US rapper Soulja Boy was arrested on suspicion of weapons charges in Los Angeles early Sunday morning, according to US reports.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed to CBS News that the star, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was arrested at around 2:35am local time in the Melrose neighborhood of the city.

Officers conducted a traffic stop and discovered that Way, a passenger in the vehicle, was allegedly in possession of a firearm.

The rapper and producer, known predominantly for his 2007 hit Crank That (Soulja Boy), was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm while being a felon.

The 35-year-old built a following off the back of the track which was attached to a popular dance trend at the time.

CBS - the BBC's partners in the US - have contacted the rapper's representatives for a comment.

Separately, in April this year, Soulja Boy was ordered to pay $4.25m to a woman who accused him of sexual battery and abuse.

The unnamed woman sued the star saying he regularly raped her and beat her and sometimes kept her as a prisoner after she was hired as his assistant.

Way had denied abusing her and said their relationship was consensual - but a jury in a civil trial found him liable for sexual battery, assault and gender violence.