Rapper Tyler, The Creator, arrested for allegedly inciting riot at SXSW, played sold-out show after release on bond (2024)

Rapper Tyler, the Creator, played a sold-out show in Dallas just hours after being released from jail in connection with a misdemeanour charge of inciting a riot.

The Odd Future rapper, whose name is Tyler Gregory Okonma, was arrested at Austin-Bergstrom Airport on Saturday. Inciting a riot is a misdemeanour, which carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Tyler was released Saturday after securing a $25,000 bond and played a sold-out show at the House of Blues in Dallas. The rapper’s publicist declined to comment about the arrest.

Police say the 23-year-old Los Angeles resident incited a large crowd of fans to push their way past venue employees controlling access to a Thursday unofficial day party that was already at full capacity.

Officers who were at the scene said in a warrant that Tyler yelled for fans to push their way inside twice, and that a bartender had to protect a woman from injury in the resulting push.

Police released a video from the concert that shows scores of fans bursting through a gate at the Scoot Inn in downtown Austin. A video of the incident was also posted on Instagram:

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Tyler and members of the Odd Future collective were denied a visa to travel to New Zealand in February after officials there said they were a potential “public threat” because of past troubles, “including incidents at past performances in which they have incited violence.” They pointed to a 2011 incident in which police were called to a comic book store in Boston where fans became unruly.

The group’s manager, Christian Clancy, defended them last month after the New Zealand decision, saying they were young at the time and were being judged too harshly.

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