Lil Nas X Freed on $75,000 Bail; Prosecutors Say 3 Officers Injured; Faces up to 5 Years

A video recorded in the early hours of Aug. 21, 2025, shows a Lil Nas X walking in Studio City, Calif. The encounter that followed left three officers injured, according to authorities; a not-guilty plea was entered on four felony counts. (Screengrab)

Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty Monday to four felony charges stemming from his arrest in Studio City last week, where authorities say he injured three officers while they tried to detain him.

The Grammy winner, born Montero Lamar Hill, 26, is charged with three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said. A preliminary-hearing setting is scheduled for Sept. 15 in Van Nuys. If convicted as charged, he faces up to five years in state prison.

🔥🚨BREAKING NEWS: Grammy award winning rapper Lil Nas X has been hospitalized after being spotted roaming nearly naked on the streets of Los Angeles at 4AM.

TMZ claims it could be a possible OD. This comes after Lil Nas X reportedly ‘ruined his career’ by intentionally and… pic.twitter.com/pyTHkFMKTo

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) August 21, 2025

“Attacking police officers is more than just a crime against those individuals but a direct threat to public safety,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in announcing the case. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will face serious consequences, no matter who they are or how famous they may be.”

Prosecutors say the incident occurred around 5:40 a.m. on Aug. 21 in Studio City. Officers responded to a call and, during the encounter, Hill allegedly assaulted the responding officers, injuring at least three, before he was taken into custody.

New footage of Lil Nas X leaving jail after posting a $75k bail pic.twitter.com/RHrgyIAPIC

— She’s Fishy ➐ (@ShesFishy) August 25, 2025

A judge set bail at $75,000. The court also ordered outpatient drug treatment as a condition of release, according to multiple reports; Hill’s attorney told the court there’s no evidence of drug use.

Video published Monday showed Hill leaving a county facility in Van Nuys wearing a blue jail jumpsuit after posting bond.

Hill rose to global prominence with the hybrid country-rap hit “Old Town Road” and has been recognized for breaking barriers in country and pop — but he remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Bigxthaplug Booked in Dallas Hours After 'I Hope You’re Happy' Drops

Arlington Police Department

Hours after his country-rap album “I Hope You’re Happy” hit streaming services, Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug — born Xavier Landum — was booked into the Dallas County jail at about 2:20 a.m. Friday on two misdemeanor counts: possession of marijuana (less than 2 ounces) and unlawful possession of a firearm. He later posted bond.

An arrest-warrant affidavit says officers stopped the 26-year-old around 8:45 p.m. Thursday for not having a front license plate as he pulled out of a Williams Chicken in Dallas. When asked whether there was a weapon in the vehicle, Landum acknowledged one under the center armrest, according to the affidavit. Officers reported finding two firearms and a small amount of marijuana. The affidavit notes police referenced a listing for Landum in a law-enforcement gang database; the document ties that listing to a state handgun offense.

The booking capped an album-night sprint. Landum had just celebrated at a release party at Cash Cow in Deep Ellum; a second event planned for Friday at a Wingstop location was canceled after the arrest. He told local reporters he intends to reschedule.

“I Hope You’re Happy” blends trap percussion with country songwriting and features Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Shaboozey, Thomas Rhett and Ella Langley. A companion video with Jelly Roll, “Box Me Up,” arrived alongside the album.

Thursday’s arrest is Landum’s second in North Texas this year. In February, Arlington police arrested him after a traffic stop for an expired registration; officers said they smelled marijuana and found a handgun in the vehicle. Landum was booked on a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession and later released. That case was subsequently dismissed, according to local reports.

Dallas voters approved a charter amendment last fall to curb arrests and citations for low-level marijuana possession, but city officials paused enforcement in July after a court ruling in a separate case. Police have resumed enforcement while the legal fight plays out.

Jay-Z Stays Atop Music’s Billionaires as Forbes’ 2025 List Swells

The rapper ranked No. 6 on Forbes’ 2025 celebrity billionaire list — highest among musicians — poses with his partner in a Tiffany & Co. campaign portrait. (Photograph by Mason Poole. Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” Two decades after that flex, Jay-Z tops music’s money column on Forbes’ 2025 celebrity billionaire list — No. 6 at an estimated $2.5 billion — ahead of Taylor Swift at No. 9 ($1.6 billion), turning “Reasonable Doubt” and “The Blueprint” into equity that still compounds.

What puts him in front is ownership. Jay-Z sold 50% of Armand de Brignac to LVMH in 2021 and a majority stake in D’Ussé to Bacardi in 2023 — cash-and-equity deals layered on top of Roc Nation and the 2021 sale of a majority stake in Tidal to Block. Add a valuable catalog and blue-chip art, and you get a portfolio that grows even when the studio is quiet.

Rihanna sits at No. 13 (about $1.4 billion) on the strength of Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty — proof that brand and product can outrun any release calendar. Swift is the rare ten-figure artist powered primarily by music itself; her spot at No. 9 comes from catalog control, royalties and the “Eras Tour.” Tyler Perry lands at No. 11 ($1.4 billion), a reminder that vertical control — studio, library and lot — keeps the checks coming.

Sports reads the same, just in a different jersey. Michael Jordan ranks No. 3 ($3.5 billion), a sovereign brand whose Nike royalties still score in overtime. Magic Johnson is No. 10 ($1.5 billion) off team stakes, insurance and real estate. LeBron James is No. 14 ($1.3 billion), proof an active player can build a ten-figure balance sheet with salaries, SpringHill and ownership. Tiger Woods is No. 12 ($1.4 billion), the endorsement engine turned operator. Oprah Winfrey sits at No. 4 ($3 billion), decades of audience trust turned into durable media equity and heavyweight real estate.

Zoom out and world-building pays longest. Steven Spielberg leads the celebrity set at No. 1 ($5.3 billion) and “Star Wars” creator George Lucas follows at No. 2 ($5.1 billion) — iconic IP that compounds for decades. Vince McMahon is No. 5 ($3 billion) after the WWE–UFC merger rolled spectacle into TKO stock. Kim Kardashian (No. 7; $1.7 billion) and Peter Jackson (No. 8; $1.7 billion) round out the upper middle on Skims and the Weta Digital deal.

The newcomer class explains how money moved this year. Bruce Springsteen (No. 15; about $1.2 billion) crystallized decades of songs with a blockbuster catalog sale. Arnold Schwarzenegger (No. 17; $1.1 billion) and Jerry Seinfeld (No. 18; $1.1 billion) arrived via long-tail syndication and investing. McMahon’s rise reflects that combat-sports merger windfall.

All of it sits inside a record backdrop: Forbes tallied 3,028 billionaires worldwide worth a combined $16.1 trillion, with a record 15 people in the $100-billion club and, for the first time, three above $200 billion. Against that surge, the celebrity cohort totals roughly $39 billion across 18 names. Hits fade — equity doesn’t. In 2025, catalogs, companies and control still turn fame into generational wealth.