Emmett Till's Family Rejects Lil Wayne's Apology

Family rep says the rapper's letter didn't contain an apology.

The family of Emmett Till is not satisfied with the apology Lil Wayne offered. Family rep Airickca Gordon Taylor, Executive Director of Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, pointed out to TMZ that Wayne didn't actually apologize.

"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," she said.

Weezy's letter to the family began circulating online yesterday (May 1). "It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist’s song has deeply offended your family," he wrote. "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 went on to explain that he "fully" supports his label's decision to pull the unauthorized version of the "Karate Chop" song that was made available and promised to not authorize one that would reference Till or the Till family. He said he has "removed" the reference from his "catalogue."

Earlier, a video from the family urged people to stop drinking Mountain Dew and demanded that the brand, one of Wayne's commercial sponsors, drop the rapper (like Reebok did with Ross after protesters rallied against his "U.O.E.N.O." lyrics). Though the Pepsi Co. subsidiary never responded to the Wayne controversy, the company recently pulled an ad for their campaign with Tyler, The Creator. That ad, like Wayne's lyrics, was criticized for being insensitive to racism and violence against women. 

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