You see, music has always been made for the teenagers, there has always been a generational gap. Adults didn't 'get' Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones or the Sex Pistols but they are now iconic. It's no different today and if people like you are trying to stop their efforts then what happens next? A backlash? Or should we all just give up on finding creativity and listen to nice music like Coldplay (I actually 'get' why people enjoy Coldplay too but that doesn't make them better).
How do I know that you are big into hip-hop? Well, you seem pretty knowledgable of Tyler, the Creator's back catalogue, Last week you banned one of the genres most promising figures from entering the UK. The 'average' Brit probably doesn't know who he is so i'm surprised by not only the fact that you do but that you have the time to listen to his self-released debut album Bastard, which came out on Christmas Day 2009 when he was a teenager. It is on that album where you will find that vulgar language, songs of rape and homophobia (not uncommon in hip-hop) you speak of. This was written by an angsty teen from a broken home, looking for attention. We all make mistakes, you made one last week and you are old, rich, in power and have money. Imagine if you had nothing, what would you fight for to succeed?Of all the people to ban Tyler is a strange one, he's one of the good guys! Since Bastard he has released Goblin, Wolf and Cherry Bomb with lyrics to inspire his young fanbase to be themselves, encourage creativity and exposes his fragility which is often hidden by his obnoxious personality. He doesn't drink, do drugs and questions his owned identity. If your kids need a role model, he is more appropriate than many high-profile figures.
Unlike Kanye, Jay Z or Drake, Tyler has never had a hit single, his music isn't for the mainstream but he has a cult following. He's worked with his hero Pharrell Williams, pop brat Justin Bieber as well as well respected jazz artists. He breaks boundaries with his music which he is in complete control of, the last record Cherry Bomb has punk and lounge influences with the inspiring message for listeners to find their wings. On Radicals, from Goblin he goes 'I'm not saying to go out and do some stupid shit, commit crimes. What I'm trying to tell you is, do what the fuck you want. Stand for what the fuck you believe in, and don't let nobody tell you can't do what the fuck you want. I'm a fucking unicorn, and fuck anybody who say I'm not.'
Like most people, he isn't the same person as he was as a teen, he has grown up but unlike most 24 year olds he has achieved a lot and it has all been on his terms. He formed and lea Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), a group of LA rappers/skaters/creatives who have gone on to achieve more than they would have without Tyler, they have two albums, produced by Tyler. He's released four solo albums, designed all of the artwork, written for others, has his own clothing line for his Golf Wang brand and a multi-media app, wrote, produced and featured in a Nickelodeon tv sketch show, designed shoes for Vans and produced an advert for Mountain Dew. This year sees the fourth annual Camp Flog Gnaw, a one-day carnival in LA which Tyler curates.Throughout his four album he has talked about battling depression, contemplating suicide and counseling sessions which is unheard of in a genre afraid of showing any weakness. This is brave and should be applauded for. He struggled at school, bullied for not fitting in, he was too white for the black kids and too white kids for the black kids, he never met his dad and the relationship with his mother was rocky. Instead of turning those experiences into hate and aggression he got creative, made friends who thought the same way as him, formed OFWGKTA and took on the world. He know gets paid to do what he loves, bought his mom a house, ensured that his mates had jobs too and appreciates the opportunity but he has had to work for it. Probably more so because of the color of his skin.
He's clearly not homophobic, he has stated on throughout his career. The f-word doesn't carry the same meaning for this generation. His OFWGKTA mates Frank Ocean and Syd tha Kid sexuality isn't straight. Through his Golf Wang clothing line he designed this t-shirt.
And explained why.It was a period in time where all i wanted to do was read about different dictators across the world. The way that one man could control so many brains always intrigued me. This opened a door to a lot of things, one of them being the Nazi regime during the 40s. Soaking my brain with as much info as i could on the subject, i pondered to myself if there was anyone still pushing this Nazi propaganda during these days? That is when i came across Neo-Nazis, The Ku Klux Klan and The White Nationalist Community. To make it simple, its just a group of Caucasians who take pride in being white. Nothing wrong with that correct? But the weird thing is that its primarily supported by White Supremacist organizations.( KKK, Aryan Nation, Etc) Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that these guys aren’t fans of Blacks, Gays, Asians or anything else that doesn’t fit in “white” box.Now having the thought process that i have, i asked myself some questions: What if a black guy wore this logo on a shirt? Would he be promoting self hate? Would he be taking the power out of a shape? What if a gay guy wore this on a shirt? Would he promoting Homophobia? Then BAM! I Had it. Throw a little rainbow in the logo ( i still wonder, who was the guy that said a rainbow is the gay symbol? thats another article stay tuned) and take a photo with a white guy in it and we have an amazing photo. The thing that tops it off is the homo erotic tone of the hand holding, which to some degree HAS to piss off the guys who takes this logo serious. This made the photo even more important to me, because it was me playing with the idea of taking the power out of something so stupid. Or maybe my whole idea on this is stupid. Who knows, but why not try it out? Also, ever since my career started, ive been labeled as a homophobe, simply because of my use of the word faggot. Again, trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD. I mean, i’m legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth but, most people just read the surface. But maybe someone will see this photo and say “ hey, he’s just mocking gays” or “ this has a negative undertone to it, he is still pushing this homophobic whatever the fuck it is”. What ever it is, i just wanted to give you guys some background info on the design before you purchase the shirt. You should know what you are wearing. be safe, love. RACISM FUCKING SUCKS
Are those the words of somebody so dangerous that you have banned from visiting the UK for at least three years? It's not even like last week was the first time he'd been over here, he always tours and there is never any trouble. Maybe the decision was based on him being banned from Australia recently following conflict with a LGBT campaigner but how would you react if you have to tirelessly defend yourself from being told you are something that you aren't.
Unfortunately for Tyler the mistakes he made as a teen were recorded in songs and that has given him a reputation which is no longer relevant. This became apparent during SXSW festival in 2014 where he was arrested at the airport for 'inciting a riot' sounds familiar, right? But he had done nothing wrong, he just wanted to perform to his fans who couldn't get into the venue. There had been an incident at the festival the day before and police put two-and-two together.
Music is a class thing, for bands and pop stars you need a privileged background to break through but the American hip-hop kids and London grime artists have come from the bottom, they have had to fight to succeed, we should be encouraging this and without the American rappers we wouldn't have Dizzee, Stornzy or Skepta representing the UK culture clash.
I know you haven't reached your immigration targets but banning one rapper won't achieve anything, he's not only got a job but he's bringing work to the country too!
If you are going to ban Tyler then what you do next? It's just words in songs (which he, on numerous occasions tells the listener not to take too seriously). When the word spreads back to America, when Kanye, Kendrick Lamar or ASAP Rocky are questioned on this they will no doubt turn this into racist motives, Eminem was much more offensive but he got away with it, is that because his is too high profile or because he is white? Racial tension in America is at boiling point, do we really want the London riots to happen again? You've banned Tyler for inciting violence, did you ever think of the repercussions that could bring? Just because you don't 'get' it it doesn't mean it is wrong.
I am 28, I have listened to hip-hop since I was a kid, I'm not homophobic or violent and I think that what you have done is pathetic and I'm sure many others agree. I thought you were an alternative to UKIP? C'mon, just say sorry to Tyler and let him back in the country.
I'm not going to start one of those online petitions, instead i'm just hoping common sense prevails whilst I book my flights for Camp Flog Gnaw.
As Kanye said on numerous occasions during his VMAs speech, 'listen to the kids.'
