Record Label Apologizes for Lil Wayne's Obscene Reference to Emmett Till - New York Times (blog)

Epic Records has offered its regrets and said it would go to "great efforts" to pull down an online version of a widely criticized track on which the rapper Lil Wayne makes an obscene analogy involving Emmett Till, whose murder was a crucial incident in fomenting the civil rights movement.

The track, a remix of "Karate Chop" by the rapper Future, features a brief appearance by Lil Wayne on which he performs a couplet that begins, "'Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels" and concludes with an obscene line referring to the fatal assault on Till.

Till, a 14-year-old black Chicagoan, was beaten, tortured and murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The white men charged with his kidnapping and murder were acquitted. Among other tributes, Till was later memorialized in the early Bob Dylan song "The Death of Emmett Till."

The "Karate Chop" remix had been criticized by the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, whose founding director, Airickca Gordon-Taylor, a cousin of Emmett Till, told The Chicago Sun-Times: "My agenda is not to be disrespectful to Lil Wayne, even as much as I feel he's been disrespectful to my family. We just want Emmett's name removed from that song."

Ms. Gordon-Taylor said the song "shows total disregard of where you've come from," adding: "He wouldn't even be out there rapping these stupid lyrics without the sacrifice Emmett made. Personally, I think Lil Wayne should just go ahead and apologize to my family. It's hurtful." Ms. Gordon-Taylor said she would also seek the assistance of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson.

In a statement reported by The Associated Press, Epic Records said, "We regret the unauthorized remix version of Future's 'Karate Chop,' which was leaked online and contained hurtful lyrics." The record label added, "Out of respect for the legacy of Emmett Till and his family and the support of the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.", it will go "through great efforts to take down the unauthorized version" and said the official version of the song "will not include such references."