Tyler, The Creator Banned From Australia? Rapper's 'Misogynistic Hate Speech' Cited By Activists

Los Angeles rapper Tyler, The Creator tweeted Monday that he might be banned from entering Australia. If true, he would have to cancel his September tour, which had him scheduled to perform in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Collective Shout, an activist organization fighting the objectification of women, demanded that Immigration Minister Peter Dutton ban the 24-year-old rapper’s entrance into the country. The organization accused Tyler’s music of promoting and glorifying violence against women.

"While his activities are therefore commercial, the content of the product [Tyler] sells propagates discriminatory ideas about women and other groups, and represent a danger to a segment of the Australian community on the potential basis of incitement to acts of hatred,” the group wrote in a letter to Dutton, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Collective Shout claimed that Tyler’s music contains lyrics that are "misogynistic hate speech” and that his songs implied or explicitly referred to rape, holding women captive and murderous violence. The organization asked for a ministerial revocation of the rapper's visa.

A statement from the Department of Immigration and Border Control said that a decision has not been made yet regarding the rapper’s visa status. The Department also recognized that freedom of speech was not absolute for visitors of Australia, and that they can deny a person’s visa on certain grounds.

“In cases where a person is assessed as representing a risk that they may vilify or incite discord, or otherwise represent a danger to the Australian community, a person may be refused a visa,” the statement said.

Tyler, The Creator is no stranger to controversy. In 2014, officials banned him and his rap group, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, from entering New Zealand. The group was scheduled to perform at Eminem’s Rapture Festival in Auckland but was blocked from entering the country. The musicians were "deemed to be a potential threat to public order and the public interest for several reasons, including incidents at past performances in which they have incited violence,” according to a statement from country officials, the Guardian reported.

Authorities had also become aware of a 2011 incident in Boston during which witnesses claimed Odd Future members incited fans to attack police officers.