Should Rick Ross have apologized because of some lyrics he wrote? Of course not, this is ridiculous! In his song ‘U.O.E.N.O.’, Ross openly describes a date rape with the following lines: ‘Put Molly all in her Champagne/ She ain't even know it/ I took her home and I enjoyed that/ She ain't even know it.’ This sparked outrage from people and activist groups, and this is again plain ridiculous!
Soon after, the sportswear company Reebok declared they would dump him since he hadn’t shown an 'appropriate level of remorse’. Predictably, apologies from the Rick Ross camp ensue on Friday morning:
‘Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the world. So for me to suggest in any way that harm and violation be brought to a woman is one of my biggest mistakes and regrets. As an artist, one of the most liberating things is being able to paint pictures with my words. But with that comes a great responsibility. And most recently, my choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my true heart.’
‘And for this, I apologize. To every woman that has felt the sting of abuse, I apologize. I recognize that as an artist I have a voice and with that, the power of influence. To the young men who listen to my music, please know that using a substance to rob a woman of her right to make a choice is not only a crime, it's wrong and I do not encourage it. To my fans, I also apologize if I have disappointed you. I can only hope that this sparks a healthy dialogue and that I can contribute to it.
William Roberts (a.k.a. 'Rick Ross').’
Blablabla,… Obviously, nobody is buying it, as this looks contrived, insincere, and just done to avoid losing a big money deal.
But there are so many idiotic things in this story.
First of all, aren’t most Rick Ross’ songs about glorifying murder, degrading women and taking drugs? I mean I’m no specialist but people should be used to it! You read the most abhorrent and choking sentences in rap songs, why was this more offensive than anything else going on in this world? How is this worst than Eminem saying in 'As The World Turns': 'All I wanted to do was rape the bitch and snatch her purse..'
Secondly, fat Rick Ross was the face of a sport brand? How ridiculous!
And third, when did songs start to be real life? This is fantasy, art, fiction, like movies and TV shows! Tarantino should be in big trouble in this case. I don’t appreciate Rick Ross for many reasons, but certainly not because his lyrics are potentially offensive. Actually I dislike him even more since he produced these fake apologies. What a phony!