| Rapper Owen/ Screen captured from the rapper's Instagram |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Rapper Owen has been thrown out of the latest season of the popular hip-hop audition show "Show Me The Money" after a drug offense last year was revealed.
Mnet, the network that runs the show, said Tuesday that Owen will no longer be part of season 9 and will be edited out of footage already recorded. Mnet said it did not have any knowledge of his offense until news broke Monday.
Owen was reported to have smoked marijuana in his recording studio in August and September last year with four other rappers from his agency MKIT RAIN ― Nafla, Loopy, BLOO and Young West.
Four of them had their indictments suspended as it was their first offense. Young West was indicted in July and is standing trial.
Their label released a statement shortly after the news, saying: "All the artists take full responsibility and deeply regret their actions."
Owen was introduced in the first episode, which aired last Friday, as a fifth-time runner. He passed the first preliminary round and was set to compete in the second when the news broke.
This season has sparked much anticipation among hip-hop fans as it stars big-name rappers, including Swing, the previous season's judge.
Owen debuted in 2015 with the EP "OJ." He has released several songs including the single "To You" and "Strictly Business."