Atlanta - Rick Ross, a prominent figure in Southern hip-hop whose life and lyrics have shown plenty of brushes with authorities, was arrested Wednesday on assault charges, officials said.
The sheriff's office in Fayette County outside Atlanta said it arrested the 39-year-old and another man, reported to be his bodyguard, at his mansion, without incident.
Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts, was charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated assault, the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The sheriff's office said it could not give further details as the incident was under investigation. Ross was being held without bail.
Atlanta television network WSB, citing the arrest warrant, said that Ross was accused of pistol-whipping a worker on his property.
The alleged victim, Jonathan Zamudio, suffered two chipped teeth and serious injuries to his neck and jaw, the station reported, quoting the warrant.
Ross, a one-time correctional officer raised in the Miami area, had a breakthrough in 2006 with his single “Hustlin',” which boasted of setting up an international cocaine network.
“We never steal cars, but we deal hard / Whip it real hard / Whip it, whip it, real hard,” he raps.
The success of the single came amid a rise in rappers from the southern United States and led Ross to secure a record deal with leading hip-hop label Def Jam.
Ross has faced a string of legal problems, many related to drugs.
His last arrest took place earlier this month in Georgia over misdemeanor marijuana charges. In 2008, he was arrested on marijuana and firearms charges in Miami.
In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Ross said the longest he has gone without being stoned was during a flight from the United States to South Africa.
AFP