The artist formerly known as still had something to smile about on Tuesday evening - just hours after the banned him from flying to the UK for a headline appearance at .
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Kanye West Laughs Off UK Travel Ban Drama
The artist formerly known as Kanye West still had something to smile about on Tuesday evening - just hours after the Home Office banned him from flying to the U...
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The controversial rapper, who now refers to himself as Ye, had been the marquee signing at Wireless, which has since been cancelled amid calls for the annual celebration of urban music to be indefinitely axed over its decision to overlook West's track record of anti-semitism.
While beleaguered organisers issued an apologetic statement on Tuesday, the man at the heart of the controversy appeared to be nonplussed during an appearance at a comedy club in .
A grinning West, 48, was onstage at local venue The Lab At Hollywood Improv, where he was joined by actor Deon Cole and comedian Ocean Glapion for an improvised set, during which he was lauded as the 'modern day ' for his contributions to contemporary music.
Taking to Instagram after the show, a star-struck Glapion wrote: 'Last night was one of the most amazing and memorable nights! Got to be on stage with 2 legends!!!'
The post drew an inevitably mixed response from followers, with one commenting: 'We shouldn’t normalize someone who sold swastika T-shirts and called himself a Nazi…'
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Kanye West still had something to smile about on Tuesday evening - just hours after the Home Office banned him from flying to the UK for a headline appearance at Wireless Festival
A grinning West was onstage at local venue The Lab At Hollywood Improv, where he was joined by actor Deon Cole and comedian Ocean Glapion for an improvised set
A second, referring to West's recent public apology and well documented struggle with mental health issues, added: 'I hope he finds his mental health, peace, and love... but he apologized right before .'
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Gold Digger rapper, who has used Nazi imagery and faced accusations of antisemitism, should never have been invited to .
The headline sets provoked calls for the rapper to be banned from the UK because of behaviour, which has included releasing a song called Heil Hitler and advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.
West made an application to travel to the UK on Monday via an electronic travel authorisation, but the Home Office , the Press Association understands.
West’s ETA was initially granted online before ministers intervened, it is understood.
The Prime Minister said: 'Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.
'This Government stands firmly with the Jewish community and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.
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'We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.'
A statement from organiser Festival Republic confirmed: 'The Home Office has withdrawn Ye’s ETA (electronic travel authorisation), denying him entry into the United Kingdom.
West was appearing onstage as beleaguered Wireless organisers confirmed this year's festival has been cancelled following the rapper's travel ban
The man at the heart of the controversy appeared to be nonplussed during his latest public appearance on Tuesday
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Taking to Instagram after the show, a star-struck Glapion drew a mixed response from followers while referencing West's appearance onstage
Wireless Festival announced it would be canceled as a result of West's travel ban on Tuesday
Wireless Festival was due to be held at Finsbury Park in London, but has now been cancelled
Presale tickets for Wireless Festival were released at 12pm on Tuesday and are believed to have sold out, while the general sale was due to open at 12pm on Wednesday.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which aims to protect British Jews from antisemitism, described the Government’s decision as “a sensible outcome to what has been yet another bruising episode for British Jews”.
Its statement added: 'Anti-Jewish hatred should have no place in society and cultural leaders have a role to play in ensuring that is the case.
'People who show genuine and meaningful remorse for previous anti-semitic behaviour will always receive a sympathetic hearing from the Jewish community, but that process must come before this kind of public rehabilitation.'
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said the Government had made “the right decision”.
In a statement, it added: “When it (the Government) said that antisemitism has no place in the UK, it backed up its words with action.
'Someone who has boasted of making tens of millions of dollars from selling swastika T-shirts and who released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’ just months ago clearly would not be conducive to the public good in the UK.”
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, had said the group would be willing to meet West if he pulled out of Wireless.
Rosenberg said: 'It has been less than a year since Kanye West released a song entitled Heil Hitler, the culmination of three years of appalling antisemitism.
'He also made a number of deeply offensive comments about the black community, saying that the 400-year experience of slavery was "like a choice".
'Even while claiming remorse today, his latest album includes a track first released last year with the abhorrent title Gas Chamber.'
He continued: 'The Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at the Wireless Festival.
'As such, we are willing to meet Kanye West as part of his journey of healing, but only after he agrees not to play the Wireless Festival for this year.'
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