Yasiin Bey, formerly known Mos Def, barred from entering U.S. for tour

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...ed-entering-u-s-tour-report-article-1.1801864



You really can't go home again. Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known Mos Def, has canceled his U.S. tour after being denied entry into the country of his birth.

The "Mathematics" rapper, who has been living in South Africa for the past year, has been barred by "immigration/legal issues,” according to a statement on the Boston Together Music Festival site flagged by London's The Guardian.

It's not immediately clear what the issues keeping out the Brooklyn-born Bey, 40. But in recent years he has been increasingly critical of U.S. policies.

Last July, Bey teamed with the human rights group Reprieve to reenact a force-feeding such as the ones endured by hunger strikes jailed in Guantanamo Bay.

In the video, Bey can be seen begging his team to stop the demonstration and breaking down in tears.

[YOUTUBE]z6ACE-BBPRs[/YOUTUBE]

"And I came to Cape Town in 2009, and it just hit me. I was like, 'Yeah.’ I know when a good vibe gets to you. And, you know, I thought about this place every day from when I left. I was like, 'I'm comin’ back.'"

"For a guy like me, who had five or six generations not just in America but in one town in America, to leave America, things gotta be not so good with America," he added.

That doesn't mean, however, that Bey has completely abandoned Hollywood. The actor who has starred in movies like 2005's "The Hitchhiker's Guide of the Galaxy" and 2003's "The Italian Job" is starring in the upcoming, "Life of Crime," a prequel of sorts to "Jackie Brown."


Bey told Rolling Stone Magazine in March that he had found a peace in South Africa that he couldn't find in the country he once called home.

"I lived in Brooklyn 33 years of my life. I thought I'd be buried in that place," he told the magazine. "Around seven years ago, I was like, you know, 'I gotta go, I gotta leave.' It's very hard to leave. And I lived in a lot of places. Central America. North America. Europe for a while.

 

Wow, just using critical analysis skills can get you banned. This stinks. He's one of the most intelligent and thoughtful MCs/actors out there.

 

he's lucky he didn't "disappear"

 

Although I don't like rap music, I have to say that Mos Def was a positive one.

 

I'd like to hear a formal statement from the State Department about why he was barred entry into the country for a U.S. tour.

Does that mean he as an individual cannot enter the country too??

I could give a fuck about his group not being allowed entry, but if a U.S. citizen in apparently good legal standing is denied entry, that's a big deal.

 

I'd like to hear Loki's legal opinion on this, or from any other attorney at the forum, but I think a customs/consular officer has broad latitude to deny entry to a person even if they are a citizen if they believe that their conduct qualifies them for one of the categories for 'inadmissibility' under INA §212.

 

The first film I saw Mos Def in was the HBO film Something The Lord Made. His performance as Vivian Thomas was great and he and Alan Rickman had that perfect acting spark.

Mos Def was also the voice behind Gangstalicious in The Boondocks.

 

Uncle Sam don't play in 2014. "Free speech" ain't free.

 

If Snowden is still walking, Mos Def is quite safe

 

Who needs IMDB when we've got Gorath? LOL

 

He was great on Dexter. I loved his character and he was amazing on that show.

Truth. It's scary times we're living in right now.

 

People should be careful to assume that Mos Def's group was denied access into the country because of something HE said on foreign soil.

It could be an issue with a member of his group. Maybe a criminal record, maybe someone who's on some international criminal watch list.

I was under the impression the ENTIRE group was denied access, it's not just Mos Def being singled out.

THere could be a number of reasons U.S. Customs has told him no.

It's possible Mos Def has entered the country on previous tours and had foreign nationals overstay their visa and....disappear.

We just don't know the details of this.

I really doubt his speaking out against the government under BHO's tenure has resulted in Mos Def on the outside looking in on the USA.

 

Ex-pat

Guantonomo(sp?) force-feeding video

Behind in child support

'Katrina clap' video/song

He did himself in and got legally fucked by the system.
Hope he workd his issues out and gets permitted back to the U.S.

 

Did he relinquish his citizenship???

 

I may not like rap music, but I gotta admit he was a positive rapper. Much respect for him. They need to let him back in and throw Chief Keef ass out Uncle Phil style!

 

Yes.

 

Couldn't agree with you more. He's one of the few bright spots in rap/hip-hop (listen to 'Nigga in Paris') the powers that be can't have that.

 

Well that was dumb.

In which case he has no right to even be in the country except at the discretion of the U.S. State Department.

 

Is that confirmed? If so please provide link.

 

I thought he had just resided out of the country for several years. Did not think he had renounced it officially. And even if he had, he's a touring artist. Visas are regularly given for cultural exchanges regardless of the views of the artist in question.