Tyler, the Creator Says He’s Been Banned From the U.K.

Tyler, the Creator recently canceled a string of U.K. tour dates due to what he called “reasons beyond my control.” Those reasons have now come to light, as the rapper and his manager Christian Clancy claim Tyler has been banned from the U.K. for three to five years per a letter from the U.K. Secretary of State, which cited music that “encourages violence and intolerance of homosexuality” and “fosters hatred with views that’s seek to provoke others to terrorist acts.”

Tyler addressed the ban in a pair of tweets, writing that the lyrics mentioned in the letter were written six years ago:

Clancy expounded on the matter in a blog post:

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.

Tyler's Bastard mixtape arrived back in 2009, while his debut full-length, Goblin, was issued in 2011. He released his third LP, Cherry Bomb, earlier this year. Clancy goes on to call the developments a troubling matter of free speech:

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…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?

Clancy notes that he’s “not defending his OLD lyrics,” but implored others to recognize Tyler’s growth as an artist and person. "Is he perfect? absolutely not," Clancy writes. "He’s a human evolving like the rest of us, and... evolution is a process, not a light switch."

This isn’t the first time the Odd Future rapper’s tour has suffered in the wake of criticism over violent, misogynistic and homophobic lyrics. Last month, Tyler also had to cancel his Australian tour due to another ban that resulted from a petition to refuse the rapper future Visas. Tyler’s U.S. tour, however, will go on as planned, launching on Sept. 18 in Morgantown, Wash. Check out a complete list of stops below:

Tyler, the Creator Tour
Sept. 18: Morgantown, WA - WVU Coliseum *
Sept. 19: Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena *
Sept. 20: Toronto, ON - Riot Fest Toronto
Sept. 22: New York, NY - Theater at Madison Square Garden *
Sept. 23: Philadelphia, PA - Penn’s Landing – Festival Pier *
Sept. 26: Clarkson, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre *
Sept. 27: Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom *
Sept. 30: Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater *
Oct. 2: Houston, TX - NRG Center *
Oct. 3-4: Atlanta, GA - Afropunk Atlanta
Oct. 8: New Orleans, LA - Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square *
Oct. 9: Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom *
Nov. 10: Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena *
Nov. 11: Seattle, WA - Wamu Theater *
Nov. 14: Los Angeles, CA - TBA *
Nov. 15: San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium *
Dec. 5: Honolulu, HI - The Republik
* w/ A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown and Vince Staples