Rap star Kanye West was charged on Wednesday with battery, theft and vandalism in connection with a September 11, 2008 scuffle with paparazzi at Los Angeles International Airport. The L.A. District Attorney's Office has accused West, 31, of smashing camera equipment in the encounter. He faces up to two and a half years in prison if convicted on all the misdemeanor charges. West, who won the Grammy in 2005 for best rap album of the year for his release “The College Dropout,” was arrested after the scuffle and released on bail the same day. He is expected to appear in court on April 14. A representative for West was not available to comment on the indictment. Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the L.A. City Attorney's Office, said the charges stemmed from the scuffle in which West allegedly wrestled away a camera light and then smashed it into the ground. Cable channel MTV last year named West the hottest rap “MC” in the hip-hop world.
