Rapper arrested on murder charge

Remy Ma has scored US hits with Conceited and Feels So Good

Grammy-nominated rap star Remy Ma has been arrested on charges of attempted murder, police in New York have said.

The 26-year-old, whose real name is Remy Smith, was sought for questioning after a woman was shot in New York's Meatpacking district on Saturday.

She reported to police and was also arrested on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Her lawyer, Scott Leemon, asked fans to "keep an open mind" and said "things are not always as they seem".

He added that the star is likely to appear in court to hear the charges against her on Sunday.

Abandoned vehicle

New York police responded to an emergency call reporting gunfire on Saturday night, which led them to a woman suffering from a gunshot wound.

Three blocks away, officers discovered a luxury sports utility vehicle owned by the rap star which had been involved in a crash and abandoned, police said.

The victim, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, is in a stable condition at a hospital.

Earlier, the rapper had been at nearby New York nightspot, Pizza Bar. Owner Sasha Tcherekoff told the Associated Press that police had taken a copy of a security tape which showed the star and her friends enjoying themselves in the bar.

Remy Ma was nominated for a Grammy as part of the Terror Squad for the 2004 US hit single Lean Back.

She has also had solo success with songs like Conceited and Feels So Good, and earned the best female hip-hop artist award at 2005's BET Awards.

Chris Landry, president of Sure Shot Recording, which is releasing her latest album, The BX Files, in August said he did not know anything about the shooting incident.

"I don't really keep in touch with her," he said.