Tyle the Creator will lead various members of Odd Future at the 'Rapture' Another rapper who likes to use the word ‘faggot’ throughout his rhymes will be joining Eminem at his Auckland show. Tyler the Creator will lead an Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All ensemble at the 'Rapture' at Western Spring's Stadium on 15 February, replacing scheduled act Kendrick Lamar who has a scheduling conflict. The group was controversially removed from the Big Day Out line-up in 2012 at the request of venue owner Auckland Council, following complaints about misogyny and lyrics like ‘come take a stab at it faggot, I pre-ordered your casket’. The decision sparked a storm of controversy; with some angry at the censorship of the group, and many fans outraged they had bought a Big Day Out ticket and would not get to see Odd Future perform at the festival. The group did a solo show at another venue instead. Tyler the Creator has maintained he is not homophobic, saying he uses the word faggot because it "hits and hurts people". The headliner at this month's concert, Eminem, has made similar statements about his own use of the word in his new album, where he raps that he will ‘break a motherf**ker’s table over the back of a couple off faggots and crack it in half,’ and says ‘you fags think it’s all a game till I walk a flock of flames off a plank’. Eminem says the words from his persona Slim Shady who is a character he’s created to represent the worst of American society. He’s told Rolling Stone “the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender, at all”.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 3rd February 2014 - 9:34am