DMX was arrested Saturday morning on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts for using profanity onstage at a concert held the night before.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was released on $376 bail about 45 minutes after being detained by authorities, according to his manager Angelo Ellerbee. DMX was arrested approximately an hour after coming offstage at the four-day 2003 St. Kitts Music Festival, which also featured Eve and Shaggy on Saturday, and Ashanti on Sunday.

Festival organizers claim that the contract DMX signed prohibited the use of indecent language onstage. Ellerbee, however, contends that the profanity provision was only expressed to his client verbally, and it was understood that he could curse if the words were part of a song. The use of obscenities within banter with the crowd, however, wasn't allowed, and DMX abided by that.

"They clearly said to me and [DMX] one hour before he went onstage that he can use profanity in the structure, in the artistry, of his delivery of his music," Ellerbee said. "In the body of the contract, there was nothing about profanity, or what the structure of the show needed to be. This was mentioned verbally, and not a part of the contractual understanding."

DMX, who was headlining the Friday-night portion of the festival, has lyrics that do contain foul language, but no more so than most of his hip-hop peers. One of DMX's biggest hit singles, "(Party Up) Up in Here," contains the lines, "And I don't know who the f--- you think you talkin' to/ But I'm not him, aight slim?," and "First of all, you ain't rapped long enough to be f---in' with me."

Meanwhile, Eve's "Satisfaction," a single off her latest album, Evolution, contains the line, "And I feed 'cuz that sh-- only give me hunger pains/ Never let you mother----ers put out my flame."

"I feel like there's some kind of special vendetta against rap music, or the culture," Ellerbee said. "Not particularly DMX, but I do think that there is a problem with the music and culture.

"To the promoters of hip-hop music, they need to go to their council, their government and get something changed," he continued, "[otherwise], maybe we shouldn't entertain coming there anymore."

DMX was due in the Magistrate's Court in Basseterre on Monday morning (June 30) to respond to the charge of using obscenities onstage, which is a misdemeanor offense. However, his manager claimed the rapper was still in New York at press time.