Jay-Z Arrested on Gun Charge

ByABC News
April 16, 2001, 12:52 PM

April 13 -- Jay-Z was arrested early this morning after a loaded weapon was found in his car outside a New York nightclub, police told The Associated Press.

The 31-year-old rap star, born Shawn Carter, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, as were the three other men also in his car, according to the news service.

Undercover police told the AP that they saw an armed man getting into a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban outside of Manhattan's Club Exit though they could not identify which of the four men were carrying the gun. Accompanying Jay-Z were bodyguard Hamzah Hewitt, 39; Romero Chambers, 43; and Tyran Smith, 28.

The car was stopped one block away, and after finding the gun in the car, the four passengers were arrested. Their arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon.

Jay-Z, who won a Grammy Award for his 1998 album, Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life, is also due in court on Monday to face charges that he stabbed record executive Lance "Un" Rivera in a December 1999 nightclub fight.