Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) Still Says He’s Retiring This Year

Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) has spent most of 2016 in South Africa, where he was was charged with using a false passport and travel document while attempting to leave the country. Although he is out on bail, he is unable to go abroad to perform “due to circumstances beyond [his] control,” he explained in a new Facebook Live video. As a result, his show at London’s O2 Forum (set to take place October 14) has been postponed until October 22; the venue cited “an urgent issue” for the last-minute change. Bey, who is also scheduled to perform at the Forum on October 24, offered a solution for live shows, which would be exclusive video streams for those who purchased tickets.

Also in the video, Bey provided an update on his January claim that he was retiring from music and film industry “effective immediately.” He has now said, “I’m retiring this year for real.” The person filming later asked Bey, “When are you going to play another movie?” He answered emphatically, “I’m retiring, guys!” But he did continue, “I do have one or two films that I made commitments to earlier, before I announced my retirement. Apart from that, I’m moving onto other things, still being creative. You know, definitely fashion, textiles, and just art. Whatever I can create that’s beautiful and useful, that’s what I wanna do.” He also offered “exclusive new material” to Jay Z for Tidal. Watch the full video update below.

Despite his retirement assertion, Yasiin Bey has been very active musically this year. He has released a number of songs with Ferrari Sheppard as Dec. 99th. Among those is a track called “Hymn,” which is out on Tidal. In addition, he appeared on a Tribe Called Red’s “R.E.D.” (from We Are the Halluci Nation), and performed live with BADBADNOTGOOD when the band was in Cape Town.

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