Rapper China Mac Among 44 Arrested In Lower East Side: Cops

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — Police arrested rapper China Mac and dozens of others after they say the group refused to come down from the roof of a public housing development in the Lower East Side. They had been shooting a video.

Police said they saw "numerous" people on the roof of the NYC Housing Baruch Houses on Saturday night who didn't have permission to be up there. Officers made several requests for the group to come down, but they stayed on the roof.

Police tell Patch that 44 people were arrested, including Raymond Yu, whose stage name is China Mac.

Yu faces several petty offenses and misdemeanor charges including disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly. He was due in New York Criminal Court on Sunday.

No attorney was listed in court documents for Yu.

The rapper posted on Facebook on Saturday: "Are ya ready for the epic video shoot today? Pull up and rock with a real one! Let’s show how we do in New mutha York !"

Others arrested also face disorderly conduct and trespassing charges.

Several weapons were recovered, police said, including, imitation rifles and a firearm.

The housing development is located at 95 Baruch Drive, just a few blocks from FDR drive and the Williamsburg Bridge.

In an interview posted on YouTube, Yu says he was part of the street gang Ghost Shadow and served a decade in prison for shooting the associate of a rival gang member.

Yu said he was intoxicated and "strapped" when he learned Jin, the rival gang member, had disrespected one of Yu's associates. When Jin walked into the bathroom of a bar in Chinatown, Yu and some of his associates confronted Jin and an altercation erupted. When someone yelled that one of Jin's associates had a knife, Yu said he pulled a gun and squeezed the trigger. While the weapon initially jammed, he said he ended up shooting one of Jin's associates in the back.

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