Tyler, The Creator banned from UK over lyrics

Rapper Tyler, The Creator has been banned from the United Kingdom for three to five years over lyrics he penned in 2009.

Founder of hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Tyler -- real name Tyler Gregory Okonma -- revealed the reason he cancelled his upcoming U.K. shows on Twitter Wednesday. The 24-year-old artist said he was just in the region last month.

"Tyler has been banned from entering the U.K. for somewhere between 3 to 5 years per a letter from the secretary of state for the home department of the United Kingdom," Okonma's manager, Christian Clancy wrote in a Tumblr post.

"The letter specifically cites lyrics he wrote 6-7 years ago for his albums Bastard and Goblin -- the type of lyrics he hasn't written since," Clancy said. "Highlights from the letter include that his work 'encourages violence and intolerance of homosexuality' and 'fosters hatred with views that seek to provoke others to terrorist acts.'"

Okonma isn't the first rapper to be banned from the United Kingdom, but he is among the first to be done so due to his past work.

"This is a broader issue of free speech," Clancy said. "With new lines being drawn that include reaching back in time without acknowledging growth. In fact, punishing growth. What I do know is Tyler is part of an argument that is counter to who he has become."

Contact Music reports Okonma had been accused of homophobia and sexism in the past due to his lyrics. Earlier this year, protests by a feminist group called Collective Shout forced the rapper to cancel his Australian tour.

A Change.org petition has been launched in support of the ban's removal.