by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 16, 2025

YouTuber P2istheName Found Dead In Los Angeles Mailroom At Age 26

Ahead of his death, Philip Enewally was preparing to move out of Los Angeles.

A Black YouTuber who went by P2istheName has died at 26 years old.

TMZ reported that the influencer, whose real name is Philip Enewally, was found dead on March 14 at a mailroom in Los Angeles. The county has yet to reveal Enewally’s cause of death.

Enewally’s mother confirmed his death to the news outlet, asking for fans to respect the family’s privacy. However, she encouraged supporters to head to his channel to mourn.

Enewally amassed over 4 million followers on YouTube with his mix of lifestyle vlogs and gaming videos. Before his unexpected passing, he shared what would become his final video, “Why this is My Last Month Living in Los Angeles. ” In it, Enewally said goodbye to his hometown as he looked forward to a new era in Atlanta.

“I was born & raised in LA so to say goodbye hurts but I have a good feeling something great is on the way,” he wrote in the video’s description.

On the move, Enewally expressed his desire to explore a new place outside his native city. According to People, Enewally has been making social media content for almost a decade. He went on to create a production company and detailed his journey of becoming a young Black millionaire.

Additionally, Enewally launched a clothing brand, DONTMINDUS. The emerging designer released an assortment of hoodies and tees, all of which are currently sold out.

The influencing community now mourns the loss of one of their fellow creators, with a fellow YouTuber, Coletheman, speaking about the heartbreaking news.

My good friend @P2istheName has passed away… wow. I’m honestly at a loss for words. He was always so kind to me and gave me so much content creation advice.

May he rest in peace. This breaks my heart.
— COLETHEMAN (@colethemanyt) March 15, 2025

“My good friend @P2istheName has passed away… wow. I’m honestly at a loss for words,” shared the content creator. He was always so kind to me and gave me so much content creation advice. May he rest in peace. This breaks my heart.

An investigation into his death by the Los Angeles County Coroner remains ongoing.

by Daniel Johnson

March 16, 2025

Howell, Michigan, Hires PR Firm For Image Overhaul After Racist Incidents

The city plans are to counter the racist incidents.

The City of Howell, Michigan, has hired a public relations firm to overhaul its image following a series of high-profile racist incidents, including one that occurred during the search for a firm to lead the image revamp.

According to CBS News, the city indicated in December 2024 that it would search for a public relations firm to help rehabilitate its image due to racist and antisemitic incidents in the city, including a Nazi demonstration outside a performance of the play “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

Howell City Manager Erv Suida told the outlet that the city’s plans were intended to both counter the racist incidents and emphasize the story that the city wants to tell about itself.

“I hope that they give us some meaningful communication plans to help us tell our story. One of the things we all have to realize is that there seems to be a rise in racism and antisemitic rallies,” Suida told CBS News. “We don’t want to focus around those groups. We’ve had the White Lives Matter group that has been here and around other communities in Michigan. We want to make sure that we’re responding appropriately, but we don’t really want to give them that much attention.”

The city eventually hired Burch Partners, a firm from Holland, Michigan, to undertake the project. It paid them approximately $20,000 for three months of work and agreed to be billed hourly for additional services, such as crisis communications.

However, in November 2024, Julie Ohashi, the co-founder of Stand Against Extremism LivCo, (SAGE) told The Livingston Daily that residents did not want an expensive bandage after the group organized a counter-protest of demonstrations by white supremacists in the city.

“We don’t want an expensive bandage; we want treatment of the actual infection,” Ohashi said, indicating that if local officials wanted to fix the problem of the town’s perception, they have to work at it themselves and that the community wanted help from them on that front.

“We’re trying our best to shine light on that and we’re begging — we need more help here. This is not a one-and-done deal; we have to keep working actively to fix this.”

Ohashi also told WKAR in December 2024 that, in her view, the city leaders’ refusal to address white supremacist groups made it seem like the city accepted their actions as normal.

“Our assumption that the inaction and the silence are giving these white supremacist tactic acceptance to continue harassing our community members, making our marginalized neighbors feel unsafe and keeping folks away who would normally, you know, shop and eat here,” she told the outlet.

Ohashi continued, “That’s why we’re taking action, because if we don’t, we know the hate will continue to escalate. We have to find the source and get rid of it, and people don’t come where they’re not wanted. So, Livingston County needs to figure out why these groups think they’re welcomed here, and then solve that problem.”

Trump, journalists, Voice of America, fired

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 16, 2025

Over 1,000 Journalists, Staffers At Voice Of America And U.S.-Funded Broadcasters Laid Off On ‘Bloody Saturday’

The indefinite mass layoffs stemmed from an order from Trump.

As part of President Trump’s latest decree, over 1,000 journalists and staffers were laid off from U.S.-funded broadcast networks, including Voice Of America.

All full-time employees at these networks showed up to work on March 15 to discover their jobs no longer existed. The indefinite mass layoffs stemmed from Trump’s new order issued the night before.

He called for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees all these broadcasters, to cease all activities not protected by the law. Voice of America’s director, Michael Abramowitz, released a statement on the network’s historical shutdown.

“I am deeply saddened that for the 1st time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” expressed Abramowitz in a post to his personal Facebook account, as reported by NPR. “VOA needs thoughtful reform and we have made progress in that regard. But today’s action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission.”

This impacted employees at Voice of America and the Office for Cuba Broadcasting.

Furthermore, the agency terminated all contracts with private, international broadcasters that receive funds for its programming, including Radio Free Europe and Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

Trump’s senior adviser, Kari Lake, signed the termination notices, a move notably not conducted by the USAGM’s acting chief executive. However, Lake’s position at the agency does not grant her the explicit authority to take such action.

The Trump administration has had tension with Voice of America since its critiques during the president’s first term. This tension has resulted in a target on the network’s back that has carried over. Voice of America has also received backlash from conservative media outlets as well for reflecting a “leftist bias” in its coverage.

Grant Turner, USAGM’s former chief financial officer, called it a “Bloody Saturday” for the agency.

“From what I hear, this is shaping up to be a really sad day. USAGM networks share important news, information, and American values around the world,” Turner said. “It took decades to build this goodwill and an audience of hundreds of millions every week. Seeing arsonists just set fire to it all is awful.”

Other directors impacted by the terminations, such as Radio Free Europe/Free Liberty’s president Steve Capus, called the cancellations a “massive gift to America’s enemies.” He emphasized that the stifling of “accurate news” threatens to keep the truth from reaching Americans and others worldwide.

Altogether, these broadcasters and sister networks reach 420 million people, with a long-lasting mission to provide news coverage where a free press is limited or nonexistent. Programs are shared in over 100 countries weekly and spoken in 63 languages. The cuts were spearheaded by DOGE, a department led by Elon Musk, to slash all government programming deemed unnecessary by the administration.

by Daniel Johnson

March 16, 2025

Trump Drafts Travel Ban Targeting 43 Countries — Nearly Half In Africa

Several Caribbean are also on the list.

A draft list from within the Trump administration shows that Trump 2.0 is building on the 2017 version of its travel ban, which restricted entry to the U.S. from citizens of certain countries. Initially referred to as a “Muslim Ban,” the order was challenged in court but upheld until President Joe Biden rescinded it upon taking office in 2020.

According to The New York Times, this revised travel ban of 43 countries now has tiers ranging in severity from red, the worst, to yellow, the least severe, and was developed by diplomatic and security officials, although those officials indicated to the outlet on condition of anonymity that changes could be made by the time the draft reaches the White House.

A New, Discriminatory, and Arbitrary Legal Immigration System Is Coming: Trump's new travel ban will be worse than anything he's done before. It threatens to ban more than one in five immigrants traveling to the US from abroad from more than 20% of the world's nations. pic.twitter.com/2YEDUat3Iu
— David J. Bier (@David_J_Bier) March 16, 2025

We urge legal immigrants from countries likely to be affected by Trump’s expected travel ban not to leave the U.S. as they may be barred from returning.
For more info: https://t.co/fxO7tJa7VV pic.twitter.com/HYA4hL2xKH
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) March 10, 2025

Presently, the draft lists Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen as “red” countries, meaning all travel is banned from those countries to the United States. The draft lists Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan as “orange” countries, which means that ordinary citizens of those countries are subject to an in-person interview to receive visas to enter the country, but this would most likely not apply to affluent business travelers.

The final, and most expansive tier, the yellow tier, lists Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, The Republic of Congo, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe; being placed on this tier means that countries have 60 days to address concerns of the State Department before being moved up to the next tier.

According to The Times, some of the countries on this list were on the travel ban from 2017, but many were not, and those designated for the red and orange lists share characteristics like being Muslim-majority countries, largely non-white and poor populations, and have governments that are considered corrupt.

This ban comes on the heels of the Trump administration and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) canceling the green card of and later detaining Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian who is a permanent resident of the United States, over his high-profile protests of Israel’s war on Palestinians in Gaza at Columbia University, protests which the Trump administration claims are anti-semitic, which has in turn sparked concerns of an administration attempting to stifle dissent by any means necessary.

Civil rights groups and protestors have characterized the actions of the federal government in Khalil’s arrest and subsequent detention as an infringement on the right to free speech enshrined in the United States Constitution, and the Columbia School of Journalism issued a statement to NBC News which connected Trump’s lawsuits against the press to the actions the Trump administration took against Khalil.

“One does not have to agree with the political opinions of any particular individual to understand that these threats cut to the core of what it means to live in a pluralistic democracy,” the journalism school said in a statement. “The use of deportation to suppress foreign critics runs parallel to an aggressive campaign to use libel laws in novel — even outlandish ways — to silence or intimidate the independent press.”

by Daniel Johnson

March 16, 2025

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Pleads Not Guilty To Updated Indictment

Combs’ not guilty pleas on all charges have set the stage for a trial to begin on May 12.

Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty on March 14 in a New York City court before Judge Arun Subramanian after a superseding indictment was filed, unveiling new allegations. The updated charges extended the timeline of Combs’ alleged criminal conduct, added new victims, and included claims that Combs forced at least one employee to engage in sex acts with him.

According to ABC News, Combs was arrested in 2024 after being charged with sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy, which he has also pleaded not guilty to. Combs’ not guilty pleas on all charges have set the stage for a trial to begin on May 12, after jury selection begins May 5.

According to federal prosecutors, there are around 20 witnesses who are potential witnesses, but Mitzi Steiner, a federal prosecutor, told the outlet that many of them are “incredibly frightened” at the prospect of being publicly known or publicly known to Combs.

Per The Associated Press, the indictment details how Combs allegedly used the “power and prestige” he had access to as a music mogul to intimidate, threaten, and lure women into his orbit, often using the pretense of a romantic relationship to do so.

Following this pattern of behavior, the indictment surmised, Combs used force, threats, and coercion to make victims engage in commercial sex acts and often subjected those victims to violence, threats of financial, and other kinds of harm, and verbal abuse.

“On multiple occasions, Combs threw both objects and people, as well as hit, dragged, choked and shoved others,” the indictment said. “On one occasion, Combs dangled a victim over an apartment balcony.”

Judge Subramanian asked the prosecution if they would be using a 2016 video that depicts Combs kicking and dragging his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a way that is “deceptive,” an argument that Combs’ defense team has raised in their attempts to keep it from being entered as evidence.

“It’s a misleading piece of evidence. It’s a deceptive piece of evidence,” Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo told ABC News.

He continued, “The defense has confirmed, through a forensic video analysis of the CNN footage that the government provided to this Court and of the footage provided by CNN in response to the defense subpoena, that all CNN video footage was substantially altered in significant respects. This includes covering the time stamp and then changing the video sequence. It also includes speeding up the video to make it falsely appear that the actions in the video are taking place faster than they are. As a result, the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question.”

However, a CNN spokesperson denied these explosive claims, telling the outlet that the footage was not altered by the news network.

“CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source,” the spokesperson said. “CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested.”

Contrary to the claims of Combs’ defense team, Douglas H. Wigdor, an attorney for Ventura, asserted that the video had not been altered and said that he believed the video would ultimately be allowed into evidence.

“It is not surprising that Combs would make a disingenuous argument to exclude the disturbing video from being shown to the jury in the upcoming trial,” Wigdor told USA Today. “I am confident that the video fairly and accurately represents what happened, will be admitted into evidence, and that Combs will be held accountable for his depravity.”

by Daniel Johnson

March 16, 2025

Trump Administration Accuses 45 Universities Of Racial Discrimination

Earlier this year, Trump ordered colleges and universities to end diversity programs, or lose their federal funding.

The Trump administration’s Department of Education is accusing 45 universities of engaging in racial discrimination, alleging in a memo that their partnership with The Ph.D. Project, a non-profit that helps students from underrepresented groups diversify the business world, violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

According to CBS News, in February, the Trump administration ordered colleges and universities to end diversity programs or lose their federal funding.

Lynn Pasquerella, the president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, told NPR that the administrators at the universities she has been in contact with have told her that they have been in distress over the Department of Education’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“They’re feeling beleaguered. They’re feeling overwhelmed,” Pasquerella said. “There’s a deep sense of moral distress.”

Pasquerella continued, saying that the Education Department is intentionally conflating efforts to provide an inclusive learning environment with the violation of civil rights.

“It’s another example of governmental overreach into institutional autonomy, into academic freedom, in ways that go against what’s already established legal precedent,” Pasquerella said.

Two of the largest teachers unions in America, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, have filed their own lawsuits against an earlier memo, which warned universities to end “race-based preferences,” arguing that the earlier memo was unfounded and vague.

The NEA was joined in its opposition to the “Dear Colleague” letter by the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a lawsuit on March 5 arguing that the Department of Education’s letter was a violation of Constitutional rights.

According to NEA President Becky Pringle, “The Trump administration is threatening to punish students, parents and educators in public schools for…fostering inclusive classrooms where diversity is valued [and] history is taught honestly,” Pringle said. “We’re urging the court to block the Department of Education from enforcing this harmful and vague directive and protect students from politically motivated attacks that stifle speech and erase critical lessons.”

Likewise, Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the ACLU, argued that the letter represents a brazen attempt to intimidate schools into acquiescing to the Trump administration’s beliefs regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“It’s clear that the Trump administration is trying to shut down speech it doesn’t like—especially when it deals with race in our educational institutions,” Romero said. “The Dear Colleague Letter is a brazen attempt to intimidate schools into abandoning lawful efforts to create inclusive learning environments. This is a blatant attack on free speech and academic freedom, aiming to deprive students of a full and honest education. We will not stand by as the Department of Education uses fear and coercion to force schools and educators into self-censorship by threatening to strip federal funding.”

According to several university spokespersons, the schools had not been formally notified of complaints related to The Ph.D. Project, but they indicated that the schools would cooperate with any investigation if necessary.

As Lindsey Piercy, the spokesperson for the University of Kentucky, told The Courier-Journal, “We are aware of the release this morning from the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. We have not received any official notification of this review. We will continue to monitor and review this issue, cooperate with any official inquiries and, as always, comply with the law.”

by Daniel Johnson

March 16, 2025

Family And Ben Crump Demand Answers In Tyrone Mason’s Death, Suspect Police Involvement In North Carolina Car Crash

The family of Tyrone Mason and attorney Benjamin Crump are searching for answers related to Mason's crash last year.

The family of Tyrone Mason and attorney Benjamin Crump are searching for answers related to Mason’s crash in October and to that end, Crump called for the release of dash and body camera footage from the crash in Wake County, North Carolina, on March 14, following reports that the officer who responded had almost 200 cases he worked on dismissed in January.

According to NBC News, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman placed both trooper Garrett Macario and his supervisor, Sgt. Matthew Morrison, on leave after the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation requested that Freeman investigate the car accident further.

In January, Freeman indicated in comments to WRAL that the footage, which has not been released to the public, is disturbing.

“This is concerning to us, and it’s disturbing, but we are committed to doing things the right way,” Freeman said. “We believe credibility among law enforcement officers is essential to the work that we do. We need and have to trust officers. Frankly, when we can’t, it’s disgusting.”

This, along with the dismissal of the cases, seemed to indicate to Crump that there is more to the accident than is currently being shared, which he told reporters at a news conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Let me be clear today, that we know something happened here that is more than they are telling us. They wouldn’t have dismissed those cases if there was not something on that video, from the dash cam and the body cam that was just God awful,” Crump said. “Just show the video.”

Crump continued, “We know that there was a lie from day one when they told her her son died as a result of a single-car accident. When we’re here today, it’s to demand transparency. You don’t need to say no more — just show the video.”

Henrietta Mason, Tyrone’s mother, said, following the news conference, that she has long believed that the account that her son was in a one-car accident never added up to her.

“I never thought my baby would leave this world before me,” Mason said. “From Day 1, when they came to me and told me my son died in a single-car accident with no witnesses, I told them that is not true, someone had to be chasing my son.”

According to NC Newsline, the advocacy of Mason concerning what she believed about the death of her son is what attracted the attention of Crump and another civil rights attorney, Bakari Sellers.

Mason sent hundreds of emails to various government agencies before going to Freeman’s office and sharing her concerns, which led to the inquiry from the State Bureau of Investigations.

Sellers also called on North Carolina’s Governor, Josh Stein, to open an investigation into the state highway patrol, as he believes that Mason’s case is one of many similar cases.

Sellers and Crump are expected to file a lawsuit related to Mason’s death in the coming days, likely to be related to the fact that Macario and Morrison lied and said that Mason died in an accident with no police pursuit.

Mason, meanwhile, pleaded with reporters through tears that someone needs to be held accountable for the death of her son.

“I never thought my baby would leave this world before me,” she said at the news conference. “All that we ask is that everyone come together and get justice for my son, Tyrone Mason.”

by Daniel Johnson

March 16, 2025

Federal Appeals Court Lifts Injunction, Allows Trump DEI Orders To Be Tentatively Enforced

The order gives the Trump administration leeway to enforce the policy while litigation of the policy continues.

A three-judge appeals court allowed Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies to be enforced on March 14, however, that ruling is not final, it just gives the administration leeway to enforce the policy while litigation of the policy continues.

According to Politico, the judges lifted the injunction issued by a lower federal court in February, and in the three judges’ opinions which explained their votes, the judges indicated that the administration be allowed to prove that it will respect First Amendment rights and anti-discrimination laws.

However, two of the judges raised concerns that the Trump administration’s orders could potentially violate the Constitution if federal officials enforce them too zealously, due to the order’s narrow scope of enforcement.

Judge Pamela Harris, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, wrote in her opinion that the Trump orders are not intended to establish that DEI is illegal in a broad context.

“The challenged Executive Orders, on their face, are of distinctly limited scope,” Harris wrote. “The Executive Orders do not purport to establish the illegality of all efforts to advance diversity, equity or inclusion, and they should not be so understood.”

Harris continued, offering a caveat, “Agency enforcement actions that go beyond the Orders’ narrow scope may well raise serious First Amendment and Due Process concerns.”

Chief Judge Albert Diaz, an appointee of President Barack Obama, also argued in his opinion that aggressive implementation of the executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government could present problems and also issued a defense of DEI.

“I too reserve judgment on how the administration enforces these executive orders,” Diaz wrote. “It’s unclear what types of programs — formal or informal — the administration seeks to eliminate.”

Diaz continued, “When this country embraces true diversity, it acknowledges and respects the social identity of its people. When it fosters true equity, it opens opportunities and ensures a level playing field for all. And when its policies are truly inclusive, it creates an environment and culture where everyone is respected and valued. What could be more American than that? A country does itself no favors by scrubbing the shameful moments of its past.”

In contrast to the other two judges, judge Allison Rushing, a Trump appointee, argued that the other judges’ defenses of DEI ran counter to their roles as judges.

“Any individual judge’s view on whether certain Executive action is good policy is not only irrelevant to fulfilling our duty to adjudicate cases and controversies according to the law, it is an impermissible consideration,” Rushing wrote in her opinion. “A judge’s opinion that DEI programs ‘deserve praise, not opprobrium’ should play absolutely no part in deciding this case.”

by Mary Spiller

March 15, 2025

HBCU Hosts ‘100 Women For Howard: A Legacy In Motion Event’ To Empower Women In Sports And Business

The initiative brought together 100 influential women in sports and business to invest in the future of Howard women's basketball.

Howard University celebrated the first iteration of the “100 Women for Howard: A Legacy in Motion” program on March 6, inside the HBCUs Burr Gymnasium. The event, taking place before Howard’s women’s basketball game against Norfolk State, was an initiative that brought together 100 influential women in sports and business with one sole purpose: to encourage them to invest in the future of Howard women’s basketball.

The Women’s History Month celebration created a space centralized around women in sports and empowered them by connecting them to business and media moguls to talk about useful career insights and lived experiences.

The event was born from an idea from the Howard Director of Athletics Kery Davis, according to the Howard University Bison website.

Davis explained that the Legacy in Motion program’s sole goal is to advocate for women by uplifting their aspirations.

Davis said, “‘The 100 Women for Howard: A Legacy in Motion’ event was a tremendous success, demonstrating the power of community and the unwavering support for our women’s basketball program.”

Davis continued about the Howard initiative, “This initiative helped continue our fundraising goals and provided our student-athletes with invaluable mentorship and career connections.”

“Howard Athletics is committed to fostering opportunities that empower our athletes to succeed on and off the court. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this movement and look forward to continuing to build a strong foundation for the future of Howard Women’s Basketball.”

CEO of The SVE Firm, April D. Taylor, coordinated the event, working with outside vendors and brand partners to provide the panel gifts and products for the event. Through her work, the Howard women’s student-athletes were able to connect with female powerhouses across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV).

Ty Grace, the Howard head women’s basketball coach added, “Empowering women is important to me, in addition to sustaining economic support towards our NIL collective.”

“There were so many successful and powerful women at this event. The atmosphere was phenomenal. It truly embodied strength, brilliance, and excellence. This legacy in motion will continue to elevate our program, as well as the interests of other women in sports and beyond.

According to Hubison, Taylor explained that the most meaningful part of the program is that it is an empowering way to raise meaningful financial contributions for the Howard women’s basketball program.

Taylor wants to invest in the future of young women who are at the top of their athletic game.

Taylor said, “Watching (the student-athletes) talk to the panelists and see them have real connections made my heart happy.”

“This was a beautiful moment. It’s challenging for student-athletes to have a strong professional development opportunity like this because of their schedules and time commitments, so it was great to provide this platform for them.”

The Legacy in Motion event was created to help student-athletes further their opportunities with outside investments. The event included panels to encourage them to build their brands and prepare for success further beyond their Howard career while maintaining financial stability.

Some speakers in attendance included: Erin Blaine, Fan Experience Manager of the Washington Mystics; Morgan Faulkner, Community Relations & Events Manager for the Washington Commanders; and Patty Medina, Associate AD of SA Development & Inclusive Excellence at American University in the “Let’s Talk: Navigating Leadership and Career Growth” panel.

by Mary Spiller

March 15, 2025

Grammy-Winning Rapper Jay Rock Arrested In Los Angeles

Jay Rock has been booked on suspicion of illegal firearm possession.

Grammy award-winning rapper Jay Rock was arrested by Los Angeles police on March 13. According to LAPD records, he was taken in near the Watts public housing complex where he grew up and was brought in on charges related to suspicion of illegal firearm possession.

Rock, whose legal name is Johnny Reed McKinzie, was arrested for possession of a firearm at the 13000 block of E. 115th Street in Watts.

LAPD originally stopped Rock near the Nickerson Gardens public housing apartment complex after suspecting him of trespassing and drinking in public. LAPD reported that when confronted, he allegedly fled from his vehicle leaving a firearm inside that police spotted.

In a video circulating X of the arrest, Rock claimed that he ran from police when they did not tell him what he was being detained for. He said in the video, “You don’t even know what I was drinking.”

Footage of Jay Rock being arrested in Watts LA on Thursday by LAPD / police for trespassing and drinking in publicpic.twitter.com/AJrWsbZVgP https://t.co/2Ue5c5FIJd
— SOUND | Victor Baez (@itsavibe) March 14, 2025

LAPD reports confirmed that Jay Rock fled from his car after arresting officers refused to tell him why he was being detained — leading to them locating the firearm left behind.

Rock was booked on suspicion of felony weapons violation, violating California Penal Code Section 29800(a)(1).

According to NBC4, the code “prohibits people with prior felony convictions, active felony warrants or certain misdemeanor convictions from possessing a firearm…[and] is a felony charge punishable by up to three years in jail.”

Rock, 39, is most well known for working with the established music label Top Dawg Entertainment and dropping successful collaborations with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.

Rock won his Grammy in 2019 for the song “King’s Dead,” which he features alongside Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake. In May of the same year, he was honored with the key to his hometown of Watts, given to him by the former Los Angeles Councilmember Joe Buscaino.