Warren G. won't face drug charges

Rapper Warren G, whose hits include "Regulate" and a hip-hop remake of "I Shot the Sheriff," and another man will not face charges in connection with their arrests Sunday in Hollywood on suspicion of possession of marijuana with intent to sell, prosecutors said today.

The Los Angeles district attorney's office said there was not enough evidence to prove that Warren G, whose real name is Warren Griffin III, and another man identified as Ryan Butler, 29, knew about a bag of marijuana that was discovered in the car in which they were riding.

The marijuana was found in the trunk of the car, which belonged to someone else. That person was not present, prosecutors said.

Griffin and Butler were pulled over Sunday about 1:40 a.m. on suspicion of running a red light near Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue.

Police searched the car and found a purple bag containing $1,236 in cash and .89 ounces of marijuana, enough to arrest them for possession with intent to sell.

Griffin and Butler each posted $20,000 bail and were released Sunday morning.

Griffin, 35, grew up in Long Beach and is known for helping popularize G-funk rap, a West Coast-branded style of hip-hop that emerged in the early 1990s.

andrew.blankstein.latimes.com