Lil Wayne sent a letter of apology to the family of Emmett Till for disparaging his name in a rap lyric, but was the apology sufficient? Or even an apology?
Lil Wayne's "Karate Chop" lyrics contained a degrading reference to the teen, whose 1955 murder became a watershed moment for the civil rights movement.
"It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist's (Future's) song has deeply offended your family," Wayne wrote in the letter.
Said the rapper, who suffered another seizure this week in L.A., "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," he added in an odd choice of words.
"Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner," Wayne's letter continued.
"I fully support Epic Records' 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."
Good enough? Not really, according to Till's family and their rep.
Airickca Gordon-Taylor, Executive Director of the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation and Till Family rep, says 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," she said.
"This statement falls short of an apology, as none is mentioned."
She's not wrong. Just saying.
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