In November 2020, the Nepalese Police ordered the arrest of rapper Vten for using derogatory words against the police. But this was not the first time VTen got into trouble over his music in Nepal.
Vten’s ‘Yestai Ta Ho Ni Bro’ has found itself in everyday speak in Nepal, but if you look for this 2019 track online, you won’t find it. Loosely translated to ‘This is how we roll’, the Nepalese police demanded that the song be taken off YouTube for its profane lyrics.
Samir Ghising aka VTen is a pioneer in Nepal’s growing hip-hop scene, but his music and videos have gotten him in trouble with the police. The country’s communication minister went on to call the songs unfit to listen to in front of mothers and sisters, and Vten was arrested on 24th October 2019 on charges of promoting “values that go against social norms”.
But to many in Nepal, these vague laws about values are actually a sinister way of censoring and silencing alternate voices. In this VICE World News interview, VTen explains how his arrest has changed his music, and why he plans to continue to make music true to him. His simple advice to those affected: don’t listen to them around your mum.
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