Arrested Rapper Lil' Wayne released on bail

After spending nearly a day behind bars in Ada County jail, hip-hop star Lil' Wayne walked free on Saturday night (October 6). The renowned American rapper was arrested on a felony fugitive charge over the weekend after police in Georgia accused him of possessing an illegal substance.

Acting on a felony warrant issued in Atlanta, the local police arrested Wayne early Saturday morning just after his concert at Qwest Arena that took place Friday night (October 5) in Boise, Idaho, and booked him into Ada County jail. The bench warrant was issued after he missed his hearing in August 2007.

Wayne is now out of jail on bond. He posted a $10,000 bond later on Saturday, which was in addition to an $11,000 bond posted earlier in the day.

The 25-year rapper was arrested back in Atlanta on August 14, 2006 for possessing illegal substances. He was apprehended on possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and possession of more than 100 Xanax and hydrocodone pills.

After searching the Atlanta's Twelve Hotel, where the rapper was staying at the time of arrest several unlabeled bottles were found by the police. One of theses bottles contained 60 pills of Alprazolama, a generic form of Xanax that is used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks and the other contained 59 pills of hydrocodone. Two small marijuana joints were also found by the police.

Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, was then arrested and later was released from Georgia's Fulton County Jail on $11,000 bond. But, the rapper was declared a fugitive after he failed to appear for two court hearings in August.

Meanwhile, Wayne's lawyer, William Head, said that Wayne’s latest arrest was just a misunderstanding. "When someone's this successful, there are chances things will fall through the cracks," rapper’s attorney Head told Atlanta's Fox Channel 5. "They were under the impression that those charges had either been resolved or dismissed."

The rapper didn't receive any notices about the hearings because he's been on tour for much of the past year, his lawyer said.

"When we learned about why he was arrested, we were quite shocked because when he was originally arrested, his counsel told him his case was dismissed," his Bronx-based attorney, Stacey Richman, said. "But then it seemed that the case was reactivated by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office a full year later and we had no notice."

Although, the rapper initially wasn't eligible for bond and was expected to be locked up until Idaho officials could extradite him to Georgia, but later his bond status was changed without any specified reason.

However, Richman says the judge has allowed Wayne to post bail so he could perform in Oregon on Saturday night. "It was the judge's direction that he be released so he could make his show," she added.

Lil' Wayne is due back in Fulton County court on Tuesday (October 9).

Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., on September 27, 1979, in New Orleans, LA, Lil Wayne began his industry ascendance as one of the Hot Boys, a short-lived Cash Money Records all-star group, and after establishing himself as a successful solo artist, he grew to become a critical favorite, known especially for his entertaining underground mixtapes.

Lil Wayne married Antonia "Toya" Carter on 14 February 2004 when he was 21. Together they had a daughter named Reginae Carter. He named her after his step father Reginald "Rabbit" Carter. They separated in 2006. Lil Wayne has been romantically linked to Nivea, Trina, and Karrine Steffans.

He drew media attention with leaked picture of himself and Bryan "Baby" Williams kissing which later was explained as a kiss between father-son. Wayne said the kiss was not an intimate one and Williams claimed it was a "black variation" of Mafia affection.