American rapper Kanye West has been denied entry into Australia after the release of a controversial track in which he praises Adolf Hitler.
The decision was announced by Australia's minister of home affairs Tony Burke who cited concerns about promoting bigotry.
West, 47, released the song Heil Hitler on May 8 as part of his new album WW3. The track was widely condemned for glorifying Nazism and antiSemitic messaging, prompting several streaming platforms to remove it.
The release date was especially provocative, as it coincided with V-E Day, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 in Europe.
Speaking to ABC, Burke confirmed West’s visa had been cancelled after a review by immigration officials.
“He's been coming to Australia for a long time. He's got family here and he's made a lot of offensive comments my officials looked at again,” said Burke.
“I'm not taking away the way the act operates, but even for the lowest level of visa, when my officials looked at it, they cancelled that after the announcement of that song. We have enough problems in this country without importing bigotry.”
The Heil Hitler track contains disturbing lyrics in which West references personal grievances, including custody battles and financial restrictions, rapping: “These people took my kids from me and they froze my bank account.”
The song ends with a sample of a 1935 speech by Hitler.
Adding to the controversy, West posted a video on X featuring a group of shirtless black men draped in animal skins professing their love for Hitler, fuelling outrage online.
West has been embroiled in a long-standing custody dispute with his ex-wife, reality star Kim Kardashian.
The pair who finalised their divorce in 2022 share four children: North West, 11, Saint, 9, Chicago West, 7. and Psalm West,m 5.
Despite agreeing to joint custody, West has publicly claimed he has limited access to his children.
Adding a personal dimension to the travel ban is that Kanye is now married to Australian-born architect and designer Bianca Censori who was raised in Melbourne and has frequently travelled with West during his international visits.
Neither Kardashian nor the Kardashian-Jenner family have commented on the latest controversy.
As this adds another chapter in his increasingly turbulent career, global backlash continues to grow over his recent actions and statements.
TimesLIVE
Kanye West barred from Australia over antisemitic song praising Hitler
Journalist
Image: YouTube
American rapper Kanye West has been denied entry into Australia after the release of a controversial track in which he praises Adolf Hitler.
The decision was announced by Australia's minister of home affairs Tony Burke who cited concerns about promoting bigotry.
West, 47, released the song Heil Hitler on May 8 as part of his new album WW3. The track was widely condemned for glorifying Nazism and antiSemitic messaging, prompting several streaming platforms to remove it.
The release date was especially provocative, as it coincided with V-E Day, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 in Europe.
Speaking to ABC, Burke confirmed West’s visa had been cancelled after a review by immigration officials.
“He's been coming to Australia for a long time. He's got family here and he's made a lot of offensive comments my officials looked at again,” said Burke.
“I'm not taking away the way the act operates, but even for the lowest level of visa, when my officials looked at it, they cancelled that after the announcement of that song. We have enough problems in this country without importing bigotry.”
The Heil Hitler track contains disturbing lyrics in which West references personal grievances, including custody battles and financial restrictions, rapping: “These people took my kids from me and they froze my bank account.”
The song ends with a sample of a 1935 speech by Hitler.
Adding to the controversy, West posted a video on X featuring a group of shirtless black men draped in animal skins professing their love for Hitler, fuelling outrage online.
West has been embroiled in a long-standing custody dispute with his ex-wife, reality star Kim Kardashian.
The pair who finalised their divorce in 2022 share four children: North West, 11, Saint, 9, Chicago West, 7. and Psalm West,m 5.
Despite agreeing to joint custody, West has publicly claimed he has limited access to his children.
Adding a personal dimension to the travel ban is that Kanye is now married to Australian-born architect and designer Bianca Censori who was raised in Melbourne and has frequently travelled with West during his international visits.
Neither Kardashian nor the Kardashian-Jenner family have commented on the latest controversy.
As this adds another chapter in his increasingly turbulent career, global backlash continues to grow over his recent actions and statements.
TimesLIVE
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