Myanmar-based rap collective Rap Against Junta premieres their latest track and visual “Came From Hell” today (September 10) as a response against the silencing of Burmese rappers who spoke up against the injustices in the country.
The track also references the recent execution of Burmese hip hop pioneer turned legislator Phyo Zeya Thaw, who was one of the four democracy activists executed by the military junta after being accused of “helping militias to fight the army that seized power in a coup last year and unleashed a bloody crackdown on its opponents.” The case drew international attention as it was the first time in over 30 years that Myanmar had imposed the death penalty as a sentence.
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Thaw was arrested by the junta in November 2021 after being “frequently named by the junta as a mastermind of recent attacks on regime targets in Yangon, along with Lwin Ko Latt, the home affairs minister of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG),” according to a news report by independent news service Myanmar Now.
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As a result of the crackdowns on rappers, the rap group shared that “I & O (featured on the track) changed their names and hid their identities due to the brutal arrest of Hip Hop artists who spoke about freedom and [injustice].” This is evident in the accompanying music video, which does not display or identify the rap duo performing the song. In an Instagram post announcing the release, the collective writes, “F da Po-po / F daJunta / F da Fake Ass Monks!”
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Earlier this year, the collective released “Blood” featuring a roster of Burmese hip hop artists in an effort to call for peace and justice in the country. The two tracks are a follow-up to 2021’s DICKCOUNCIL, a compilation album from the group to protest and speak out against military action.
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Watch the music video for “Came From Hell” here:
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