By shelz.

Emmet Till was kidnapped from his family’s home in the middle of the night. He was beaten unrecognizable, tortured, shot, wrapped in a piece of farming equipment and tossed into a river. He was 14 years old.

No one was ever convicted for the crime; his punishment for whistling at a white woman. The lives of little black boys weren’t worth much to the courts back then. I see nothing much has changed, at least not in Lil Wayne’s world.

Someone in his camp finally had the sense to write a letter to the Till family on his behalf for his lyric comparing Emmet’s murder to his sex game as he sat somewhere smoking more than a magic show. but the Till family isn’t buying it and I don’t blame them.

Kanye West comparing himself to Till after people called him a nigger for hijacking Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech has come full circle. He went on to create a song that allows the same non blacks to call him a nigger with his consent. Guess it’s okay if you’re in Paris. Still doesn’t compare to Wayne’s thoughtless disrespect.

I just can’t with this dude and I’m glad my kid feels the same. The letter is below. Its tardiness is almost as offensive as the original lyric. It doesn’t even say, I’m sorry. That will be all.

Dear Till Family:

As a recording artist, I have always been interested in word play. My lyrics often reference people, places and events in my music, as well as the music that I create for or alongside other artists.

It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist’s song has deeply offended your family. 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.

Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner. I fully support Epic Record’s decision to take down the unauthorized version of the song and to not include the reference in the version that went to retail. I will not be performing the lyrics that contain that reference live and have removed them from my cataloge.

I have tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy. As a business owner who employs several African-American employees and gives philanthropically to organizations that help youth to pursue their dreams my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community.

Best,

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.
Lil Wayne