Malcom S. Byer, a 52-year-old former Roc‑A‑Fella affiliate who records as Wais P, was arrested Friday after Hackensack police say they uncovered a drug-processing operation inside his Camden Street apartment. Officers allege they found cocaine packaged for street-level sales along with thousands of dollars in suspected narcotics proceeds. Byer was taken into custody and is awaiting a court appearance in Hackensack.
Police: Warrant search finds packaged cocaine and cash
According to Daily Voice, Hackensack police said members of the department’s Crime Suppression Bureau and Emergency Services Unit executed a Bergen County Superior Court-authorized search warrant at the Camden Street apartment. Inside, they reported uncovering cocaine individually packaged for street-level sales, approximately $6,290 in suspected narcotics proceeds, and equipment they say was used to process and distribute drugs. The department described the setup as a narcotic manufacturing operation being run out of the residence. A police photo credit in the reporting identifies the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office as one source of the booking image.
Long music résumé and a prior conviction
Byer, who performs as Wais P and has previously described himself as a Jay-Z protégé, was once part of the duo Da Ranjahz and is credited on late-1990s and early-2000s recordings, according to music database listings. In 2016 he pleaded guilty in a prostitution case and told reporters he was "working on getting my life back together," as Brooklyn News Service reported. Industry catalogs also list Malcolm Byer (Wais P) among Da Ranjahz songwriting credits, per MusicBrainz.
Charges and detention
Police say Byer was charged with maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility, manufacturing or distributing a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute within 500 feet of certain public buildings and within 1,000 feet of school property, financial facilitation of criminal activity, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to Daily Voice. He was transported to the Bergen County Corrections & Rehabilitation Center pending a court appearance; the county facility is located at 160 South River Street in Hackensack, according to the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office site.
