Paris Police Release Rapper Lil Baby From Custody with a Drug Fine

Paris police released rapper Lil Baby from custody on Friday (June 9) after fining him for having cannabis in his car, according to a statement from the Parisian prosecutor’s office, taken by the Associated Press. He was stopped along with NBA star James Harden, who was frisked but not detained.

On June 8, the rapper, whose real name is Dominique Armani Jones, posted a photo on Instagram with the Brooklyn Nets player. The two were in Paris for Fashion Week, and the photo features the two celebrities dressed in Balenciaga.

Lil Baby’s arrest on Thursday along one of the French capital’s most upscale avenues, shocked fans of both high-profile Americans. Fans of Harden and the singer in France raised concerns online about racial profiling. But the Paris police department appeared to deflect suggestions the arrest was groundless by tweeting that it was based on an “infraction.” Both men are Black, and the police officers are white.

After his release, the rapper posted on Twitter, stating, “I’m Good.” and said that he was heading back to the U.S.

News of the arrest was first reported by the French newspaper Le Parisien and confirmed by NBC News. The newspaper said both Jones and Harden were among a group who were stopped by police about 4:50 p.m. local time after three people exited a car smelling of marijuana.

Photo Credit: Mario Pujals