Rapper Yasiin Bey, better known by his stage name Mos Def, has been reportedly denied entry into the United States. Details are hazy, but one way or another, it doesn’t look like Bey is making it stateside.
The news broke via this statement released by Together via the Guardian:
We regret to inform you that due to immigration / legal issues Yasiin Bey is unable to enter back into the United States and his upcoming U.S. tour has been canceled, including May 15th, Together Boston’s show at The Wilbur Theatre. Individual ticket refunds for this show are available at point of sale.
Not too much room for interpretation on that one.
Bey’s political views and activism probably did him no favors on this one. An outspoken critic of US foreign and domestic policy, Bey has released music attacking the governmental response to Hurricane Katrina. More recently, he also appeared in a disturbing demonstration of the force-feeding tactics used in Guantanamo Bay on hunger-striking inmates. Again, probably not the most popular video in Washington. Bey, a Brooklyn native, has lived in Cape Town, South Africa for the past several years.
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