August 18, 1998 13:44

COOLIO AND OL'DIRTY BASTARD ARRESTED

[a]Coolio[/a] and [a]Ol' Dirty Bastard[/a] were both arrested separately in California this week...

Coolio, (pictured) the rapper who scored a Number One hit in the UK with his single 'Gangsta's Paradise' in 1995, was arrested in Lawndale, California on Tuesday afternoon.

A news report on MTV's website says Lennox Station deputy sheriffs spotted Coolio driving his Hummer (a civilian version of the US military HumVee 'Jeep' style vehicle) on the wrong side of the street and pulled him over.

Officers discovered that Coolio (real name Artis Ivey) had an expired driving licence and found a bag of marijuana in the vehicle which Coolio claimed was left by a friend who'd earlier borrowed the car. Police also found a semi-automatic pistol plus 9mm ammunition.

The rapper has been charged with misdemeanor weapons and narcotics charges and two other charges of driving with an expired licence and driving on the wrong side of the road. The weapons and narcotics offences carry possible one-year prison terms while the driving offences are fineable. Coolio is set to appear in South Bay Court on October 21.

Meanwhile, Ol' Dirty Bastard of the Wu Tang Clan, was arrested at a Des'Ree concert at West Hollywood's House Of Blues on Wednesday night, reports the allstar website.

ODB apparently became rowdy inside the venue and was ejected by security for being "drunk, disorderly, and annoying other patrons.". Outside, he threatened the HOB door staff by saying he would return with "his homies" and kill them.

West Hollywood police arrested ODB shortly after midnight. Bail was set at $50,000 and the rapper was released early on Thursday afternoon. Police files showed ODB (aka Russell Tyrone Jones) was also wanted in LA County on a traffic warrant.

LA's House Of Blues venue has itself had an eventful week. Prior to the ODB incident its stage played host to the public implosion of the Jesus And Mary Chain last Saturday night, which resulted in William Reid storming off the band's US tour.