S'up dawg

Tunisia rapper gets 2 years prison for police song

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — The lawyer of a Tunisian rapper says his client has been convicted of inciting violence against officials and insulting police and been sentenced to two years in prison.

Ghazi Mrabet said Thursday that the sentence pronounced against his client Alaa Yacoub was very severe and he would appeal.

The 24-year-old rapper, known by his stage name Weld El 15, or "Son of 15," was charged after making the song "Bolicia Kleb" (the police are dogs) and releasing it on YouTube.

He was originally convicted in absentia in March and then retried when he turned himself in.

Colleagues and supporters tussled with police outside the courtroom in the Tunis suburb of Ben Arous after the verdict was pronounced. There were four arrests, according to Mrabet.

(obviously American style rap lyrics not popular with Tunisian law enforcement, I’m not sure what is more enraging, trail in absentia or getting arrested for singing. Also I think there may be a translation error here, he might not have been insulting police officers as dogs and may have meant police have dogs)