Weezy arrested?!
djanna
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(and, Ja Rule, whatever)from NY Times:July 23, 2007, 2:08 pmTwo Rappers Are Arrested on Gun ChargesBy Al BakerJa RuleJa RuleLil WayneLil WayneThe rap artists Ja Rule and Lil Wayne were each arrested on Sunday night for possessing a loaded handgun after separate traffic stops on the streets of Manhattan???s Upper West Side, the police said.In both cases, police officers suspecting minor infractions in vehicles carrying the men found a loaded .40-caliber handgun inside, the police said.Both rappers were awaiting arraignment in Criminal Court in Manhattan early today, officials said. Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeff Atkins, and Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, were each charged with criminal possession of a weapon, the police said. Others who were with the men were also facing criminal charges in the incidents, the police said.A publicist from Universal Motown Publicity, who represents Mr. Carter, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment. Kim Harris, who represents Mr. Atkins at the same company, was immediately unavailable, an aide said.Mr. Atkins was arrested at about 10:40 p.m. on Sunday, the police said, after uniformed police officers saw a 2004 Mercedes Maybach sedan with an expired registration sticker that was speeding along West End Avenue near West 77th Street.The police pulled the car over, and upon further investigation, officers spotted the handgun in ???plain view??? inside the car and arrested Mr. Atkins, 31, of Saddle Brook, N.J., and two other occupants, Mohammed Gamel, 38, who was driving, and Cherry Dennis, 36. It was not immediately clear who owned the gun, a .40-caliber Taurus handgun with a defaced serial number, the police said, so all three men were charged with possession of the gun.About 11:30 p.m., officers from the Intelligence Division smelled marijuana coming from a tour bus driving along West 61st Street, near Columbus Circle, the police said. The officers stopped the bus and stepped inside, where a man, Derrick Lawrence, ran to the back of the bus with a small plastic bag full of marijuana, the police said. In the back of the bus, the officers found Mr. Carter with a .40-caliber Springfield Arms pistol.Mr. Carter, 24, of Miami, was charged with weapons possession and Mr. Lawrence, 38, of Brooklyn, was charged with criminal possession of marijuana, the police said.Investigators will conduct tests to determine who the guns belong to and to find out whether either of them has ever been used in a crime, the police said.Mr. Carter, who is from New Orleans, made his name as a non-swearing teenage artists and had what was advertised as Lil Wayne???s first live appearance in New York on Sunday night at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan. It was unclear if Ja Rule also performed in that show, as part of a ???talent lineup,??? according to a spokeswoman for the theater. A tour promoter did not return a call or respond to an e-mail seeking comment.Lil Wayne is known for his witty lyrics. At a concert in New Jersey last month, accompanied by his mentor, Birdman, he delivered a series of pun-filled rhymes ???- ??????Hit him with a Glock, put him in a coma/Now what that boy got? Uh, glaucoma.'??? Then he stalked offstage. His albums include, ???The Block Is Hot,??? and ???Tha Carter.???Over the years, Mr. Atkins, who grew up in Hollis, Queens, has come to embody the contradictions of a modern hip-hop performer as Ja Rule, trying to balance thug bona fides with the embrace of the corporate mainstream. The father of two is married to his high school girlfriend. He has collaborated with Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, among others. His albums include ???Pain is Love,??? ???The Last Temptation??? and, ???Venni, Vetti, Vecci.???
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