The rap superstar issues a letter to the Tills after comparing Till's violent death to sex in his track 'Karate Chop', but the family says it falls short of an apology.
- May 2, 2013
AceShowbiz - It has been a month and a half now since Lil Wayne was first slammed by the family of Emmett Till for his derogatory lyrical reference to the slain civil rights hero in the track "Karate Chop". Now that the New Orleans rapper has finally acknowledged the hurt that he had caused the Tills by issuing a formal apology letter to them, the family says they are not satisfied with it.
"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," wrote Airickca Gordon-Taylor, Executive Director of the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation and the Till Family Representative.
Weezy's apology letter may have been prompted by the Till family's plea to softdrink giant Mountain Dew to cut its endorsement deal with the Young Money mogul. "Don't do the Dew. Stop buying it, stop lining his pockets. People are outraged because they feel he should apologize to our family," the Tills appealed to the company.
The Cash Money Records boss' woes started when he likened sex to Till's beating back in 1955, an incident that spurred the U.S. civil rights movement, in the remix of rapper Future's "Future Presents F.B.G.: The Movie" track. Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid had apologized for the derogatory reference and promised to delete the offensive lyrics upon the release of the song's official version.
