Warning: This post contains graphic language and descriptions.
Organizers of Toronto's NXNE festival have cancelled a show by hip hop artist Action Bronson at Yonge-Dundas Square following a petition that said his lyrics glorify gang rape.
"A significant number of Torontonians have indicated their desire to have Action Bronson not perform at the Square," said a statement issued Friday. "As annual guests in this space we feel we must accede to the strong wishes of the community and honour their input."
The cancellation comes after a petition called on NXNE to cancel the show at that venue, saying lyrics in his 2011 song "Consensual Rape" constituted "hate speech."
The lyrics read as follows:
"Then dig your shorty out cuz I geeked her up on molly,
Have her eating dick, no need for seasoning.
If seven dudes are in the room then she's pleasing them
Like a trooper. Hit her in the pooper. Throw her in the shower.
Then I take her out to Lupa I'm kinky, I'll hit it even if it's stinky.
Put em in the shower, make the pussy brand new Ran through.
Give 'em money what I can't do Stuff her lunchbox & burn her with the candle."
The petition had gathered almost 38,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon.
The city's mayor, John Tory, had also expressed his desire to cancel the concert earlier this week.
"I certainly registered with [organizers] that we just can't have that sort of thing happening on public spaces. It's not consistent with the city's own policy for Yonge-Dundas Square," CTV reports.
And while NXNE organizers have agreed not to have the artist perform at Yonge-Dundas Square, which they call the "city's space," they hope they can convince him to play during the festival at a ticketed venue.
"We hope that this series of events does not foster some type of artistic chill in Toronto and its public spaces," NXNE's statement read. "Yonge-Dundas Square must remain a dynamic place where many viewpoints are expressed not just culturally but also at political events and rallies staged there."
Action Bronson himself, birth name Ariyan Arslani, tweeted Wednesday that he had been banned from the festival.
But that tweet was later deleted, according to Metro Toronto.
He had also apparently tweeted the following on Wednesday: "It's so funny the song that is causing these Torontonians to have their panties in a bunch literally has never been performed, ever."
That tweet also no longer appears on his feed.
However these ones still do.
NXNE's organizers went on to say that the debate around Action Bronson "continues an important conversation about violence against women and its depiction in art and culture that is long overdue.
"We salute all of those who fight this battle and we would encourage everyone who has signed the petition or been engaged by this conversation to commit themselves personally to continuing the fight against violence against women," they said.
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