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Chang Yong-joon, a rapper who performs under stage name NO:EL (Screenshot captured from Instagram) |
Rapper No:el, or Chang Yong-joon, whose father is Rep. Chang Je-won of the ruling People Power Party, has come under fire for mentioning the late former President Chun Doo-hwan -- a military dictator responsible for killing civilians in the 1980s -- in his new track released Friday.
In the song titled “Gang Gang Gang?” the rapper sings, “If it were Chun Doo-hwan’s era, you’d end up in the basement if you mess with me.”
Chun is one of the most controversial figures in South Korea’s recent history, mainly due to a military coup that was followed by a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju in 1980.
Chang has been under fire as his lyrics imply that whoever treats him poorly might have been tortured if he was living in Chun’s era, according observers. His father is a key political figure and one of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s closest confidants.
The 22-year-old released his new song to fire back at rapper Fleeky Bang for writing a track about him.
Hours before Chang released his song, Fleeky Bang dropped a song titled “Smoke Noel,” where he scorned Chang for being grilled in a DUI case, assaulting police after refusing to comply with a breathalyzer test and allegations that he offered to pay for sex when he was a minor.
Currently, Chang’s song has been removed from SoundCloud.
Under the music platform’s content policies, songs are taken down when they are identified as containing copyright-infringing material or promoting or inciting violence against others.
Chang received a 1 1/2-year prison term and two years’ probation in June 2020 for drunk driving. In February 2021, he was arrested for assaulting a passerby. In October 2022, the Supreme Court sentenced Chang to one year in prison for refusing to comply with a breathalyzer test.
He was released during sentencing, with the judge citing his time served in detention since his arrest.
