Rapper 2 Chainz arrested: ring mistaken for brass knuckles?
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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.”
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