Tyler, The Creator has been allegedly banned from entering the U.K.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Tyler, The Creator had been forced to cancel his upcoming U.K. and Ireland dates after nondescript "circumstances".
Now Tyler's elaborated, explaining that he's actually banned from the country for three to five years on the orders of the Home Secretary and/or her office. Why? Obscene lyrics that "encourage violence and intolerance of homosexuality".
A spokesman for the Home Office has said "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.”
It's bizarre really, as we caught him performing in the U.K. over the summer, and apparently the offending material dates back six or seven years.
Tyler's manager Christian Clancy wrote a lengthy response on his Tumblr account:
"tyler has been banned from entering the UK for somewhere between 3 to 5 years per a letter from the secretary of state for the home department of the united kingdom. the letter specifically cites lyrics he wrote 6-7 years ago for his albums bastard and goblin – the type of lyrics he hasn’t written since… highlights from the letter include that his work “encourages violence and intolerance of homosexuality” and “fosters hatred with views thats seek to provoke others to terrorist acts..” i grew up on NWA, eminem and rage against the machine, so its hard to me to fully wrap my head this thought process and its implications.
"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?
"theres a lot to absorb and understand, but while he gets painted as some sort of anti christ i want to make sure people know the facts, which are that he hasn’t delved into those lyrics in years – he writes songs about cars and spreading your wings. he doesn’t drink or smoke, he owns his own businesses, he takes care of his family and friends, he’s honest, grateful, aware, fearless, intelligent, and inspiring. his shows serve as a release, not acts of aggression.
"is he perfect? absolutely not. he’s a human evolving like the rest of us, and evolution is a process, not a light switch. im not defending his OLD lyrics. to be honest they make me cringe, but i stand beside him because of who he actually IS. our 8 year old daughter, who is constantly inspired by him, said it best; "why would they ban tyler? that makes no sense."
Tyler released third record Cherry Bomb earlier this year. He seems pretty surprised by the action of the U.K. Government:
BASED ON LYRICS FROM 2009 I AM NOT ALLOWED IN THE UK FOR 3-5 YEARS ( although i was there 8 weeks ago) THAT IS WHY THE SHOWS WERE CANCELLED.
— Tyler, The Creator (@fucktyler) August 26, 2015
*listens to last three releases in confusion*
— Tyler, The Creator (@fucktyler) August 26, 2015
- Sam Fender features on THE EARLY PURPLE'S new single, "The Greek Key"
- Clara Mann shares new single, "Remember Me (Train Song)"
- Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory unveil new single, "Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)"
- Miya Folick announces new album, Erotica Veronica
- mary in the junkyard release new track, "bear walk"
- Kylie Minogue, Pulp, Michael Kiwanuka and RAYE among first names for Bilbao BBK Live
- Good Neighbours revamp their debut single on "Home (Soft Version)"
Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday