and ended up getting searched by officers…he was eventually released. DJ Akademiks tweeted that the rapper was arrested for having “20 grams of weed” inside the car.
Lil Baby arrested in Paris after police find 20 grams of weed in his car 👀 pic.twitter.com/NPB0HGUzrH
— No Jumper (@nojumper) July 8, 2021
- Lil Baby is a three-time Grammy-nominated rapper who has found success in the industry since the release of his 2017 mixtape Perfect Timing. The mixtape included features from rappers Young Thug and Lil Yachty. In 2020, the rapper released his album My Turn, which “was the #1 streamed and #1 selling album of any genre” that year. He has over 22 billion global streams and put out eight #1 songs on urban radio. The 26-year-old has made Forbes “30 Under 30″music list, was awarded Apple Music’s Global Artist of the Year, and Spotify’s “Rap Caviar” MVP of 2020.
- In June 2020, Lil Baby released his song “The Bigger Picture,” which expressed his frustration with police brutality and systematic racism after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The rapper met with Vice President Kamala Harris on the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death to speak about passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Lil baby remains close to the Floyd family and even threw Floyd’s daughter Gianna a surprise birthday party.
- Lil Baby is not a stranger to being arrested on drug charges. He was first arrested in 2012 for possession with an attempt to sell. The hip-hop artist dropped out of high school and ended up getting arrested again in 2013 and 2014 for possession of marijuana. In 2019, he was arrested in Atlanta, GA, for reckless driving and attempting to escape the police.
- Harden is a guard for the Brooklyn Nets, who lost in the second round of this year’s NBA playoffs to the Milwaukee Bucks. The 12-year veteran is a nine-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, and has earned All-NBA Team honors seven times. Harden was set to play on the Team USA basketball team at this year’s Olympic Games but had to drop out after sustaining a Grade 2 hamstring strain during the playoffs.
- The pair was in the European city, attending various Paris Fashion Week events. They were photographed sitting front row alongside rapper Kayne West at the Balenciaga Fall 2021 Couture show on Wednesday. Both men have posted photos of themselves hanging out and enjoying their time together in Paris. Since being in Paris, Lil Baby and Harden have been sworn by the paparazzi and were even caught off guard leaving an event.
They caught Lil Baby off guard in Paris pic.twitter.com/hOaMOkcsOy
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2BIog) July 8, 2021
Recreational use of marijuana is illegal in France. The city’s 8th district police precinct is investigating the rapper’s arrest as he remains detained.
