Veteran rapper, producer, and songwriter Southside of the 808 Mafia was arrested in Miami last Sunday, March 14, according to reports. According to NBC Miami, Southside, whose real name is Joshua Lullen, was reportedly arrested and taken into custody on charges of carrying a concealed firearm and knowingly driving with a suspended license as well.
It seems he aroused suspicion as he passed by some police officers who noticed his Mercedes SUV, which they said had a “heavily tinted windshield.” After they pulled him over, he told officers that he had a Georgia driver’s license, but it was discovered that the 32-year-old’s license had been suspended since 2019.
It was at this point that officers seemed to have carried out an inspection of his vehicle, where they allegedly spotted two loaded handguns. Reports further indicate that one of the guns was between his shoes, and the other was on the floorboard behind the passenger seat. When questioned about the guns, the rapper said he was allowed to carry the weapons as he had a concealed weapons permit card. A check revealed that the license was also suspended.
The arresting officer noted in the report that “I advised Joshua that he was in violation of his CCW permit by having the firearms within reach and not secured in the glove box or encased in a box inside the vehicle.” The Atlanta native was eventually booked into Miami-Dade Corrections and later released on a US$5,500 bond.
Southside, through his partnership with Lex Luger in forming 808 Mafia, has worked with some of the biggest names in the genre, including Kanye West, JAY-Z, Gucci Mane, and Waka Flocka Flame, Rick Ross, B.O.B, Wale, Meek Mill, Lil Scrappy and MGK.
The arrest comes at a time when the rapper is thinking about hanging up his boots as he recently announced that he was retiring once he puts the final touches on the 808 Mafia compilation album.
