Kodak Black is back in the Broward County Jail, a venue that is becoming as familiar to the rapper as concert stages.
Black, who performed at the Rolling Loud music festival in California in December, was arrested Thursday by Broward Sheriff's Office deputies. The 20-year-old, born Dieuson Octave in Pompano Beach, was charged with grand theft of a firearm, possession of marijuana, child neglect, and two counts of possession of a weapon by a felon.
The charges also include two counts of probation violation, stemming from numerous arrests in Broward County and Florence, South Carolina, and St. Lucie County.
The circumstances that prompted the arrest were still unclear as of Friday morning.
In October 2015, he was charged in Pompano Beach with robbery, battery, two counts of false imprisonment of a child under 13, three counts of false imprisonment of an adult, driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana.
In April 2016, he was arrested in Hallandale Beach for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana and fleeing from police. In May 2016, he was arrested again for armed robbery and false imprisonment.
When he faced a judge in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom on those charges in August 2016, executives from Atlantic Records said that Octave had “a bright future as a recording artist.”
Octave was sentenced then to house arrest, anger management classes, community service and five years of probation.
But Octave was arrested again in February 2017 and accused of going to a boxing match in Cincinnati and the Miami strip club Club Climaxx — and committing battery on a bartender — while on that house arrest. He was released in June, and broadcast his ride home on his Instagram account to his five million followers.
A haphazardly shot video of the rapper’s most recent arrest Thursday quickly posted to YouTube. The audio features a disagreement between Octave and officials on whether he could keep his phone. A voice said the phone was part of the search warrant. “You are not going to get your phone back.”
Octave grew up in the Golden Acres housing project in Pompano Beach and began rapping in elementary school and joined his first rap group, Brutal Youngnz, at 12. By 18, he was signed to Atlantic Records, having been given an assist by Canadian rapper Drake.
His debut album, “Painting Pictures,” was recorded at Miami’s Pink House Studios and released in March 2017. The 18-track set bowed at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 album chart on sales of 15,000 copies, plus 51,000 streams.
Since the album’s release he’s struggled to promote the project amid his growing legal problems. He had to pull out of the Rolling Rock festival’s Miami date in May 2017.
On Monday, he released a new video for the track, “Roll in Peace,” and on Thursday afternoon tweeted out the address to the Broward County Jail in Pompano Beach, where he remained held Friday.
Howard Cohen: 305-376-3619, @HowardCohen