In a series of tweets last night (August 26th) Tyler, The Creator claimed to be banned from the UK for between three and five years.
The rapper claimed that lyrical content from his earlier solo releases had triggered the ban, which seemingly comes into force immediately.
Tyler recently cancelled four shows in the UK and Ireland – the ban is thought to lie behind these cancellations.
Tyler tweeted: 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.
The rapper's manager Christian Clancy has uploaded a full statement to Tumblr. In reads in part:
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.
The manager adds: "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."
Read the full statement on Tumblr.
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UPDATE
The Home Office has issued a short statement (as theQuietus point out), explaining their decision to ban Tyler from entering the country:
"Coming to the UK 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 certainly a curious and deeply confusing position to take – Tyler, The Creator has visited the UK more than 50 times in recent years, with recent lyrics moving away from the visceral content of old.
Related: Leader Of The Pack – Tyler, The Creator Interviewed
