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Mountain Dew Drops Lil Wayne Over Emmett Till Controversy

Lil Wayne’s apology for his Emmett Till lyric wasn’t enough to save his endorsement deal with PepsiCo‘s Mountain Dew. The company has officially dropped the rapper. The father of four teamed with the brand for an extensive DeWeezy Ad Campaign, announced last year. The split was said to be “amicable.”

From the Associated Press:

PepsiCo said in a statement late Friday that Wayne’s “offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand.” It declined to provide any further comment. A publicist for Lil Wayne, Sarah Cunningham, said in a statement that the split was due to “creative differences” and that it was an amicable parting. “That’s about all I can tell you at this time,” the statement from Wayne’s publicist said. The controversy erupted after Wayne made the reference to Till on Future‘s song “Karate Chop” earlier this year. He refers to beating someone during a sexual act and says he wants to do as much damage as was done to Till.

On Future’s “Karate Chop” remix, Weezy’s disrespectfully compared having s-x with a woman to the beating Till received in 1955. The 14-year-old was visiting family in Mississippi and was attacked for whistling at a White woman. Till’s mother famously refused to have a closed-casket service, letting the world see how her son’s face had been brutally dismembered by the White suspects cleared for the murder. Earlier in the week Wayne offered an explanation for the rhyme after Till’s family announced a plan to pressure Mountain Dew to fire him. Falling short of completely apologizing, the YMCMB rapper released a statement saying in part that he had “tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy.” Since he never actually used the word “apology,” “apologize” “sorry,” or anything close, the Till family rejected the statement.
via:hiphopwired

May 3, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: African American, Associated Press, Emmett Till, LilWayne, Mountain Dew, PepsiCo, Sarah Cunningham, Wayne Leave a comment

Emmett Till Family Rejects Lil Wayne’s Apology

Lil Wayne‘s “apology” to the family of civil rights icon Emmett Till was NOT REALLY AN APOLOGY … in fact, it fell way short … a rep for the Till family tells TMZ.
Earlier today, Wayne fired off a letter to the Tills … to “acknowledge” the hurt he caused the family when he compared Emmett’s violent death with the violent way he has sex with women. Nowhere in the letter did Wayne say he was sorry for what he did. Now, Airickca Gordon-Taylor — Executive Director, Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation and Till Family Representative — tells TMZ the family does not view the letter as a formal apology. “While it’s commendable that he has vowed to respect the legacy of Emmett Till and his memory to ‘not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in his music,’ this statement falls short of an apology, as none is mentioned.”

via:tmz

May 2, 2013May 2, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: African American, Civil and political rights, Emmett Till, Executive director, Family (biology), Lil Wayne, Mamie Till, Wayne Leave a comment

Reebok’s CEO Says Rick Ross “Has Stupid Advisors Around Him”

Rick Ross getting booted by Reebok is fresh on plenty of people’s minds today because of Lil Wayne sort of apologizing to Emmett Till’s family. Reebok’s CEO has commented on Rozay today, and he was very candid. During the FN (Footwear News) CEO Summit going on in Miami right now, Uli Becker mentioned the former Reebok Classics spokesman. “It’s unfortunate because he’s a great guy, he just has stupid advisors around him,” Footwear News reports, via a Twitter, that the Reebok CEO said. Damn. Rozay did bungle the “U.O.E.N.O.” lyrics controversy. Ross did offer a apology in a more timely manner than Weezy, who like the MMG rapper didn’t apologize until it became evident that not doing so could affect his wallet since the Till family saying they would pressure Mountain Dew to drop the rapper as a spokesman. However, Ross apologized three different times (the first on radio, the second via Twitter and the third through a press statement). However, it was too little too late as Reebok severed ties with him before the third apology, citing that the rapper failed to “display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse.” Safe bet Rick Ross will be paying more attention to his PR flacks advice moving forward.

via;hiphopwired

May 1, 2013May 1, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: Emmett Till, LilWayne, Maybach Music Group, Miami, Reebok, RickRoss, Ross, Twitter Leave a comment

Lil Wayne Suffers Another Seizure, Released From Hospital

Lil Wayne has got to chill. The YMCMB rapper has been hospitalized, and released, once again after suffering yet another seizure.

TMZ reports:

Lil Wayne was hospitalized again for a seizure … TMZ has learned. Sources close to Wayne tell us … the rapper was taken to Cedars-Sinai in L.A. late Tuesday night by his bodyguards. We’re told he suffered a single seizure and was treated and released early this morning. As we first reported, 30-year-old Lil Wayne spent a week at Cedars back in March after suffering multiple severe seizures that nearly killed him. He spent 6 days in ICU. Wayne subsequently went on the radio and explained he’s an epileptic, and has been suffering from seizures since he was a kid.

Earlier today, Weezy published a letter he sent to Emmett Till‘s family, sort of apologizing for the disrespectful lyrics he spit on Future’s “Karate Chop (Remix).” Although the song was released way back in February, many have pointed out that Tunechi did not finally respond to criticism for the lyrics until the Till family threatened to pressure Mountain Dew to drop the rapper as a spokesman. Lil Wayne is scheduled to headline the 2013 America’s Most Wanted tour, which kicks off July 9 in Birmingham, Alabama and runs all summer.

via:hiphopwired

May 1, 2013May 1, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Emmett Till, Epileptic seizure, Intensive-care unit, LilWayne, Rapping, TMZ, Wayne Leave a comment

Family Of Emmett Till Want Mountain Dew To Drop Lil Wayne Over Lyrics

The trouble between Wayne and Till’s family began when a leaked version of Future’ssong “Karate Chop” hit the net in February. “Pop a lot of pain pills/Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels/Beat that p*ssy up like Emmett Till,” Weezy raps in the song.

Till was brutally murdered in 1955 at the age of 14 in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman by the name of Carolyn Bryant. Bryant’s husband Roy and his half-brotherJ. W. Milam took Till, who was visiting from Chicago, from his uncle’s home to a barn where they beat him, gouged out his eyes and shot him in the head. They later tied him to a cotton gin fan and tossed his body into the Tallahatchie River. He was found three days later. When his body was returned to Chicago, his mother insisted his casket be left open so the world could see the brutality of his murder.

Epic Records, Future’s label, reached out to the family. Chairman and CEO LA Reidpersonally apologized during a phone call and promised to pull the song and remove the offensive lyrics. Wayne still has not issued an apology to the family. Now they are preparing to try to convince Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo, to drop the rapper according toAllHipHop. A similar outcry by UltraViolet resulted in Rick Ross losing his endorsement deal with Reebok.

via:thisis50

April 27, 2013April 27, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: AllHipHop, Chicago, Emmett Till, Epic Records, LilWayne, Mountain Dew, Rick Ross, Tallahatchie River Leave a comment

Rick Ross & Lil Wayne Music Pulled From Radio Station, Rozay Apologizes For Offensive Lyrics [Video]

It hasn’t been a good public relations year for Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, with both men under fire for lyrics that many say crossed the lines of decency. One radio station has responded to the popular rappers and their questionable output by pulling their music off the air.

WUVS -103.7 in Muskegon, Mich. has taken a stand against Rozay and Weezy, speaking against Wayne’s ill-advised use of Emmett Till‘s name in a punch line for a remix of Future‘s “Karate Chop” single. The station also checked Ross on his alleging date r@pe on Rocko‘s buzzing single “YounEEnKnoIT,” as well, in a released statement.

From WUVS:

Effective immediately Muskegon’s WUVSlp 103.7 the Beat has pulled ALL Lil Wayne and Rick Ross music from rotation. We pride ourselves on playing music that is non-degrading and non-violent. While we believe in freedom of speech, creative writing and individualism, we refuse to be part of the problem by spreading messages that could harm or end someone’s life.

According to a report from theGrio.com, two major petitions have been launched by activists using Change.org and RapRehab.com as their platforms. Rap Rehab founder and music rights activist Paul Porter addressed the situation in a comment. “The problem is not only with the content and date r@pe, but the problem is that it goes through a corporate structure,” Porter told theGrio. Several other stations are said to be following WUVS in pulling the Rocko record from playlists. Lil Wayne’s verse was edited and an apology was issued by his record label.

via:hiphopwired.com

March 28, 2013March 28, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: Emmett Till, LilWayne, Muskegon, Muskegon Michigan, Paul Porter, Rick Ross, Rocko, Wayne Leave a comment

Stevie Wonder Thinks Lil Wayne’s Camp Should’ve Stopped Him From Recording Emmett Till Lyric

Like many, Stevie Wonder is not happy with Lil Wayne’s distasteful use of Emmitt Till’s name, but he can’t seem to understand why no one warned the rapper beforehand. Wonder believes that rather than recording the lyrics, found on the remix to Future’s “Karate Chop” record, Weezy’s reference to the slain teen, should’ve never made it to the track. “You just cannot do that,” Wonder said. “I think you got to have someone around you that – even if they are the same age or older – is wiser to say, ‘Yo, that’s not happening. Don’t do that.’ “Sometimes people have to put themselves in the place of people who they are talking about. Imagine if that happened to your mother, brother, daughter or your son. How would you feel? Have some discernment before we say certain things. That goes for me or any other (song)writer.” Weezy has been criticized for equating “beating up” a woman’s insides, to the attack received by Till, a 14-year-old killed in 1955 for whistling at a White woman. Epic Records has decided to pull the track, vowing to re-release the song without the disrespectful line. The label reached out to Till’s family to personally apologize for the song. Wayne however has not yet offered so much as an explanation for what may have been an inability to comprehend how inappropriate the lyric was.

via:hiphopwired.com

February 15, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: Emmett Till, Epic Records, Karate Chop, LilWayne, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Stevie Wonder, Till, Yo-Yos Leave a comment

Epic Records To Pull Future’s “Karate Chop” Remix Over Offensive Lil Wayne Lyric

Lil Wayne caused controversy with a lyric on Future’s “Karate Chop” remix where he raps, “Beat that pussy up like Emmett Till,” eliciting a fiery response from Till’s family. According to Associated Press, Epic Records has responded to the backlash. After the Rev. Jesse Jackson reached out to Wayne’s management The Blueprint Group on the family’s behalf, the label has released a statement claiming that the remix was “unauthorized” and that it leaked online. The label promised to make efforts to erase the track from the web, stating that an official version of the song will be released at a later time that “will not include such references.” “We regret the unauthorized remix version of Future’s ‘Karate Chop,’ which was leaked online and contained hurtful lyrics,” the statement said. “Out of respect for the legacy of Emmett Till and his family and the support of the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. … we are going through great efforts to take down the unauthorized version.” Additionally, a Facebook posting on the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation last night said that Epic Records Chairman and CEO LA Reid personally reached out to apologize.

After learning of the reference on the song, Airickca Gordon-Taylor, the founding director of the Foundation and cousin of Emmett Till, spoke out on behalf of the family and branded the reference “disrespectful.” “We found it dishonorable to his name and what his death has meant to us as a people and as a culture,” said Gordon-Taylor. “It was offensive not only to us, but to our ancestors and to women and to themselves as young, black men. I just couldn’t understand how you could compare the gateway of life to the brutality and punishment of death. And I feel as though they have no pride and no dignity as black men.”

Till was killed in 1955 while visiting his family in Mississippi. He was beaten severely and shot in the head before his attackers tied a cotton gin to his body with barbed wire and threw him into the Tallahatchie River. Two white men were acquitted of the killing by an all-white jury.

via:hiphopdx.com

February 14, 2013February 14, 2013 by El-Matic Tags: Associated Press, Emmett Till, Epic Records, Jesse Jackson, LA Reid, LilWayne, Mississippi, Tallahatchie River Leave a comment

Emmett Till’s Family Responds To Lil Wayne’s Disrespectful Lyric [PHOTOS]

Over the weekend, Future dropped a remix to his “Karate Chop” track that features Lil Wayne. During his verse, Weezy dropped a disrespectful punchline that used the name of Emmett Till. The family of the then 14-year-old Black boy that was murdered in 1955 in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman is none too happy about said line.

On the “Karate Chop (Remix),” Weezy raps, “Beat that p-ssy up like Emmett Till.” For the record, the late Emmett Till wasn’t just beat up. After being kidnapped, he was beaten on throughout the night, shot and then tossed into the Mississippi River with a 7o-pound fan tied around his neck with barbed wire to keep his body from floating back up. Till’s corpse did eventually rise and was found a couple of day later by two boys fishing. Despite his head and face being heinously mutilated, his mother demanded to have an open casket at her son’s funeral so everyone could see what was done to her child. Till’s murder was a catalyst for the Civil Right Movement, which in turn helped Wayne maintain his lavish lifestyle today. Activist and scholar Dr. Boyce Watkins spoke to a representative of the Till family named Airickca Gordon Taylor. Said Gordon Taylor, ““I just couldn’t understand how he could compare the gateway to life to the brutality and punishment of death.” Wayne isn’t the first rapper to use Emmett Till’s name in a suspect line. In 2004, Remy Ma made an off color remark about Till’s face on Terror Squad‘s “Yeah Yeah Yeah.” Watkins and others are making a call to action about lyrics like these having ill effects on consumers.

ThyBlackman.com reports:

Rev. Jesse Jackson and his associate, Bishop Tavis Grant of the Rainbow/Push Coalition have spoken up on the matter, and I’ve promised to give them my support. Hip-hop music is one of the most powerful and persuasive art forms in the history of the world, and it is now being used to enslave the minds of young black people so that they might become food for the prison industrial complex. Lil Wayne’s reference to till is just the latest effort to dumb down black America and to produce messages that are nothing short of disgustingly toxic.

Many potential black male father figures have been extracted from our community and sent to the concentration camps of the prison industrial complex, given dozens of years for sometimes minor offenses. All the while, their sons grow up without fathers, and are taught on the radio how to get high and drunk every day, to kill other black men, and to disrespect the black women who raised them. Lil Wayne’s music is a reflection of this reality, as a man who is as brilliant as the great Malcolm X has been convinced to use his powers for evil rather than good.

You can see photos of Emmett Till (they are not for the squeamish) at his funeral Below, and there is nothing funny about them. Let us know what you think of Lil Wayne’s Emmitt Till rhyme and its potential ramifications in the comments.