Jay Rock, a Grammy Award-winning rapper from Los Angeles, has been arrested.
The 39-year-old artist, born Johnny Reed McKinzie, was stopped by Los Angeles Police Department officers around 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, according to local news station ABC7.
Police said the rapper was trespassing and drinking in public at Nickerson Gardens housing complex in Watts. The LAPD told NBC4 Los Angeles McKinzie attempted to leave his car after officers refused to explain why he was stopped.
According to the LAPD, a firearm was left behind in the vehicle. After searching the car, McKinzie was taken into custody.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate portal said he was booked at 8:17 p.m. in the LAPD Southeast Division on suspicion of a felony weapons violation. No bail amount was listed in the portal.
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Jay Rock is best known for his work with Top Dawg Entertainment. In 2019, he won a best rap song Grammy Award for “King’s Dead,” which featured Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake. The single even landed on Black Panther: The Album.
Later that year, the L.A. native received the key to his hometown of Watts during a ceremony at Nickerson Gardens, where he grew up. The city declared it “Jay Rock Day” in recognition of his contributions to the community.
Jay Rock signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2005. In addition to his solo career, he was a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy, which included fellow West Coast rappers Kendrick, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul.
Though the group never released an official album, its members frequently collaborate, often appearing on each other’s solo projects.
His last album in 2018, Redemption, followed his full recovery from a life-changing motorcycle crash.
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