Mobile, Alabama isn’t exactly known as a hotbed of hip-hop activity. In fact, only a handful of rappers from Alabama have gained a degree of mainstream success — mostly within the last four or five years. However, there wouldn’t be a Chika, Flo Milli, NoCap, or Yung Bleu without Rich Boy, who rose to prominence in 2006 behind the success of his hit single “Throw Some D’s.” And while he hasn’t quite reached those heights again, he continued to release music through 2015, with his independently released album, Featuring.
Today, his name’s back in the news, but unfortunately, it’s probably not for the reason he might have hoped. According to Mobile’s NBC News affiliate, Mobile Police have arrested Rich Boy, whose real name is Marece Benjamin Richards, and charged him with domestic violence, harassment, and domestic violence assault after an apparent fight with his parents. There isn’t much else to the report besides the charges, but AL.com reports that there is a video circulating on social media purporting to depict a shirtless Rich Boy involved in an altercation. AL.com also speculates that the cause of the confrontation could be a dispute over the collection of a 2008 legal judgment in which a pre-fame incident led to Rich Boy and his brother being ordered to pay $25,000 in compensatory damages and $312,500 in punitive damages to an accountant they allegedly shot at in 2005.
Rich Boy’s royalties had apparently been garnished since then, but less than $30,000 has been paid out despite the interest on the judgement growing more than $500,000. Considering the heyday of “Throw Some D’s” is over 15 years in the rearview, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the song hasn’t generated much revenue in the meantime.