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Lil Wayne Apologizes

There is a long scroll of offensive Lil Wayne lyrics for which we will never hear an apology. Such lines like “But you like a b*tch with no a**, you ain’t got shit,” or the popular reference “Rodney King. Baby girl. Beat it like a cop.” But, his lyric about Emmett Till, on the song “Karate Chop” didn’t go over so well.” “Beat the pu**y up like Emmett Till,” he rapped.

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Emmett Till’s family immediately spoke out against the controversial verse and even recently called for Wayne to be dropped from his Mountain Dew endorsement deal. This may have prompted Wayne to come out and issue an apology. The letter(below), obtained at Vibe.com, is a step in the right direction for Wayne and rap. Rick Ross faced similar scrutiny for his lyric about date rape. Unlike Ross, Wayne’s admits fault in his apology and expresses understanding for his wrongdoings. He even vows to never use a line like it again.

Dear Till Family:

As a recording artist, I have always been interested in word play. My lyrics often reference people, places and events in my music, as well as the music that I create for or alongside other artists.

It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist’s song has deeply offended your family. As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your hurt, as well as the letter you sent to me via your attorneys.

Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner. I fully support Epic Record’s decision to take down the unauthorized version of the song and to not include the reference in the version that went to retail. I will not be performing the lyrics that contain that reference live and have removed them from my catalogue.

I have tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy. As a business owner who employs several African-American employees and gives philanthropically to organizations that help youth to pursue their dreams my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community.

Best,

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.

Lil Wayne

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