Erykah Badu - Badu Planned Her Own Arrest

Provocative R&B star ERYKAH BADU planned to film the world's most controversial music video - she tried to get arrested by cops during the shoot.

The singer/songwriter rips off her clothes in front of complete strangers in the promo for Window Seat, which was filmed in public at Dealey Plaza, the tourist hotspot in Dallas, Texas, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

But she was hoping for some even more headline-grabbing scenes - she deliberately attempted to get seized by police officers for filming without a permit.

The promo's producers, duo Coodie and Chike, even had bail money on hand to free Badu from the cells when the shoot was over - but the plan fell flat when local cops failed to notice the film crew.

Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Janice Crowther tells MTV News, "They definitely did not get a permit. To shoot that video they would have had to get a special events permit from the events office and it would have had to specify what type of filming they were doing, what subjects they would use and any traffic control they would need."

Crowther also confirmed an officer should have been on site to oversee the shoot, adding: "That's more than likely why (the producers) circumvented the permit."

Coodie and Chike admit they knew they could face trouble over the shoot, but Badu was adamant she wanted to go ahead.

Coodie says, "We had bail money and everything. I think she really wanted to get arrested and even make a bigger message. You know what I'm saying?"

Chike adds, "There was patrol cars all day, and I (was hearing) sirens, looking up and seeing some kind of sheriff's car or something. So I was like, 'This is gonna be interesting.' Her contingency plan was (to) get arrested - she was big on doing it."