September 01, 2006 @ 12:04 pm

Mos Def Arrested After Performing Outside VMA's

by: Mariel Concepcion

According to MTV News, the rapper pulled up in front of the crowded venue in a flatbed truck at around 10 p.m. to perform for the audience gathered outside, except that performance wasn't on the bill. An NYPD spokesperson said officers asked Mos Def and members of his entourage to shut down their operation due to crowd conditions and the overall safety of everyone involved. It was unclear whether Mos Def (aka Dante Smith) ignored or refused the orders, the police spokesperson told MTV. left After Mos Def and his team arrived at Radio City Music Hall, it was reported that officers on the scene approached him to inquire about a permit. When police were told a permit was in possession, officers let the one-song performance continue. A source close to the rapper said Mos Def was performing "Katrina Clap," a freestyle indictment of the Bush administration's slow response to last year's hurricane victims in New Orleans. The source also told MTV additional officers then approached the rapper demanding the operation be shut down immediately. When the rapper didn't end his performance right away, police began to arrest members of his entourage, including his brother, according to the source. It was unclear whether or not a permit was granted. "Mos Def was unjustly arrested tonight while performing on a flatbed track in New York City outside the Video Music Awards," said his publicist Carleen Donovan. "Mos Def was not out to break any laws. His only goal was to heighten the awareness of a serious situation that still exists in our country. He does not want people to forget that although it's one year later, the people and cities hit by the hurricane still need the help of the American people." Members of Mos Def's camp say they have the entire ordeal on tape and will publish the video, possibly on a Web site, to publicize their side of the unfortunate event. Mos Def was released early Friday morning (September 1). Have a news tip? Email us.