Bay Area MC Paperboy Facing New Drug Charges

Oakland rapper Paperboy, best known for his 1993 hit “Ditty,” was arrested on drug possession charges during a traffic stop in Merced, Ca. on Wednesday night (March 19). According to the Merced Sun-Star, the rapper was pulled over by police for a broken brake light as he was drove on the 2200 block of Q street at around 11:10. The officers searched the car after smelling marijuana and found less than an ounce of the substance and a bottle of prescription medication that did not belong to Paperboy, whose real name is Mitchell Charles Johnson. He was charged with marijuana possession and transportation, illegal possession of prescription medication and driving on a suspended license. The bust is the second in less than a year for the veteran MC, who was arrested last June under nearly identical circumstances. In October he plead no contest to felony charges of possession of marijuana for sale, and received three years probation. Attorney Salvatore Sciandra, who represented him in the original case, told the Sun-Star that he was unsure whether or not he will represent the rapper on the new charges. Johnson enjoyed moderate success in the early 90’s after “Ditty” received a Grammy nomination and reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.