Busta Barred from New York Movie Set

Busta Rhymes was barred from attending the first day of production on a new film he is appearing in after New York City police raised concerns about security. According to the Associated Press, the producers of the film Order of Redemption agreed that Busta would not be present at a shoot on 48th St. and Madison Avenue. “The production agreed that Busta Rhymes would not be participating in the scenes shot here after the Police Department raised public safety concerns,” said Julianne Cho, associate commissioner with the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting. Police declined to comment on what exactly their concerns were, referring media inquiries to the Mayor’s office. “This is tremendously unfair to Busta, who has been nothing but professional during this project,” said the film’s director Jeff Celentano in a statement. “This is a bigger loss for the city of New York.” Order of Redemption is a crime drama starring Tom Berenger and will be shooting in the city through April 14. Busta has been at odds with the NYPD for several months over what authorities perceive as his lack of cooperation in the investigation of the murder of his bodyguard Israel Ramirez at the video shoot for his single “Touch It” in February of 2006. Busta was arrested on an assault charge last August following his performance at a concert on New York’s Randall’s Island. At the time, his attorney Scott Leemon referred to that arrest as “payback by the NYPD.”