Epic To Pull Lil Wayne Song Containing Offensive Lyric

Epic is going to pull a Lil Wayne song because of an offensive lyric contained in the Future remix.

Leaked over the weekend, the song “Karate Chop” includes a disrespectful lyric referencing the horrific 1955 death of a young Chicago boy named Emmett Till. The offensive line drew the criticism of Till’s family, prompting Epic Records to issue an apology and remove the song.

The Associated Press writes that in 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured and shot in Mississippi. Till, who was African-American, was accused of whistling at a white female.

Till’s family was greatly offended by Lil Wayne’s degrading reference to Till in “Karate Chop.” On their behalf, Reverend Jesse Jackson contacted the rapper’s management, The Blueprint Group. The communication led Epic to pull the Lil Wayne song.

In a statement released Wednesday night, the label publicly apologized:

“We regret the unauthorized remix version of Future’s ‘Karate Chop,’ which was leaked online and contained hurtful lyrics. 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.”

E! Online writes that the Till family reportedly received a personal apology from Epic CEO L.A. Reid. A post on the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation’s Facebook page, named after Emmett’s mother, expressed the family’s feelings on the matter:

“Mr. Reid stated the song was leaked out and he had not heard the lyrics. He is a man of integrity that values our family’s legacy and wouldn’t allow such heinous usage of Emmett Till’s name or dishonor his memory. We have yet to hear from Lil Wayne’s camp and he is the one that said it! It was all I could do to hold back my tears while engaged in conversation. Thank you Mr. Reid for now I can exhale.”

Do you think Epic was right to pull the Lil Wayne song because of its offensive lyric referencing Emmett Till?