Tyler, The Creator and his LA-based fashion collective Golf Wang have just dropped a new Spring/Summer collection, but of course it wouldn’t be a Tyler production without a little controversy. As the Odd Future rapper has explained today, he’s using his new designs to take the power back from the racists and homophobes of the world.
Taking to Golf Wang’s Tumblr page, Tyler has shared his thought process for one of the collection’s main pieces — a T-shirt (pictured) which re-appropriates the “White Pride World Wide” logo into “Golf Pride World Wide”.
In a lengthy post (below), Tyler says the idea for the shirt and its new logo came to him after reading up on neo-nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and white nationalists.
“I asked myself some questions,” Tyler writes. “What if a black guy wore this logo on a shirt? Would he be promoting self hate? Would he be taking the power out of a shape? What if a gay guy wore this on a shirt? Would he promoting Homophobia?”
He then details how elements of the shirt, such as the rainbow, the inclusion of a white guy wearing the shirt and the hand-holding, add up to something “which to some degree HAS to piss off the guys who takes this logo serious”.
Tyler also uses the post to clear the air over accusations of homophobia which have followed him throughout his career, which have largely been due to his lyrics.
“Again, trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD,” Tyler writes.
“I mean, i’m legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth but, most people just read the surface.”
In 2013, Tyler and the Odd Future crew copped some backlash from OFWGKTA alumni Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians, who called out Golf Wang clothing which prominently featured a stereotypical blackface or “darky” image.
Tyler has taken a very different approach with this new collection, or, at least, an approach which will offend a different section of society.
Golf Wang’s new collection does take some visual inspiration from Tyler’s latest album, Cherry Bomb. Highlights of Tyler from the collection are available to view below, with the full spread expected to be available on the Golf Wang website shortly.
Read Tyler’s full statement and see highlights from the collection, below.
Tyler, The Creator’s Statement (Via Tumblr):
It was a period in time where all i wanted to do was read about different dictators across the world. The way that one man could control so many brains always intrigued me. This opened a door to a lot of things, one of them being the Nazi regime during the 40s. Soaking my brain with as much info as i could on the subject, i pondered to myself if there was anyone still pushing this Nazi propaganda during these days? That is when i came across Neo-Nazis, The Ku Klux Klan and The White Nationalist Community. To make it simple, its just a group of Caucasians who take pride in being white. Nothing wrong with that correct? But the weird thing is that its primarily supported by White Supremacist organizations.( KKK, Aryan Nation, Etc)
Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that these guys aren’t fans of Blacks, Gays, Asians or anything else that doesn’t fit in “white” box.Now having the thought process that i have, i asked myself some questions: What if a black guy wore this logo on a shirt? Would he be promoting self hate? Would he be taking the power out of a shape? What if a gay guy wore this on a shirt? Would he promoting Homophobia?
Then BAM! I Had it. Throw a little rainbow in the logo ( i still wonder, who was the guy that said a rainbow is the gay symbol? thats another article stay tuned) and take a photo with a white guy in it and we have an amazing photo. The thing that tops it off is the homo erotic tone of the hand holding, which to some degree HAS to piss off the guys who takes this logo serious. This made the photo even more important to me, because it was me playing with the idea of taking the power out of something so stupid. Or maybe my whole idea on this is stupid. Who knows, but why not try it out?
Also, ever since my career started, ive been labeled as a homophobe, simply because of my use of the word faggot. Again, trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD. I mean, i’m legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth but, most people just read the surface. But maybe someone will see this photo and say “ hey, he’s just mocking gays” or “ this has a negative undertone to it, he is still pushing this homophobic whatever the fuck it is”.
What ever it is, i just wanted to give you guys some background info on the design before you purchase the shirt. You should know what you are wearing. be safe, love.
RACISM FUCKING SUCKS golfwang.com – Tyler
Golf Wang Spring/Summer 2015 Collection Highlights (Via Golf Wang)
