Tyler, The Creator Facing One Year In Prison Following SXSW “Riot”

March 20th, 2014

Kyle Florence

It’s no secret that Tyler, the Creator is a bit of a wild card. Since bursting on to the scene back in 2009, the Los Angeles native has quickly become a household name throughout the music community, partly due to his rambunctious, sometimes questionable concert antics.

Last week, Tyler got himself into a bit of trouble while performing at SXSW, but today, it seems like his most recent frolics may come at a very steep price. The 23-year-old rapper is currently facing up to one year in prison and a $4,000 fine as a result of his performance in Austin last week, where local authorities claim he started a riot.

According to Associated Press, “Police allege he incited fans at an unofficial day party held during the annual music conference to storm the entrance to the club where he was performing.”

In spite of these claims, Tyler’s lawyer, Perry Q. Milton, issued the following statement defending the Odd Future co-founder:

“At no time during the … concert did Tyler seek to incite or participate in riotous activity as has been reported in the press. It is clear from video clips and witness reports that the patrons and fans attending the show on that date were full of positive energy appropriate for this type of event and never exhibited any anger or aggression whatsoever…

For law enforcement or the media to describe the rush of fans through the gate and the subsequent benign, boisterous activity as a riot is an unfortunate and inaccurate description of what occurred.”

Tyler has since been released on a $25,000 bond, however, at this time, his future is still uncertain. Be sure to check back with UTG in the coming days as this story continues to develop.

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