BigXthaPlug arrested in Texas on DWI, marijuana and firearm charges
TheGrio...
The Dallas rapper’s latest arrest comes exactly one year after he was taken into custody on separate drug and weapons charges.
BigXthaPlug is facing new legal trouble.
The Dallas rapper, whose legal name is Xavier Landum, was arrested by Allen police on Friday, Aug. 21, and booked into the Collin County Jail on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to jail and court records.
The 28-year-old was expected to perform at the Country Rising Festival on Friday, but organizers announced that he would no longer appear because of what they described as a “personal emergency.”
So far, authorities have shared little about what led to his arrest.
Allen police confirmed to CBS News Texas that an arrest had been made but said they could not provide additional details because the investigation remains active.
The timing of the arrest is notable for another reason. It came exactly one year after BigXthaPlug was arrested in Dallas on separate marijuana and weapons charges.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Dallas police stopped the rapper’s pickup truck for allegedly not having a front license plate. Police said Landum acknowledged that he had a firearm in the vehicle and told officers where it was located. Authorities said officers also found a small amount of marijuana.
He was charged with marijuana possession and unlawful possession of a firearm and later released from the Dallas County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
The latest arrest comes during a pivotal stretch in BigXthaPlug’s career as the rapper continues to build an audience beyond hip-hop.
His third studio album, I Hope You’re Happy, brought his booming Southern rap style into conversation with country music, pairing him with artists including Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Darius Rucker, Bailey Zimmerman and Thomas Rhett.
The crossover has proven successful.
His collaboration with Zimmerman, “All the Way,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 2025, while I Hope You’re Happy debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart.
For BigXthaPlug, the move into country has been less about leaving rap behind than expanding the boundaries of what his Texas sound can encompass. The project also placed him among a growing number of Black artists finding success in country music and challenging the industry’s traditionally rigid ideas about genre.
But Friday’s arrest is not the first legal issue the rapper has faced during his recent rise.
In February 2025, Arlington police arrested BigXthaPlug on a marijuana possession charge after a traffic stop. Police said an officer smelled marijuana after pulling over the vehicle for expired registration. That charge was later dismissed, according to FOX 4.
BigXthaPlug has previously spoken about his experiences with incarceration and the role music played in changing the direction of his life. He began writing more seriously while behind bars before eventually breaking through with songs including “Texas” and “Mmhmm.”
Those records helped establish him as one of the more recognizable voices to emerge from Texas rap in recent years, while his country collaborations have introduced him to an even broader audience.
His latest arrest now arrives in the middle of that momentum.
As of Sunday, Allen police had not released further details about what led to Friday’s arrest. The investigation remains ongoing.