Mos Def arrested at VMA's

Mos Def was taken into custody last night and charged with disorderly conduct outside of Radio City Music Hall. Def rolled up in a "flatbed truck" for an impromptu freestyle about Hurricane Katrina and George Bush for the people gathered outside.

Officers asked Mos Def and members of his entourage to shut down their performance due to crowd conditions and safety issues.

Police let him perform because Def said he had a permit. Minutes later, more police approached and said to stop immediately. Def didn't hear them (pun intended) so they started to arrest people, including Def's brother.

Def's publicist said, "Mos Def was unjustly arrested tonight while performing on a flatbed track in New York City outside the Video Music Awards. 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."

The Def camp say "they have the entire ordeal on tape and will publish the video, possibly on a Web site, to shed light on their side of the confrontation." Def was released this morning

MTV