US rapper to face trial, announces retirement
Mos Def announced his retirement from the music industry after the release of his final album in 2016. The American rapper was detained for travelling to Ethiopia on an invalid and fictitious document which he claimed was an unjust act by the authority. Mos Def had been reporting to the SA court after every two days till he faces trial on 8th March.
Mos Def- The American Star
Yasiin Bey, born as Dante Terrell Smith-Bey, better known as Mos Def started as a child actor under the name Dante Beze. He started his hip-hop career with his siblings but he tasted real success with his solo album 'Black on both sides' in 1999. Since the 2000s, he starred in blockbuster movies and TV shows like 'The Italian Job' and 'Dexter' amongst others.
The evangelist Mos Def
Mos Def is also a social activist, who used his popular status to channel his views on social and political issues like Police brutality, American exceptionalism, and Black Americans.
US rapper Mos Def arrested for violating laws
Mos Def was charged for travelling with an unidentified document to Ethiopia at Cape Town International Airport on 14 January. Mos Def and his family were also accused of using a fraudulent document for overstaying in South Africa since 2014. Mos Def was arrested and produced in the SA court, which passed a ban on him from entering SA for the next five years.
Mos Def's uses music to protest against authorities
Mos Def refuted the claims of travelling on an 'unidentified travel document', by stating that he used a valid 'world passport' and his arrest was a politically driven act. The rapper collaborated with Kanye West to release an emotional freestyle on his recent arrest in SA. The lyrics "No more parties in SA" reflected his frustration and anger against the court's judgment.
SA Home Affairs reacts to rapper's claims
The Home Affairs denied Mos Def's accusation by stating that it was a security-related action and had no political interference. Home Affairs Director-General stated that the American rapper entered SA several times using a visitor's visa on US passport and not a world passport, unlike his claims. The rapper was bailed out while his family was asked to leave the country by 29 January.
What is a world passport?
A world passport, issued by World Service Authority, is a document in the interest of protecting "the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country". It is accepted in 150 countries excluding South Africa as stated by its Home Affairs Department.
