A Baltimore-based hip-hop artist who was detained by police over the weekend after a fight at a Fells Point bar said yesterday that he was assaulted by officers.

Travis "Bossman" Holifield was at Moby's bar on South Broadway about 1 a.m. Sunday when one of his friends allegedly hit another customer over the head with a bottle of beer.

A city police spokesman said that Holifield was detained by police while officers determined whether he was part of the fight or a witness to it.

But Holifield said in a news release that five city police officers forced him to the ground and assaulted him, "resulting in bruising, swelling and having a large section of hair being forcibly pulled from his head."

Holifield was not available for comment yesterday. His attorney, Warren Brown, said he might file a complaint against the department.

Police said yesterday that they have not received any complaints about the incident. A police report shows that Holifield was handcuffed near the bar, taken to a police station and released without charges about 2:50 a.m. Sunday.

Holifield's friend, Muhammad Smith, was charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and carrying a dangerous weapon with the intent of causing injury, according to court papers.

One of Holifield's songs, "Ayo," was featured in two soundtracks from The Wire, an HBO series that chronicled police, poverty and violence in Baltimore. He also signed a contract with Virgin Records in February 2006, according to a news story on the record label's Web site.

annie.linskey@baltsun.com