Lil Wayne Issues Official Apology To Emmett Till Family

After inciting public outrage from Emmett Till’s family for controversial lyric, Lil Wayne has issued an official statement to apologize for his actions.

Wayne offended the Till family on his unauthorized remix of Future’s “Karate Chop,” in which he rapped, “beat the pu**y up like Emmett Till.” Epic Records would eventually pull the song from the Internet and re-release it with censored lyrics. However, Wayne remained unapologetic throughout the whole ordeal.

Recently, the family has also tried to halt Lil Wayne’s endorsement deal with Mountain Dew. Much like when Reebook pulled their campaign from Rick Ross, the family hoped it would force an apology.

In Wayne’s apology, he acknowledges the pain he might have caused on the Till family. Then, he promises to never perform the song live or reference Emmett Till in future songs again. Read the full letter below.

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

[via Miss Info]