Radio Station Pulls Rick Ross & Lil Wayne’s Music, Show Protested on College Campus

By: Taren Vaughan

Radio station pulls Lil Wayne & Rick Ross music? Rick Ross has managed to upset a lot of people with some of his new song lyrics  about date rape, striking a nerve in many of his female fans especially as they find his lyrics in the song “U.O.E.N.O (You ain’t even know it)” to be very out of order. Lil’ Wayne is in the same boat as people are still mad with him over the controversial rhymes that he spit where he referenced the brutal beating of Emmett Till that took place back in 1955. Seeing how enraged people were over his lyrical reference to date rape and getting boycotted by those who couldn’t believe that he really went there with his rhymes, Rick Ross addressed the controversy surrounding the song lyrics and said that he was misunderstood and that he doesn’t condone women getting date raped while Wayne has remained silent about the Emmett Till lyrics despite the letter that Till’s family penned to the rapper. Rick Ross’ public addressing of the anger that his lyrics caused wasn’t enough to change the mind of a local radio station in West Michigan though as they have decided to pull all of Rick Ross and Lil’ Wayne’s music from rotation as they say that they are not going to continue promoting degrading and violent music.

Here’s the statement from WUVS 103.7 The Beat:

“Many would say both rappers have taken their lyrical content too far and offended too many.  The family and estate of Emmett Till have released a statement of disapproval over Lil Wayne’s disregard and disrespectful lyrics. Though his record label issued a statement of apology, the rapper has yet to do so.  In the case of Rick Ross, a petition has been started over his blatant disregard for women and the issue of date rape. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that over 300,000 women are raped or sexually assaulted per year in the United States alone. That is a disturbing number and should not be taken lightly. His lyrics not only condone the behavior, but he boasts about it in the song.  While some feel it’s only entertainment, many feel it sends and encourages the wrong message.  Several individuals and organizations have taken a stand and so are we.  Effective immediately Muskegon’s WUVSlp 103.7 the Beat has pulled ALL Lil Wayne and Rick Ross music from rotation.  We pride ourselves on playing music that is non-degrading and non-violent. While we believe in freedom of speech, creative writing and individualism, we refuse to be part of the problem by spreading messages that could harm or end someone’s life.”

And if getting your music snatched from the radio wasn’t enough, activists are now wanting Carleton University’s student union to pull funding for the April 9th show that Rick Ross was supposed to put on for the university, part of the reason being because of the lyrics about slipping something in women’s drinks. Carleton Women’s Studies and Human Rights graduate Kira-Lynn Ferderber started up a Facebook page to denounce the upcoming show that Rick Ross was scheduled to perform. Speaking with the Ottawa Citizen, Ferderber says that Ross’ song is blatantly celebrating rape and that the students at Carleton have been attempting to increase the student body’s seriousness when it comes to rape:

“In the past couple of years, Carleton students have been trying to get the school to take sexual assault on campus seriously. The song itself is such a blatant celebration of rape.”

The University of Ottawa’s student federation has pulled out of the show and the Facebook page that Ferderber started, protesting against funding for the show, has 80 ‘likes’ so far.