Rick Ross Issues Formal Apology for 'Offensive' Lyrics
Rick Ross paid a hefty price when he was dropped by Reebok for his pro-rape lyrics. He previously tweeted a half-baked apology, but has now issued a formal statement addressing the controversial song “U.O.E.N.O.”
Women’s rights group UltraViolet called for Reebok to drop the Maybach Music mogul as its spokesman and organized an online petition, collecting around 100,000 signatures. On Thursday, Reebok officially severed ties with Rozay, which prompted backlash from some of his peers in the hip-hop community.
In the statement, a regretful Rozay owns up to his mistake and apologizes to women who have been abused. “My choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my true heart,” he wrote.
Read his formal apology below.
“Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the world. So for me to suggest in any way that harm and violation be brought to a woman is one of my biggest mistakes and regrets. As an artist, one of the most liberating things is being able to paint pictures with my words. But with that comes a great responsibility. And most recently, my choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my true heart. And for this, I apologize. To every woman that has felt the sting of abuse, I apologize. I recognize that as an artist I have a voice and with that, the power of influence. To the young men who listen to my music, please know that using a substance to rob a woman of her right to make a choice is not only a crime, it’s wrong and I do not encourage it. To my fans, I also apologize if I have disappointed you. I can only hope that this sparks a healthy dialogue and that I can contribute to it.”
–William Roberts (a.k.a “Rick Ross”)
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