Coolio Arrested On Gun Charges

On Thursday, Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was charged with unlawful firearm possession.

During a baggage check at the Los Angeles international airport last month, the prosecutors said that a handgun was found in Coolio’s belongings. While his entourage was going through security before boarding a flight headed for a concert, the rapper was arrested after the Los Angeles police discoverd a stolen, loaded pistol in his backpack on the X-ray screening belt.

Initially, one of Coolio’s entourage members claimed ownership of the bag. Evidence from the backpack suggested otherwise, and the police removed Coolio from the aircraft, police spokesman Rob Pedregon said.

The Los Angeles county district attorney’s office said in a statement that the 53-year-old musician, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, may be looking at a three-year sentence in state prison if he is convicted.

During an interrogation conducted by the authorities, Coolio admitted that the bag and gun belonged to him.

Because of his two prior felony convictions, prosecutors stated that it was illegal for Coolio to carry a firearm. In 2001, he was convicted for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle. Eight years later in 2009, the rapper was convicted of cocaine possession.

District Attorney Ricardo Santiago said that Coolio was scheduled to appear in Los Angeles superior court on Thursday for arraignment. However, the hearing was postponed until October 26 after the rapper’s lawyer, Michael Aisen, informed the court that his client was out of state performing.

Coolio is best known for his Grammy award-winning smash single “Gansta’s Paradise.” The tune topped the charts on the US and the Uk and became one of the best-selling singles of all time, according to The Guardian.

The case is still under investigation by the police according to the prosecutors.

[H/T The Guardian]