Aspiring Rapper Faces Charges After Climbing Sign on Freeway

An aspiring rapper who caused a traffic nightmare on a Los Angeles freeway last June will now have to face the music for his actions.

According to a report The Los Angeles Times published Wednesday (June 12), Alexander Dunn, who goes by the rap alias Dephree, was hit with multiple misdemeanor charges, including resisting an officer, trespassing, causing a public nuisance and refusing to abide by a peace officer’s instructions. The charges stem from a June 27, 2018 incident in which Dephree climbed an L.A. freeway sign during rush hour, wearing only his boxer shorts, and hoisting up political banners stating “Give a hoot, don’t pollute” and “Fight pollution not each other.”

The publicity stunt shut down the freeway for hours. Eventually, Dephree somersaulted into massive cushions Los Angeles firefighters had set up below. The 30-year-old rapper had someone record the incident and included some of the footage in his video for "Man on Freeway Sign," which was released just a day later.

“This outrageous conduct required the intervention of precious emergency services to assure it ended safely, stopped traffic for nearly two hours and interfered with the lives and work of thousands of commuters,” Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said. “We will hold the defendant accountable for his reckless, selfish actions.”

For his part, Dephree told the Los Angeles Times that he wasn't aware of the charges bought by the city attorney and couldn't comment on the matter. His manager King Graint told the publication that the rapper was only trying to send a message about the dangers of pollution.

If convicted, Dephree faces a maximum of three years in jail and a fine of $3,000, as well as thousands of dollars in repayment for emergency response costs, according to the city attorney.

See Dephree's potentially costly publicity stunt in his "Man on Freeway Sign" video below.

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