according to US reports. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed to CBS News that the star, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was arrested at around 2:35am local time in the Melrose neighborhood of the city. Officers conducted a traffic stop and discovered that Way, a passenger in the vehicle, was allegedly in possession of a firearm. The rapper and producer, known predominantly for his 2007 hit Crank That (Soulja Boy), was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm while being a felon. The 35-year-old built a following off the back of the track which was attached to a popular dance trend at the time.

CBS - the BBC's partners in the US - have contacted the rapper's representatives for a comment. Separately, in April this year, Soulja Boy was ordered to pay $4.25million to a woman who accused him of sexual battery and abuse. The unnamed woman sued the star saying he regularly raped her and beat her and sometimes kept her as a prisoner after she was hired as his assistant. Way had denied abusing her and said their relationship was consensual - but a jury in a civil trial found him liable for sexual battery, assault and gender violence. (BBC/ Getty Images)