Entertainment

Tyler, The Creator Charged With Inciting Riot At SXSW

Rapper Tyler, the Creator was arrested and charged with inciting a riot after police say he told fans at SXSW to push through venue security.

Tyler, The Creator Charged With Inciting Riot At SXSW
Austin American-Statesman / Austin Humphreys
SMS

​Tyler, the Creator performed to a sold-out crowd in Dallas just hours after being arrested on suspicion of inciting a riot at the South by Southwest music festival.  

The Los Angeles native, whose full name is Tyler Gregory Okonma, was arrested at an Austin, Texas airport Saturday after he reportedly told fans waiting outside his show to push their way through security when the venue was already at capacity. TMZ  has the raw footage. (Via XL Recordings / Tyler, the Creator)

TYLER: "Just run in right now, [expletive] do it right now."

Local police say no one was severely injured during the incident, but a report says a venue bartender was punched in the face when he bent down to protect a woman who had fallen during the push. (Via KXAN)

A journalist for Spin, who was at Tyler's show, says the rush "felt like being hit with a wave." 

"The handful of guards were pushed aside like twigs in a flood. ... I pinged off this person and that person before stabilizing myself and catching my breath."

Despite the incident, Tyler was still able to perform. But he was taken into police custody hours later while trying to leave Austin and charged with inciting a riot — a misdemeanor that could carry a $4,000 fine and up to a year of jail time. 

Saturday's incident comes just two days after another Tyler, the Creator performance at South by Southwest was canceled due to a deadly car accident. A driver plowed into a crowd waiting at the venue, killing two people. (Via CBS)

While Tyler played no part in that in that tragic accident, he does have a reputation for encouraging violence at his shows. 

Last month, New Zealand denied Tyler and his music group, Odd Future collective, visas to travel to the country for a scheduled tour. (Via YouTube / Noisey)

Tyler was released from police custody late Saturday after securing a $25,000 bail bond. The rapper's reps did not respond to news outlets requests for comment on the incident.