DMX Arrested For Swearing

[Walter Cronkite]

DMX was arrested last night for swearing during the a performance in the Caribbean, local police said.

Organizers the annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which takes place on the Caribbean of Saint Kitts, said that they warned DMX that obscenities were not to be used on the stage because of laws barring it in the former British colony.

According to his road manager, Ali Samii, DMX never agreed to tone down his language and continued his usual performance, complete with various obscenities.

He was arrested after the show and was released on bail until Monday, where he will appear at Basseterre Magistrates Court.

Source: allhiphop.com

[Walter Cronkite]

DMX Arrested & Released After Performance

Grammy-nominated rapper DMX was arrested Friday night by authorities of St. Kitts and Nevis for using obscene gestures and profanity during a concert performance at the 7th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival.

DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was detained by police and handcuffed following his performance at the music festival which also included fellow Ruff-Ryder partner Eve, Shaggy and Ashanti. The 32-year old rapper from Yonkers, NY was taken to jail immediately and released on bail of $376 (U.S.) the next day. DMX is scheduled to appear today in Basseterre (St. Kitts capital) Magistrate's Court where if found guilty, he could face a maximum penalty of up to five hundred dollars or a serve up to one month in prison.

DMX reportedly was warned by organizers prior to his appearance on stage about using profanity during his performance, in addition to a contract he allegedly signed months in advance before his arrival in St. Kitts. "There was a contract signed in which it was made very clear long before the arrival of the artists that there are laws in St. Kitts that do not take kindly to the use of indecent language on stage," said information Minister Jacinth Henry-Martin. The use of obscene language and gestures on stage is a misdemeanor on the 68-square mile Caribbean island. DMX claims that he signed no such contract, and would not have performed if he had been forced to censor his language.

According to a source in attendance at the concert, whether or not he was told to, or signed a previous contract, DMX did not curse - that is until the third song into his hour-long set. X reportedly raged into one profanity after the next, often accompanied by the thousands in attendance who complied with his every word. At one point, he gestured obscenities to the crowd while grabbing his genitals, then motioning as if to unzip his pants - to the delight of fans in attendance. In a statement after his release from jail, X said, "I just want to thank all my fans for showing the support they did show. It feels good to get out of jail, but it feels a thousand percent better when you get out of jail to see everybody say they love you."

Source: sohh.com

[Walter Cronkite]

Update

DMX may be heading to court again, but this time by the other end of the law.

Following his June 28th arrest on obscenity charges at the St. Kitts Music Festival, the Ruff Ryder has considered taking legal action against the show's promoters if they decline to publicly apologize for the melee.

DMX maintains that he had a verbal agreement with festival officials prior to the start of his performance that there would indeed be the use of "b*tch," "n*gga" and the ubiquitous "motherf*cker" throughout his show.

And he's armed with videotaped proof that he did have permission to spit profanity on stage, as long as the curses were within the context of a song.

In a transcription of the taped conversation obtained from MTV, X and his entourage apparently smooth out the last-minute details of his potty-mouth performance with festival organizers before the show began.

Initially, it was evident that the St. Kitts authorities were looking to censor DMX's signature street style. "I can't do that," X said. Then he added, "OK, let me know now if [the curse words] are good or not, because if there are any problems with me cursing, I won't perform."

"I don't curse for nothing," he added during the impromptu meeting. "But in the song, there are curses. So you're not going to arrest me, right?" The men then finalized the agreement with a handshake.

DMX's manager wants the St. Kitts Music Festival organizers to personally apologize to his client as well as publicly admit their fault to the press.

Profanity has been a big no-no on the Caribbean concert circuit and an even bigger adjustment for many artists. Ja Rule, Snoop Dogg, Foxy Brown and Beenie Man were all cited for their on-stage obscenities at the Reggae Sunfest festival in Jamaica in 2001.

source: allhiphop.com