Epic Records Apologizes for Lil Wayne's Emmett Till Lyric
Lil Wayne’s lyrics have often skirted the fine line between awesome and offensive, but it looks like he may have finally stepped all the way over. Or at least that’s what Epic Records is saying — the label is trying to take down a new Future remix that features a Weezy line that offended the family of Emmett Till.
Over the weekend, a remix to Future’s "Karate Chop" leaked, and a Lil Wayne guest verse included the following line: "Beat that p---y up like Emmett Till." Wayne was referring, of course, to the 14-year-old black teen who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. His death became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement.
Emmett Till’s family later expressed their disapproval of the line, calling it "disrespectful," and Jesse Jackson even reached out to Lil Wayne’s management, The Blueprint Group, on their behalf. And Future’s label, Epic Records, is listening.
Yesterday, the imprint issued a statement apologizing for the song. "We regret the unauthorized remix version of Future's 'Karate Chop,' which was leaked online and contained hurtful lyrics," the statement read. "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."
Neither Jackson, Tills’ family, Future nor Lil Wayne have yet commented on the new development.
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(Photos from left: Wikicommons, WENN.com)