Cops Called on DNA Picasso During Music Video Shoot

During the filming of Denver artist DNA Picasso’s “Dope in the Booth” music video, in which the rapper stands on and near train tracks while brandishing a sword, a passing conductor called the police.

"He was literally hanging out the train when they passed us, and he had his phone to his ear, so I knew [what was coming]," the 23-year-old rapper born Devin Arnold tells Westword. "I’m not going to take off running or anything. I just told him we were shooting a video. I feel like I'm awfully calm in situations. I’ve just learned to be calm in every situation. We just kept shooting; acting suspicious wouldn’t be the best option, so I just kept shooting the video. We chilled."


Once authorities showed up, Arnold says he and the video crew explained the situation — including why he was holding a sword and why he stood on the train tracks. The officers told him that standing in the rail yard and being in possession of a blade longer than six inches could have resulted in tickets.

"Once we were done with the scene, I looked over at him, and he said, ‘You know it’s illegal to be on the tracks, right?’ I said, 'Oh, sorry, I didn’t know,’ and then he asked me why I had a sword,” Arnold recalls with a laugh. "He said it was illegal to have it and told us to leave."

No tickets were handed out to Arnold or the crew members.

“Dope in the Booth,” inspired by the Halloween and Purge movie franchises, is the first single off DNA Picasso’s LP #ForTheRecord, which dropped on all major streaming platforms on October 5.