“This is only gonna open a door for other people to get banned.”

Tyler, The Creator has spoken exclusively to The Guardian about home secretary Theresa May’s recent decision to ban him from the country on the basis of lyrics written several years ago.

According to Tyler, his ban from the UK started with him being held in a Border Force detention room, where he “felt like a criminal” and was showed lyrics from songs from 2009 album Bastard he never performs as evidence. An officer then handed him a document that said he couldn’t enter the country be cause he supported “homophobia and acts of terrorism.”

“Now [the UK government] are just followers,” Tyler continued. “Everyone is a follower, just following what other countries are doing. Now I’m getting treated like a terrorist. I’m bummed out because it’s like, dude, I’m not homophobic. I’ve said this since the beginning. The “hating women” thing – it’s so nuts. It’s based on things I made when I was super-young, when no one was listening [to my music]”.

The rapper also expanded on his earlier comments about the situation being an issue of free speech, saying: “This is only gonna open a door for other people to get banned. And then they’re gonna go after video games, and then they’re gonna go after movies, and we’re gonna live in such a sensitive world.”

In August the rapper’s Australian tour was also cancelled due to pressure from feminist groups.