SANTA MONICA, Calif. – A rapper surrendered Friday to face charges that he stabbed a man who had punched hip-hop superstar Dr. Dre during the taping of a music awards show.
Young Buck, whose real name is David Darnell Brown, turned himself in at police headquarters and was arrested for investigation of one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
Brown, wearing a knit cap and heavy chain necklace, was released on $500,000 bail after being ordered to appear at a Dec. 20 arraignment, Lt. Frank Fabrega said.
Brown was identified on a videotape of the melee that erupted during the taping of the Vibe Awards on Monday in a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. The tape appears to show Brown wielding a knife, but his attorney warned against jumping to conclusions.
“Remember one thing, pictures may be deceiving,” said the attorney, Scott Leemon.
Leemon declined to discuss details of the case, but noted the rapper would perform this weekend in Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama.
The brawl began when a man approached Dr. Dre and punched him as he was about to receive a lifetime achievement award. Police allege that Brown, 23, then stabbed that assailant.
That man was later identified as Jimmy James Johnson, 26, a parolee from Los Angeles. Johnson suffered a collapsed lung and was in stable condition Friday. Police have been unable to interview him due to his medical condition.
Investigators were also trying to identify two other men seen holding knives during the fight.
Young Buck is signed to Dr. Dre’s record label, and his debut solo album, “Straight Outta Ca$hville,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts in August.
Many in the constantly feuding rap community speculated that longtime Dre nemesis Suge Knight, who attended the awards, arranged for Dre to get punched. Knight has denied any involvement.
