BigXThaPlug Arrested on 3 Texas Charges as Iowa State Fair Says He Will Perform

Q: Will the rapper's repeating legal troubles force the Iowa State Fair into another chaotic concert replacement?

Probably not, at least based on what the fair has said so far. As of Saturday, Iowa State Fair officials said they were in contact with BigXThaPlug’s agent and had been told he would still perform despite his Friday arrest in Collin County, Texas, on DWI, marijuana possession and unlawful firearm possession charges. Later reporting said the show was still expected to go on, even though jail records indicated he had not been released as of Saturday morning. That means the fair is not yet in the same position it faced with Rod Stewart, whose medically driven cancellation was confirmed in advance and forced organizers to refund tickets and quickly book John Waite as a free replacement. In BigXThaPlug’s case, there has been no announced cancellation, no refund process and no public backup plan. His repeated legal trouble does raise the risk of disruption. Landum has prior arrests on similar drug and weapons allegations in 2022 and 2025, and he also missed a Friday festival appearance in Manitoba that organizers described as a “personal emergency.” Those facts make the situation unstable, especially with travel and custody questions unresolved less than a day before showtime. But the evidence available now points to uncertainty, not a confirmed replacement scramble. Unless he is unable to get released or travel in time, the fair appears to be proceeding with the scheduled Grandstand show rather than preparing for another last-minute concert overhaul.

Q: How can an artist sitting in a Texas jail cell headline an Iowa concert less than 24 hours later?

He can only headline the Iowa show if he is released from the Collin County Jail in time to travel. An arrest does not automatically mean someone will still be in custody the next day, especially when the reported charges are misdemeanors or lower-level offenses that can often be handled with bond. The publicly reported charges against Xavier Landum, known as BigXThaPlug, are driving while intoxicated, marijuana possession of less than 2 ounces, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Texas reports cited those as Class B and Class A misdemeanor-level charges, which commonly allow release after booking if bond is posted and no hold or other complication prevents it. That appears to be why Iowa State Fair officials said they were told by his agent that he would still perform. What made the situation uncertain is timing. Jail records and local reports indicated he was still in custody as of Saturday morning, meaning release had not yet happened at that point. If he bonded out later in the day, a same-day trip from the Dallas area to Des Moines was still physically possible by private car to the airport or a charter/private flight. It would be tight, but not impossible. If he were not released in time, he could not legally leave custody to perform, and the fair would likely have to cancel, refund, or replace the show, as it recently did after Rod Stewart’s medical cancellation. So the answer is simple: he could perform only if he posted bond and got out fast enough.

Q: Was the personal emergency used to excuse BigXThaPlug's missed Friday festival just a cover-up for his latest arrest?

It very likely was. BigXThaPlug missed Friday’s Country Rising Festival after organizers said he had a “personal emergency,” and multiple reports show he was arrested in Allen, Texas, that same day on charges of DWI, marijuana possession and unlawful possession of a firearm. That timing strongly suggests the “personal emergency” was the arrest, or at least was directly related to it. He was booked into the Collin County Jail on Friday night, making it highly unlikely he could have appeared at the festival as scheduled. Still, there is no public statement from BigXThaPlug, his team, or festival organizers explicitly confirming that the “personal emergency” was a cover story for the arrest. So while the available facts point in that direction, it has not been officially confirmed. What is confirmed is that the arrest disrupted his Friday appearance and raised immediate questions about his Saturday Iowa State Fair show. Fair officials said they were in contact with his agent and had been told he would still perform, despite jail records indicating he had been booked less than 24 hours earlier. In short, the evidence indicates the “personal emergency” explanation was almost certainly referring to the arrest, but describing it as a deliberate cover-up goes beyond what has been publicly proved.

3 articles · Updated · KCCI Des Moines · Aug 22

Less than 24 hours before his Iowa State Fair headlining set, BigXThaPlug was booked into Collin County Jail on DWI, marijuana possession and illegal firearm possession charges.
Iowa State Fair officials said late Friday they were in contact with his agent and had been told the rapper still plans to perform Saturday's Grandstand show.
Xavier Landum — BigXThaPlug's legal name — was also jailed on drug and weapons charges in 2022 and 2025.
The fair's response comes after Rod Stewart canceled his opening-night show two days before the event for medical reasons, prompting refunds and a replacement performance by John Waite.