Tyler, the Creator has been officially banned from the UK by the Home Office, addding him into a small group alongside Shirley Phelps-Roper and Robert Mugabe. He’s been banned for 3-5 years through a letter from our secretary of state, specifically citing his lyrics from previous albums Bastard and Goblin, which he has long grown up from and dramatically changed his style. The letter states that he “encourages violence and intolerance of homosexuality” and “fosters hatred with views thats seek to provoke others to terrorist acts.” Lyrics from when he was 18 years old.
The Home Office released this ridiculous statement about the issue: “Coming to the U.K. is a privilege, and we expect those who come here to respect our shared values. The Home Secretary has the power to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good or if their exclusion is justified on public policy grounds.”
Tyler’s manager Christian Clancy took to Tumblr to discuss the occurrence.
“to say that i am confused would be an understatement. can you imagine being beholden to things you said when you were 18? tyler has been to the UK over 20x in the last 5 years without incident (shows, in-stores, meet and greets). we rented out a movie theatre last month in London for a private showing of napoleon dynamite for his fans. literally last month.
more importantly, this is a broader issue of free speech, with new lines being drawn that include reaching back in time without acknowledging growth. in fact, punishing growth. what i do know is tyler is part of an argument that is counter to who he has become. how do you punish someone for growing up? since the letter acknowledged he was writing from an alter ego perspective does this then apply to book writers? the fact that he has evolved into someone who has acknowledged and grown out of that is simply lost in the narrative. is he not worthy of the pat on the back for becoming aware and making changes? what message does that send? is race a conscious or subconscious factor at all?”
The rapper has had to cancel appearances at Reading and Leeds festivals amongst others.