Joey Bada$$ Arrested For Hospitalizing Australian Security Guard
Summer festival season is in full swing in Australia, and the young Brooklyn ’90s-rap nostalgist Joey Bada$$, whose debut album B4.DA.$$ is out 1/20, had an adventure while down under this past weekend. As Billboard points out, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that New South Wales police arrested Bada$$ after he finished performing at the Falls Festival on Friday night. When Bada$$ was headed to the stage, a security guard stopped him, thinking that he wasn’t authorized to be back there. Bada$$ allegedly punched the security guard, breaking his nose and sending him to the hospital. Bada$$ was charged with assault and occasioning actual bodily harm, and he spent the night in jail. He’s out on bail now and continuing his Australian tour, but he’ll have to appear in Australian court in March.
Artists shouldn’t be breaking security guards’ noses and all, but someone should really make sure festival security guards know what artists look like. I can’t imagine how insulted Bada$$ would’ve felt during that particular security stop.
UPDATE: A representative for Bada$$ shared a statement with Pitchfork:
There was a misunderstanding with security at the Byron Falls Festival show, which resulted in charges being laid by NSW Police. After fully cooperating with Police, Joey was granted bail and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.