The Till Family Was Outraged Over Lil Wayne Emmett Till Reference
On Future’s “Karate Chop (Remix)”. So Outraged That They Forced
Epic Records To Remove The Line Off The Track And Also Pushed
Mountain Dew To Drop Lil Wayn From Their New Campaign Simalar
To Reebok's Ending With Rick Ross So Due To Rick Ross Losing His
Reebok Deal Over His Controversial Lyrics, Lil Wayne Issued An Apology
To The Family Of The Chicago Teen Emmett Till Over His Verse
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
Lil Wayne
