Mos Def On The Banned List!

American rapper was denied entry into the United States. Yasiin Bey, known as Mos Def was to perform at an event in Boston but he was stopped at the gate.

Mos Def  (Dante Terrell Smith known as Yasiin Bey) is an activist and rapper.

Brooklyn based entertainer was denied entry into the country this week. He was supposed to perform at the Together Boston event but somehow his change of residence and political views may have been the reason for his denial.

“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,” the statement read. “Individual ticket refunds for this show are available at point of sale.”

The Grammy and Emmy nominated rapper/actor recently relocated to South Africa, though it’s unclear whether he gave up his American citizenship. No reason was given for the denial of reentry.

Mos Def is well known for his left-leaning political views.

In 2000, Mos Def performed a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Mos Def performing on Late Night  with Jimmy Fallon.

Mos Def appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher where he spoke about racism against African Americans, citing the government response to Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Six and the murder conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal. He appeared on Real Time again on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the risk of nuclear weapons.

Mos Def said that he did not listen to any of Osama Bin Laden's messages because he did not trust the translations.

In July 2013, Mos Def, under the new name Yasiin Bey, appeared in a short film released by the human rights organization Reprieve, depicting the forced-feeding methods used at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps. This transpired after a document containing the military instructions for the procedure was leaked.