Inappropriate lyrics are causing rappers millions of dollars. The corporate companies that back them with big bucks are jumping ship quick!
Just weeks after Reebok dropped Rick Ross over his “molly” lyrics, Mountain Dew has now kicked Lil Wayne to the curb over his lyrics referencing civil rights figure Emmitt Til. The Mountain Dew DeWeezy deal was Wayne’s first major endorsement deal, and was orchestrated around the same time that Pepsi picked up Nicki Minaj for their global “Live For Now” campaign (which was later dropped when she signed on to Coca Cola sponsored American Idol.)
Earlier this week, after Emmitt’s family called for the PepsiCo company to nix Wayne’s endorsement deal, Wayne issued a semi-apology, which was rejected by the Tills.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Al Sharpton, who has been trying to arrange a sit-down with The Till Family, Lil Wayne and PepsiCo, says he hopes that the latest decision by Mountain Dew and Reebok is not looked at as punishment, but as a teaching moment for rappers.
Otherwise we’re just waiting on the next train crash instead of trying to really resolve our problem and learn from these experiences and set a tone in the country that’s healthy for everybody.
These companies pulling the plug on their deals with Wayne and Rick Ross will unfortunately affect other rappers. Corporate companies are going to be more afraid to give Hip Hop a chance, moving forward, in fear that something like this will happen again.
0 comments:
Post a Comment