Rapper Lil Baby Released after Being Fined for Cannabis Use

Paris police released rapper Lil Baby from custody on Friday after handing him drug fine, according to the city prosecutor’s office.

The 26-year-old, whose real name is Dominique Armani Jones, spent Thursday night in custody as police questioned him.

Lil Baby was spotted with NBA star James Harden at the time of his arrest. However, the basketball player wasn't arrested or suspected of any crime. They were in Paris for Fashion Week.

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After his release, the rapper posted on Instagram to assure his fans that he's "Good" and thanked everyone who checked on him, noting that he was heading back to the U.S.

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The French police said that the rapper initially refused to allow police to check the car. Accordingly, the situation was tense because the Americans didn’t understand what was happening.

Then, uniformed officers arrived and proceeded to search the car, finding 32 grams of cannabis, according to the official.

A video of the incident shared online shows a plainclothes officer frisking a confused-looking Harden while he holds his phone.

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A student in the area described seeing the ruckus on what is normally a quiet avenue, lined with luxury boutiques.

“I turned my head and it was unbelievable, I saw Lil Baby and James Harden ... they are standing and are being frisked,” said the witness, Lance Avraham Pena.

Pena added that language appeared to pose a problem and police didn’t recognize the two Americans.

Fans of Harden and the singer in France raised concerns online about racial profiling.

Nevertheless, 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 white.