Rapper/actor Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) has been forced to leave South Africa. According to Associated Press, Bey was arrested on on Jan. 14 and appeared in court on Jan. 15.
Bey allegedly entered the Cape Town International Airport and attempted to board a plane by producing a “World Passport.” It was viewed by officials as a fake document and he was arrested. Officials claim that Bey and his wife, mother, and four kids initially entered South Africa on U.S. passports and a Visa.
However, officials say that Bey and his family remained in the country too long and were living in South Africa illegally since 2013. Bey has since been forced to leave the country and is banned from visiting for the next five years. He and his family have 14 days to leave the country.
Once his ban is over in 2020, Bey can apply for full citizenship of South Africa if he chooses. Bey has been a prominent artist in hip-hop since the late-1990s and he has also appeared in several noteworthy films. He hasn’t released an official rap album since 2009 (The Ecstatic) and his last major acting role was in the 2013 film Life of Crime.
