BUSTA RHYMES - RHYMES ABSENT ON FIRST DAY OF FILMING

Rapper BUSTA RHYMES was conspicuously absent on the first day of filming a new movie yesterday (10MAR07) after police raised concerns about public safety. Rhymes, real name TREVOR SMITH, is a cast member in crime drama ORDER OF REDEMPTION, which began shooting in New York. However, police put a stop to his appearance after the NYPD raised security concerns about the high profile and controversial hip-hop star. Cops have attempted to question Rhymes as a potential witness in the February 2006 fatal shooting of his bodyguard ISRAEL RAMIREZ, but he has consistently refused to cooperate with authorities. JULIANNE CHO, associate commissioner with the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre + Broadcasting, confirmed, "The production agreed that Busta Rhymes would not be participating in the scenes shot here after the Police Department raised public safety concerns." However, director JEFF CELENTANO is furious with the decision. Through a statement he said, "This is tremendously unfair to Busta, who has been nothing but professional during this project. This is a bigger loss for the city of New York." The rapper has had a string of other run-ins with the law recently. Police say he's driven with a suspended license, beaten his former driver in an argument over money, and chatted on a mobile phone while driving.