Busta plays his detention down

Busta Rhymes performing at the Orange RockCorps gig at the Royal Albert Hall

Busta Rhymes has admitted that he isn't taking his detention by UK immigration officials "personally" after he was refused entry because of "unresolved convictions" in the US.

The rapper was held for 12 hours at London City Airport before a judge intervened and allowed him into the country to play a London charity gig.

Busta said: "Ultimately I don't take it personally because I know they didn't know me and I didn't know them."

He performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

'Personal thing'

The gig was held at the weekend for Orange RockCorps for 5,000 volunteers who earned their tickets by spending four hours volunteering in community projects.

"The lack of understanding of who each other is, is really not a personal thing," Busta told 1Xtra.

Listen to the interview

"If I'd done something to someone who I wasn't aware of and they were taking it out on me, I'd have taken it personally because if I'd offended someone then I'd want them to come and talk to me.

The people I had to deal with personally were extremely friendly and supportive Busta Rhymes

"In that sense I knew I hadn't done anything to them people (immigration officials) or done anything wrong any time I'd been to England before."

The rapper also praised immigration officials for looking after him during his time in detention.

"The people I had to deal with personally at immigration, they were extremely friendly, loving and supportive," he explained.

"We actually had fun in there, we were watching TV, we were taking pictures, we were signing autographs and telling stories.

"I was thoroughly taken care of. There was nothing unfair. I have nothing negative to say about the actual personnel."

Busta has already been allowed entry to the UK twice this year and had a valid work permit for the concert.

His lawyer, Amanda Weston, argued his entry refusal was incorrect.

She said the offences of assault and drink-driving, of which he had been convicted in the US, constituted "misdemeanours" under New York criminal law rather than "felonies".

As a result he was entitled to seek a judicial review.

Busta Rhymes taking part in a community project earlier this year

A judge allowed the rapper entry just two hours before the gig so as not to disappoint the thousands of fans who were heading to the concert.

Soul singer John Legend, rappers Ludacris and Lethal Bizzle and rock bands The Automatic, also performed at the concert.

"I didn't really hear everything that happened with Busta but I'm just glad he got through," said Ludacris.

"Being put in that type of situation is really hard. I'd have tried to keep my cool for as long as possible."