BigXthaPlug performed at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 22, one night after authorities arrested the Dallas rapper in Texas and booked him on DWI, marijuana and firearm charges.
Allen Police arrested the musician, whose legal name is Xavier Landum, on Friday, August 21. FOX 4 reported that Collin County Jail records listed charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The arrest kept BigXthaPlug from a scheduled headlining appearance at the Country Rising Festival in Winnipeg that Friday. Festival organizers initially told fans that he had withdrawn because of a “personal emergency,” and local reporting later connected the missed performance to his Texas arrest.
By Saturday, however, Iowa State Fair officials said the rapper had been released on bond and was still expected to perform. Photographs from the Grandstand later confirmed that he went ahead with his Des Moines concert.
Allen Police Have Not Said What Led to the Arrest
BigXthaPlug was booked into the Collin County Jail after his August 21 arrest, but authorities have not publicly disclosed what prompted the encounter. Allen Police public information officer Sam Rippamonti confirmed the arrest to CBS Texas and said the department could not provide further details because the investigation remained active.
The Dallas Observer reported that unlawful possession of a firearm is listed as a Class A misdemeanor in the case, while the DWI and marijuana counts are Class B misdemeanors. The charges are allegations, and no conviction has been reported in connection with the August 21 arrest. BigXthaPlug did post his mugshot to Instagram after his release.
Country Rising Cited a ‘Personal Emergency’
BigXthaPlug had been scheduled to headline Country Rising at Winnipeg’s Blue Cross Park on the night of his arrest. An announcement from the festival said a “personal emergency” meant he could no longer perform and told fans that organizers were “seriously bummed.”
Rolling Stone connected the missed performance to the Texas arrest, while FOX 4 likewise reported that BigXthaPlug did not make the Winnipeg appearance after being booked into the Collin County Jail.
Iowa State Fair representatives told Men’s Journal on Saturday that Landum had been released on bond and that they had been told he would still perform. The outlet did not report the bond amount or its conditions.
BigXthaPlug Performed at the Iowa State Fair the Next Night
BigXthaPlug ultimately took the Grandstand stage in Des Moines on August 22, with country singer XOLEX appearing as the special guest. A Des Moines Register photo gallery distributed by Yahoo documented the rapper performing at the fair Saturday night.
The concert followed hours of uncertainty over whether the headliner would appear. The Iowa State Fair’s event listing had scheduled BigXthaPlug for an 8 p.m. performance, and the show remained on the official calendar after news of his arrest emerged.
The Arrest Came Exactly One Year After a Similar Texas Booking
The timing also brought renewed attention to BigXthaPlug’s previous legal trouble. FOX 4 noted that the August 21 arrest occurred exactly one year after he was arrested in Dallas on marijuana and firearm charges.
According to Dallas police, officers in the 2025 case stopped a pickup truck without a front license plate on Great Trinity Forest Way. Police said they found a firearm and less than two ounces of marijuana during the investigation and arrested Landum on misdemeanor possession charges.
The Dallas Observer reported that Landum’s bond in that case was set at $5,000 and that he was released the following day. In its August 2026 coverage, the outlet said the Dallas County case remained open. FOX 4 also noted that a separate marijuana possession charge stemming from a February 2025 arrest in Arlington was later dismissed.
The 2025 arrest coincided with the release of I Hope You’re Happy, BigXthaPlug’s country-rap crossover album featuring collaborators including Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey and Darius Rucker.