Yasiin Bey, commonly known by his former stage name Mos Def, has announced his retirement from music and Hollywood five days after being detained in South Africa for allegedly attempting to travel with a false passport.
In a recorded message on Kanye West's website, Bey began with a freestyle rap inspired by West and Kendrick Lamar's "No More Parties in L.A.," stylized as "No More Parties in S.A."
In his message, Bey said that he is "being prevented from leaving, unjustly, unlawfully, and without any logical reason."
He added that the "world passport" he was traveling with is real and that the government is wrongly accusing him of using fake documents.
"Anyone can do the research about the world passport; it's not a fictitious document," he said. "It is not meant to deceive or derive unlawful benefit from any nation state, at all."
Bey said the South African government is preventing him from fullfilling his "professional obligations unnecessarily."
The actor and musician added that he is "retiring from the music recording industry as it is currently assembled today, and also from Hollywood, effective immediately," though he claimed that decision was not directly related to his detainment in South Africa. He said he will release a final album this year.
Listen to the full message below:
