360 Wants To Help Stamp Out Homophobia In Australia

As he gears up for a massive 2014 in which he will drop his third album Utopia, following on from 2011's smash hit LP Falling & Flying, Melbourne rapper 360 – real name Matt Colwell – has decided to speak out on the issue of homophobia, News Ltd. reports.

In an open letter published late last week, Colwell admits to being ignorant of the severity of some of the language he used in his lyrics

“I was so ignorant to just how offensive the word `faggot' is,” he writes. “Or how offensive it is to say something is 'gay' if you don't like it. I grew up in Ringwood. There is ignorant racism and homophobia everywhere, and I was surrounded by it there. People say those terms all the time and probably think they're not homophobic or racist, but they are. If you use the term 'faggot' you're holding everything back. Saying 'That's gay' is offensive. You might not mean it to be offensive, but it is.”

So, not only is he ceasing use of derogatory terms, he's using his influence on the youth of Australia to try and stop the prevalence of such language.

“People drop homophobic slurs every single day and it's fucking hurtful. I didn't realise that. Now that I do, I've been made to realise I'm in a position to actually change peoples' minds. I never thought I'd be someone who could influence young kids and the culture. I have to do it. I want to. I really want everyone to realise that.”

Recent work with Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns had helped Colwell adjust his attitude to such matters and it seems it has made him want to change the way people envisage him as a person.

“Daniel used to cop it so hard, people abusing him because he wore make-up in Silverchair and has gay friends. He thought it was awesome I'm doing this. His mates that are gay, they would never expect me to say these things. They probably expect me to be a bigot, people who saw my rap battles probably think that because I used that term.

"I didn't know what I was doing. But I want to stop it. I will never say that word again. If my friends say it, I stop them. If a friend puts it in their rap it can't be on my song. It's not just a word. It hurts people.”