Hold up Lil Wayne
Someone needs to school Lil Wayne. You don't make rap songs using the late Emmett Till's name in a sexual reference. Emmett was just a 14-year-old black boy when he was fatally brutalized after whistling at a white woman while visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955. Outrage over his killing and how his murderers were allowed to go free helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.
Hold up Lil Wayne
Jenice Armstrong, Daily News Columnist
Someone needs to school Lil Wayne.
You don’t make rap songs using the late Emmett Till’s name in a sexual reference. Emmett was just a 14-year-old black boy when he was fatally brutalized after whistling at a white woman while visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955. Outrage over his killing and how his murderers were allowed to go free helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.
I guess Lil Wayne thought he was being clever when he worked Emmett’s name into his new song “Karate Chop.” But the way he did it was so vile that I'm not going to print it. I know he's an entertainer and performers like to push the boundaries. But what happened to Emmett came to symbolize what was wrong with the Jim Crow south. To trivialize that in such a crude way is offensive. I'm glad the Rev. Jesse Jackson has stepped in as if to say hold up young son. The Associated Press is reporting that Emmett’s remaining family objected and that Jackson reached out to Wayne’s management, The Blueprint Group. Epic Records has apologized.
“We regret the unauthorized remix version of Future's 'Karate Chop,' which was leaked online and contained hurtful lyrics," it said in a statement. "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."
Epic will release an official version of the song that "will not include such references."
I reached out to Simeon Wright, Emmett’s cousin, who was with him when he whistled at the woman, but the call wasn’t picked up.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jen, you don't say anything when Jay Zeeee or Kanye call women b*tches in their music. they do it all the time. Jesse Jackson? tell that crying hypocrite to wear a condom before making more babies with young ladies. and by writing about this, you've helped Lil' Wayne sell more music on iTunes. good job Jen.— Tyrone Biggums- Lil' Wayne is a talentless fraud with fake teardrop tattoos and far more media attention than musical merit. Meanwhile, most of the true visionaries of rap music are either dead or long forgotten.— Ino_Karate
- As it should be - just keep worrying about what vulgar nursery-rhymers have to say and leave running the real world to people with brains and morals.— jimbob
Read more from Jenice Armstrong at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green."
Reach Jenice at armstrj@phillynews.com.
