Le1f ProfileCurrently touring the country, US rapper/producer Le1f has accused customs at Melbourne Airport of being racist.
The New York artist performed at Gaytimes Festival in Victoria last weekend before a quick detour to New Zealand and returning to Australia this week for more dates.
In a series of tweets, Le1f said he had been singled out multiple times at Melbourne Airport.
“A customs security at Melbourne Airport who's been singling me out when I enter Australia just did it again,” he said.
“I said as a black man, I go through it a lot. He said ‘keep using that black stuff on me, and I'll report you to my supervisor’ and that he'll make my life harder.”
He went on to say that he performs in Australia and “a number of other white-homogeneous or colonized lands” despite “blatant racism on a daily basis”.
“Y'all think I love Australia. No. I love to perform, to be with friends & to make money,” Le1f tweeted.
Melbourne Airport responded to the claims asking for more details, stating they “would like to follow up”.
The Music has reached out to Melbourne Airport for comment.
Le1f plays Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne next weekend; all the details of which you can find in theGuide.
a customs security at Melbourne Airport @Melair who's been singling me out when i enter Australia just did it again. I said as a black man, I go through it a lot. He said "keep using that black stuff on me, and i'll report you to my supervisor" and that he'll make my life harder.
— Khalif (@le1f) February 19, 2018
y'all think i love Australia. no. i love to perform, to be with friends & to make money. these are all things i can do in Australia as well as in a number of other white-homogeneous or colonized lands, and I choose to do so here at the expense of blatant racism on a daily basis.
— Khalif (@le1f) February 19, 2018
just because America is racist doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't. globally, colorism has been rampant since social darwinism inspired colonialism. being defensive about someone's experience of discrimination doesn't fix the problem, but implies you condone it.
— Khalif (@le1f) February 20, 2018
