Talk about your bad raps.
Dallas Austin, the Grammy-winning producer famed for working with the likes of TLC, Janet Jackson, Pink and Madonna, is behind bars in the Persian Gulf country of Dubai awaiting trial on drug possession charges, sources confirm E! News.
Austin, 34, was detained May 19 at Dubai International Airport after allegedly being caught bringing illicit substances into the sheikdom, part of the United Arab Emirates.
The Atlanta-based impresario was reportedly en route to a three-day birthday bash for supermodel Naomi Campbell at Dubai's exclusive Burj Al Arab Hotel thrown by her multimillionaire businessman boyfriend, Badr Jafar. (Among those reportedly on the guest list: fellow supermodel Linda Evangelista and Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham; the successive night's themes were described as "All White," "Hip-Hop," and "Brazilian Samba.")
Speaking to the English-language Guld News.com, Austin's lawyer, Qays Hatem al-Zu'bi, didn't mention anything about a party.
"The suspect, who is married and a father of four children, was visiting Dubai for tourism and to attend some music concerts," the attorney said.
No word exactly what type of drugs Austin is accused of having, but various reports suggest it was cocaine. He officially faces a charge of "possession and taking drugs," though local authorities have not disclosed any information other than that he was present for a hearing last week at the Dubai Court of First Instance.
The Islamic kingdom has a reputation for dealing harshly with drug offenders. People convicted of possession regularly receive lengthy prison sentences, while smugglers have been known to get the death penalty in the most egregious instances.
Austin's next hearing is set for July 2 at which point he will enter a plea. There was no immediate comment from Austin's U.S.-based representatives. A publicist for Campbell, meanwhile, told the star-tracking blog Wizbang that the catwalker "doesn't know anything about this."
Austin is credited as a producer on such charting tracks as Michael Jackson's "They Don't Really Care About Us," Pink's "Just Like a Pill" and Gwen Stefani's "Cool." He won a Grammy in 1999 for producing the Best R&B Album, TLC's FanMail, which featured the singles "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty."
He also founded his own label, Rowdy Records, in 1992 and has dabbled in Hollywood, having produced the semi-autobiographical 2002 flick Drumline, starring Nick Cannon.