Lil Uzi Vert Bodyguard Arrested For Impersonating Law Enforcement, Gun Possession: Report

BYAron A.Published on March 30, 2023883 Views

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Rapper Lil Uzi Vert performs onstage during day 3 of Rolling Loud Los Angeles at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 05, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Police claim Uzi's bodyguard tried to convince them he was law enforcement.

The man responsible for keeping Lil Uzi Vert safe has found himself in trouble with the law for allegedly impersonating law enforcement. Per New York Post, Kevin Nelson, the rapper’s bodyguard, was detained by NYPD on Monday. Police said they found him with an illegal semi-automatic firearm in his car but his attempt to get out of the arrest is what led to the outrageous charge. Authorities claim they pulled him over when he was in the passenger seat of a Ford F-1450 over a traffic stop. However, they claim he attempted to convince the officers that he was a cop.

It didn’t take long for the cops to realize that Nelson had no official affiliation with law enforcement. NYPD officials identified Nelson as a Philadelphia resident before hitting him with charges of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal impersonation. Fortunately, Lil Uzi Vert wasn’t in the car, nor did he face any arrests because of his security. However, the incident reportedly took place after his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where he performed his hit record, “Just Wanna Rock.”

Lil Uzi Vert Plots On Pink Tape

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Lil Uzi Vert performs onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

While Nelson faces charges, Uzi’s recent performance on The Tonight Show indicates that his upcoming Pink Tape will arrive shortly. After dropping Red + White last summer, the rapper hinted at his follow-up to Eternal Atake. Though the project has been in the works for a few years, DJ Cannon revealed that Lil Uzi Vert recorded upwards of 700 songs within a year and a half. Cannon explained that they needed to sift through the vault to find the right songs for the tracklist.

Meanwhile, Uzi provided fans with a brief update at Rolling Loud. Knowing that he’s made many empty promises to his fans, he assured them that the body of work is near completion and should be out soon. “I do make y’all wait a long time for music and I’m so sorry. I thought that shit was cool before but that shit is lame,” he said during his performance. “I’m putting the final touches on Pink Tape and I promise — I made a lot of promises in my life, but this time I promise.”

[Via]

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.