Tyler, the Creator celebrates resignation of Theresa May, who banned him from the U.K.

May, who just resigned as Prime Minister, banned Tyler, the Creator from entering in 2015.

May 24, 2019
Tyler, the Creator celebrates resignation of Theresa May, who banned him from the U.K. Tyler, the Creator performs at SOMETHING IN THE WATER. April 27, 2019 .   Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Something in the Water

In 2015, Tyler, the Creator announced that he had been banned from entering the United Kingdom for three to five years by then-Home Secretary Theresa May, forcing the cancellation of tour dates behind his album Cherry Bomb. In a letter sent to Tyler's manager Christian Clancy, May pointed to lyrics in Tyler's albums Bastard and Goblin which, in her view, "encourage[d] violence and intolerance of homosexuality" and "foster[ed] hatred with views that seek to provoke others to terrorist acts." Chances of amnesty seemed slim when May became Prime Minister in 2016.

ADVERTISEMENT

It seems Tyler got the last laugh. Earlier this week he announced three shows at London's Brixton Academy, which sold out quickly, and appeared in London for an impromptu (and cancelled) live gig. On Friday morning, May resigned as Prime Minister, and Tyler took time to gloat on Twitter with a simple message: "theresa gone, im back." See the tweet below.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a September 2015 interview with The Guardian, Tyler said he believed his ban was racially motivated. "I was starting to think that they did not like the fact that their children were idolizing a black man." He also called his detention at the U.K. border "one of the shittiest days I’ve ever had."

Tyler, the Creator's return to the U.K. coincides with his new album IGOR. Listen here, then read The FADER's review of the project.

ADVERTISEMENT
Tyler, the Creator celebrates resignation of Theresa May, who banned him from the U.K.