The Albany Gazette - Rapper Criticises Theresa May During All Points East Performance

Tyler the Creator sported a red leather outfit reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s Thriller suit when he took to the stage at the All Points East festival on Friday night (August 28) but it was his pot shots at former Prime Minister Theresa May and his use of a Tube sign to show his love for London that will live in the memory. Headlining the festival on Friday, he will be back tonight (Saturday, August 29), he performed a slew of hits which included several that led to moshing in the crowd all while he moved around stage dancing continuously. He mentioned his ban by Theresa May in 2015 over controversial lyrics from his early albums, saying “thank God… Theresa May is gone” adding later “when they banned me that really changed a lot for me”, “she’s stupid and now I gotta prove she made a mistake”.

Then-Home Secretary banned him based on lyrics from his early albums Bastard (2009) and Goblin (2011) which meant he couldn't enter the UK to perform live until 2019. At the time a Home Office spokesperson stated: "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." On Friday night his set included a Tube sign saying Victoria Park which changed halfway through to say Hackney Wick when he was talking about his time in London.

He stated London was a “special place” and it’s “weird I was bigger in London first than in most parts of America”. He reminded Londoners that the first label he was signed to was XL Recordings with Adele as his label mate. He closed his set with his song See You Again which had the crowd still singing and dancing for some time after he had left the stage.

(D.Lewis--TAG)