Music venues show joint support for convicted rapper

Concert halls and festivals protest in favor of free speech by signing up MC sentenced for lyrics

 

Mallorcan rapper Valtonyc speaks at the podium alongside politicians, grassroots leaders, and musicians on March 22 2017 (by Rafa Garrido)
Mallorcan rapper Valtonyc speaks at the podium alongside politicians, grassroots leaders, and musicians on March 22 2017 (by Rafa Garrido) / Rachel Bathgate

ACN | Barcelona

February 22, 2018 06:35 PM

Concert halls and music festivals in Catalonia will include the rapper Valtonyc in their line-ups in protest over the three-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed to the MC by Spain’s Supreme Court for defaming the Spanish crown in his song lyrics.

In a joint statement, Catalonia’s concert halls and music festivals cited the “flagrant infringement of the freedom of expression” and their wish to “stand by Valtonyc” as the reasons for including the rapper on their schedules.

Spain’s Supreme Court found Josep Miquel Arenas Beltrán, Valtonyc’s real name, guilty of glorifying terrorism, slander and defamation of the crown in the lyrics of a series of songs that he wrote and made available free online.

Despite, arguments by the Mallorcan musician's defense that he had a right to freedom of expression and artistic creation, and that the language used in hip-hop and rap is often extreme and provocative, the court handed Valtonyc a prison sentence.

Among the organizations that signed the statement of support for the rapper are festivals such as BarnaSants, Black Music Festival, Canet Rock, Cruïlla, Guitar BCN, Primavera Sound, Strenes, Festival de Música de Cadaqués, along with the Asacc, Catalonia’s association of concert halls.