Rapper Busta Rhymes arrested in New York

NEW YORK, May 3 (Reuters) Grammy-nominated rapper Buster Rhymes was arrested in New York today for driving while intoxicated, marking his fourth arrest in 10 months.

Rhymes, 34, whose real name is Trevor Smith, will appear in state supreme court on Tuesday when a judge is expected to decide whether the four charges will be consolidated or whether he will be tried on each separately.

In February, the rapper was arrested for driving with a suspended license and in 2006 he was arrested in January and in August on separate assault charges.

Rhymes was pulled over shortly after midnight in midtown Manhattan while driving a 2006 GMC Yukon Denali, which police described as having ''excessively tinted windows.'' Rhymes had a ''strong odor of alcohol on his breath'' and was given a breath test for alcohol, said a police spokeswoman who would not reveal the reading.

''I don't have my license on me,'' prosecutor Harrison Schweiloch quoted Rhymes as telling police at the time of his arrest. ''I had a shot of Hennessy (cognac) around an hour and a half ago.'' A second breath test done at a police station registered a lower reading that found Rhymes to be driving while ability-impaired, or DWAI, said defense lawyer Scott Leemon.

Rhymes appeared in court today this afternoon, wearing a white Yankees cap, a white T-shirt and jeans with a studded X on the back.

He did not speak to the judge or to reporters.

REUTERS PBB BST0358