New Zealand has reportedly lifted its ban against rapper Tyler, the Creator, and he is now set to headline Bay Dreams musical festival in January 2020.
This comes nearly eight years since the last time he performed in the country. New Zealand based outlet, Stuff, confirmed that Tyler’s visa has been approved and he “is no longer deemed to be a potential threat to public order and the public interest.” This follows the United Kingdom’s decision to lift its four-year ban on the 28-year-old back in May.
Tyler has been banned from New Zealand on two separate occasions. The first was back in 2012 when Odd Future was prevented from performing at the Auckland leg of the Big Day Out festival because of their “homophobic” lyrical content. However, they were able to play a separate solo headlining show instead. In 2014, the rapper was supposed to join Eminem at Rapture Festival, but they were banned from entering the country because Immigration New Zealand deemed them “a potential threat to public order.”
Tyler even referenced the ban on his 2015 album, Cherry Bomb. In his song Smuckers, he states “I got banned from New Zealand, whitey called me a demon/And a terrorist, God damn it, I couldn’t believe it.” The song also features popular rappers Lil Wayne and Kanye West.
The Bay Dreams festival will also feature artists such as Ella Mai, Halsey, and Gunna, with more to be announced. Revisit Tyler’s New Zealand ban reference in his song Smuckers below.
