PopGoesTheNews.com A Toronto concert venue is opening its doors to two controversial performers who have been widely criticized for lyrics that could contravene Canada's hate speech laws.
The Sound Academy is hosting a show Tuesday night by hip-hop act Odd Future featuring Tyler the Creator, whose hateful raps target women and gays. On Nov. 4, the club welcomes reggae artist Beenie Man, who sings about killing gays and lesbians.
Free speech is protected in Canada under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms but the Criminal Code prohibits speech that publicly incites hatred against an identifiable group or advocates the killing of members of a group based on colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
Free speech is protected in Canada under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms but the Criminal Code prohibits speech that publicly incites hatred against an identifiable group or advocates the killing of members of a group based on colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
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| Tyler the Creator |
Tyler the Creator (aka Tyler Okonma), who was voted Best New Artist at this year's MTV Video Awards, spews anti-gay lyrics on his album Goblin and uses the words "fag" or "faggot" at least nine times.
"I hate gays, gangbangers and fucking jerkers/Unless it's gay gangbangers that's fucking jerkers/Whoa yo, yo, no homo, I'm not gay, faggot," he raps. "Come take a stab at it faggot/I pre-ordered your casket."
He also promotes rape ("Fuck rap, I'll be a landlord so I can rape the tenants daughter/Leave my house with a new stomach and a baby in it."), assaulting pregnant women ("I'm shovin' blunt wraps in bitches ovaries/Punches to the stomach where that bastard kid supposed to be.") and murder ("Let's buy guns and kill those kids with dads and mom/With nice homes, 401k's, and nice ass lawns/Those privileged fucks gotta learn that we ain't takin' no shit/Like Ellen DeGeneres clitoris is playin' with dick.")
In one song, Tyler appears to talk about raping and killing a woman. "Compliment her tits and then it's off to hump her/Fuck her in a Hummer while I rape her/Then I put her in a slumber/It's not a figure of speech when I tell you that I dumped her."
In one song, Tyler appears to talk about raping and killing a woman. "Compliment her tits and then it's off to hump her/Fuck her in a Hummer while I rape her/Then I put her in a slumber/It's not a figure of speech when I tell you that I dumped her."
In May, Sara Quin of Canadian indie act Tegan and Sara took to her blog to publicly criticized Tyler the Creator: "When will misogynistic and homophobic ranting and raving result in meaningful repercussions in the entertainment industry? When will they be treated with the same seriousness as racist and anti-Semitic offenses? While an artist who can barely get a sentence fragment out without using homophobic slurs is celebrated on the cover of every magazine, blog and newspaper, I’m disheartened that any self-respecting human being could stand in support with a message so vile."
Quin accused the media of glorifying and excusing Tyler's misogyny and homophobia, as well as "the community of artists that doesn't seem remotely bothered by it."
(Tyler responded via Twitter: "If Tegan and Sara need some hard dick, hit me up!")
(Tyler responded via Twitter: "If Tegan and Sara need some hard dick, hit me up!")
Tyler the Creator has downplayed the messages in his music, telling NME earlier this year that he's not homophobic. "I just think 'faggot' hits and hurts people. It hits. And 'gay' just means you're stupid," he explained. "I don't know, we don't think about it, we're just kids." Tyler told MTV News that he has gay fans who don't find his lyrics offensive.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has criticized Tyler the Creator, insisting that anti-gay slurs are harmful. "They have the power to fuel intolerance and hostility," spokesperson Kimberley McLeod has said. "It's an irresponsible message for him to send to his young fans."
The sold-out concert at Sound Academy, which accommodates more than 3,000 people, is an all-ages event.
Beenie Man (aka Anthony Davis) has been banned in Britain and barred from the 2004 MTV Video Awards for inciting hate with lyrics like "Hang chi chi gal wid a long piece of rope" [Hang lesbians with a long piece of rope] and "Tek a bazooka and kill batty-fucker" [Take a bazooka and kill gay men]. Protests have resulted in his shows being cancelled in several countries, including Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
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