Burmese Hip Hop Riot

File this under “So you think you have it tough?” I missed this situation in November, and just recently ran across it in an article referencing how the Burmese Junta doesn’t like Buddhist symbols displayed, not even as a tattoo.

The scene went down like this. Burmese (or is it Myanmar?) rapper G-Tone was arrested after he flashed his religiously themes tattoo to the crowd during his performance.

At a hip hop festival at the Mya Yeik Nyo hotel - am I the only one amazed that they were holding a hip hop festival in Myanmar? - G-Tone took off his shirt and turned his back to the audience to reveal a tattoo of two hands clasped in a prayer position holding prayer beads.

Immediately after the gesture, police and fire brigade officials went towards the stage to arrest him, but were persuaded by other musicians to wait until the end of his set to avoid making a scene.

As soon as G-Tone left the stage, he was arrested and handcuffed by the police, still in view of the crowd. The rapper’s arrest provoked an angry reaction from the crowd, who started shouting at the police.

In response, the police went into the crowd and began beating up audience members, who were mostly young people and high school students, including 8th and 9th graders.

The incident grew into a riot as the audience became increasingly angry at the police.

When other musicians tried to intervene to stop the police, they too were hit, including popular hip hop musicians Kyat Pha and Yatha, who was kicked when he tried to stop the police.

Kyat Pha’s band 9mm has been banned by the regime for distributing political songs by other artists at a concert.

The manager of the Mya Yeik Nyo hotel told the other musicians to calm the crowd by telling them G-Tone had gone home and had not been arrested, and the show was brought to a premature end.

G-tone was eventually released and given a 6 month ban on performing.

This reminds me of the incidents in 1988/1989 when 2 Live Crew and NWA were arrested – actually this happened to a bunch of groups - during performances, although they were arrested for obscenity and/or threatening the police. I can’t recall any American rappers ever being arrested for showing their religious beliefs.