Rapper Too Short’s airport jaunt through Burbank, California, this week ended up being a bit more difficult than he had anticipated. The rapper, whose real name is Todd Anthony Shaw, was found to have a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag. When it was discovered, he decided he wasn’t going to stick around to see what happened next.
According to the Burbank Leader , Too Short was at the Bob Hope Airport on Wednesday when a Transportation Security Administration employee discovered the rapper’s handgun in his carry-on bag as it was going through the scanner.
When the gun was found, reports indicate that Shaw ran through an exit door, leaving all of his personal items behind. The rapper returned to the airport on Thursday, lawyer in tow, and he was cited with misdemeanor possession of a loaded handgun in a public place.
Too Short’s airport incident ended there, for now. The rapper was released, and he will need to be in court for the matter on November 3. This isn’t the rapper’s first brush with legal issues. As the Los Angeles Times shares, Shaw was arrested in 2013 in Hollywood on suspicion of drug possession and drunk driving.
In addition, Too Short was arrested twice in 2009 for suspicion of driving under the influence. Another charge came in 2010 when he was accused of misdemeanor battery during an Idaho nightclub performance. There have been rumors circulating that he may have been involved in the shooting and car chase that led to the Las Vegas crash that killed rapper Kenny Clutch . He has denied any involvement in that one though, and he has not been charged.
Shaw has been a part of the rap scene for several decades now. Originally from Los Angeles and raised in Oakland, he is known for songs including “The Ghetto,” “Burn Rubber,” “Blow the Whistle,” and “Life Is… Too Short.” Many consider him to be one of the West Coast hip-hop pioneers.
What does the rapper say in response to the reports about the gun incident? He tweeted that he was going on TMZ Live to address the reports, but so far the site hasn’t posted anything beyond the initial story on the gun find and misdemeanor citation.
Too Short’s airport gun incident doesn’t sound like one that will land him in much hot water this time around, though many would hope he’ll think twice about putting a handgun in a carry-on bag.
[Image via Billboard]
