Lil' Wayne has officially been dropped from an endorsement deal with Mountain Dew over controversial lyrics that he contributed to a remix of Future's "Karate Chop". Wayne's verse included a line stating, "Beat the p__y up like Emmett Till," comparing a sexual act to the historical 1955 beating and murder of a Mississippi teenage named Emmett Till.
Members of the Mamie Till Mobley Foundation, expressed immediate issues with Wayne's words, describing their reaction as "utter shock, disappointment and sadness." Later Wayne write a letter to the Till family taking responsibility for his lyrics.
"Dear Till Family:
"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."
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.
Lil Wayne
Unfortunately, Wayne didn't apologize quick enough because Mountain Dew and its parenting company PepsiCo. decided to end their ties with Wayne and dropped their joint "DeWeezy" campaign. "We do not plan any additional work with Lil' Wayne moving forward. His offensive references to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand."
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