Manchester rapper Aitch has an album coming out soon, and his promotional team chose a sensitive spot for an advertisement. Following a social media uproar, Aitch has promised to “fix” a mural honoring Joy Division’s Ian Curtis that was painted over for an advertisement promoting his new album.
The mural of Joy Division frontman Curtis was painted by the graffiti artist Akse P19 in 2020 in collaboration with the mental health awareness festival Headstock UK. Aske posted about his work being covered on Instagram, explaining that the mural was supported by the Manchester City Council and other organizations as a mental health awareness initiative. “It doesn’t take much common sense to understand that this mural should have remained for what it represented and stood for,” the artist said.
Aitch tweeted following online backlash that this was the first he had heard of the advertisement, explaining that he doesn’t choose the location for billboards. “Me and my team are getting this fixed pronto. No way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian,” he added. Following his statement, Curtis’ bandmate, Peter Hook, thanked the rapper for agreeing to remove the advertisement. “Thank you @OfficialAitch great gesture,” Hook said.
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Revisit our ranking of every Joy Division song here. Hook and his current band, The Light, are in the midst of a North American tour where they perform Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures and Closer in their entirety. Tickets to those shows are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
I don’t just choose locations for billboards, this is the first time I’ve seen it myself. Getting fixed as we speak https://t.co/590M7Y4RNl
— Aitch (@OfficialAitch) August 16, 2022
Thank you @OfficialAitch great gesture. ? https://t.co/xKa32g8iWb
— Peter Hook (@peterhook) August 16, 2022
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