BigXthaPlug Arrested on DWI, Drug and Firearm Charges Exactly One Year After Similar Texas Arrest

BigXthaPlug performs at the 2026 BottleRock festival in Napa, Calif., in May 2026.

Rapper BigXthaPlug was arrested in Texas on DWI, drug and firearm charges on the same day he had been scheduled to headline a music festival in Canada — and exactly one year after another arrest in the Dallas area on similar charges.

The 28-year-old rapper and songwriter, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was arrested in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 21, according to an Allen Police Department spokesperson who confirmed the arrest to PEOPLE.

BigXthaPlug was booked into the Collin County Jail and charged with three misdemeanor counts: driving while intoxicated, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to jail records cited by FOX 4 News, NBC 5 DFW and USA Today.

Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the full circumstances that led to the arrest.

Despite spending time in custody on Friday, BigXthaPlug was released soon enough to travel to Iowa and perform the following day.

Representatives for the rapper did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Canadian Festival Appearance Canceled After Arrest

BigXthaPlug had been scheduled to headline the Country Rising Festival in Winnipeg, Canada, on Friday, the same day he was arrested in Texas.

Before his scheduled appearance, festival organizers announced that he would no longer perform.

According to a statement shared by the festival on Instagram, BigX would “no longer be able to perform” because of what organizers described as a “personal emergency.”

No further explanation was provided by the festival at the time.

The cancellation came as news of the rapper’s arrest began emerging from Texas.

However, his next scheduled performance did not suffer the same fate.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, BigXthaPlug traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, where he was scheduled to perform at the Iowa State Fair.

Despite the previous day’s arrest, the concert went ahead as planned.

Before arriving at the venue, BigXthaPlug reassured fans that he intended to make the show.

“Des Moines, Iowa, I’m on my way,” he said in a video shared on his Instagram Stories before the performance.

Once onstage, he also appeared willing to openly acknowledge the unusual circumstances surrounding his arrival.

Social media videos from the performance captured him telling the audience, “They didn’t think I was coming.”

According to USA Today, he also referenced his time in Collin County while speaking to the crowd.

“When I was in Collin County, I was praying hard,” he told concertgoers. “I was like, ‘Please let me make it to Des Moines, Iowa.’ ”

His comments suggested that making the Iowa performance had been uncertain while he was in custody.

BigXthaPlug Uses Mugshot to Promote Upcoming Music

The rapper also appeared to address the arrest indirectly on social media.

On Saturday, he posted promotional material for upcoming music and used his Friday mugshot as the cover image.

“THAT S— LITE 🤦🏾‍♂️… ALBUM OTW…,” he wrote alongside a short music video clip.

The post transformed an image connected to his arrest into part of the promotion for his next record, while stopping short of providing a detailed explanation of the charges.

No formal public statement addressing the circumstances of the DWI, marijuana or firearm allegations had been reported at the time.

Arrest Came Exactly One Year After Previous Case

The timing of BigXthaPlug’s latest arrest drew additional attention because it occurred exactly one year after he was arrested in the Dallas area on similar charges.

That previous arrest took place after the rapper hosted a release party for his album I Hope You’re Happy.

According to Dallas County Jail records reviewed by PEOPLE at the time, BigXthaPlug was booked on charges of possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Those are two of the same categories of charges involved in his Aug. 21 arrest in Allen.

The latest incident added an allegation of driving while intoxicated.

The coincidence in timing — with both arrests occurring one year apart — has made the new case particularly notable.

BigXthaPlug has also faced another marijuana-related arrest in Texas in recent years.

According to NBC 5 DFW, he was arrested in February 2025 in Arlington, Texas, for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana.

The latest arrest therefore adds another legal incident to the rapper’s recent history.

BigXthaPlug’s Career Continues Amid Legal Issues

BigXthaPlug has built a growing following through a sound that blends Southern rap with influences increasingly connected to country music.

Songs such as “Levels” have helped establish him as a prominent emerging voice, while collaborations and crossover projects have expanded his audience beyond traditional hip-hop circles.

His growing profile was reflected in the fact that he had been booked to headline the Country Rising Festival in Winnipeg while also appearing at a major event such as the Iowa State Fair.

The arrest briefly disrupted that schedule.

While the Winnipeg performance was canceled, BigXthaPlug was able to continue with his Iowa appearance less than a day after being booked into jail.

His remarks during the Iowa State Fair performance made clear that he understood fans were aware of what had happened.

Rather than avoiding the subject completely, he referenced being in Collin County and described hoping that he would be released in time to make the concert.

The audience ultimately saw him perform as scheduled.

BigXThaPlug’s mugshot from his August 2025 arrest.

Details of the Latest Arrest Remain Limited

Although authorities have confirmed the charges, important details surrounding the Aug. 21 arrest remain unclear.

It has not yet been publicly explained what led police to stop or encounter BigXthaPlug, what evidence resulted in the DWI allegation or the circumstances surrounding the marijuana and firearm charges.

According to reports based on jail records, all three counts were misdemeanors.

The charges listed were driving while intoxicated, marijuana possession involving less than 2 ounces and unlawful possession of a firearm.

No additional information about future court appearances or the status of the case was included in the initial reports.

BigXthaPlug has also not issued a detailed public response contesting or explaining the charges.

Instead, his most visible reactions have come through his Iowa State Fair comments and his social media post featuring the mugshot.

For now, the arrest represents another legal issue for the Texas rapper at a time when his music career continues to expand.

The incident forced him to miss his planned Canadian festival appearance but did not prevent him from reaching Iowa for his next show.

Most notably, the Aug. 21 arrest occurred exactly one year after his previous Dallas-area arrest involving marijuana and a firearm — a striking repetition that has become one of the central details surrounding the latest case.

As the legal proceedings continue, more information may emerge about what led to the Allen arrest and how the latest charges will be resolved.