Ja Rule & Lil Wayne Arrested
Ja Rule and Lil Wayne were arrested separately late Sunday on gun possession charges and released together after posting bail.

According to authorities, the two rappers, who recently collaborated on a song, were arrested in separate incidents late Sunday.

Lil Wayne, 24, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, performed that evening at the Beacon Theater on Broadway. His bus was pulled over by police officers for an unspecified traffic violation.

Smelling marijuana, the officers entered the bus and found Derrick Lawrence, a resident of Brooklyn, attempting to dispose of half a pound of marijuana by flushing it down the toilet.

The officers also found a.40-caliber Taurus handgun in the bus. Lil Wayne was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Lawrence was charged with criminal possession of marijuana.

About an hour later, Ja Rule, 31, real name Jeffrey Atkins, was pulled over in a Mercedes-Benz Maybach, on the upper West Side, according to authorities. The car’s registration had reportedly expired.

Police officers found a loaded .40-caliber Taurus handgun inside the sedan. Ja Rule and two other men in his car were charged with criminal possession of a firearm.

The two rappers posted bail and left the courthouse. According to sources, Ja Rule placed his Saddle Brook, N.J., mansion as collateral for the total $320,000 bail for himself and his two companions. Lil Wayne posted a $70,000 bond. Both are due back July 27.

Ja Rule, 31, became famous in the mid-1990s after appearing with Jay-Z on the hit song “Can I Get A....” his 1999 solo debut “Venni Vetti Vecci” went platinum. He enjoyed success with his collaboration on “I’m Real” with Jennifer Lopez.

Lil Wayne, 24, also debuted in 1999, with “Tha Block Is Hot.” He has been nominated for a Grammy Award. Among his albums are “Lights Out,” “Tha Carter” and “Tha Carter II.”