By: Taren Vaughan
Lil’ Wayne got dumped by Mountain Dew, shortly after Rapper Rick Ross lost his endorsement deal with Reebok over the lyric that he rapped referencing the brutal beating of Emmett Till. And it caused much outrage to surface within the Black community as many felt that Wayne’s lyric was beyond disrespectful towards our history and the family of the late Emmett Till. After hearing Lil’ Wayne’s lyric about their deceased relative, the Till Family could not keep quiet as they penned a letter addressing Wayne, letting him know how they felt about the words he rapped. Wayne remained silent after the letter and as a result, the Till Family went straight after his pockets. And the message they sent out was heard loud and clear by Mountain Dew as the company cut ties with Wayne after he finally issued a statement for the lyric. Other rappers have weighed in on Wayne getting dropped by Mountain Dew and now Future, the rapper Lil’ Wayne collaborated with for the song, is now speaking out on the scandal.
“Karate Chop (Remix)” is Future’s song and in an interview that he did with Power 106, Future reveals his feelings about Wayne’s verse and he has a rather different view than most as the rapper says that he feels Wayne raised awareness with the Emmett Till lyric. He also claims people who didn’t know who Emmett Till was before now know who he is because of Lil’ Wayne:
“We did the song with great intentions. I know he did the verse for the art. But speaking on the situation, I can’t speak on it…I never thought it was going to get so much attention, you know what I mean? But I think overall, the whole situation, he did bring light in a positive way to what happened. Even though [Emmett Till’s family] might’ve thought it was negative, he brought positive energy to the situation because a lot of people don’t even know [who Emmett Till was]. My dad didn’t even know who Emmett was, he’s thinking I’m talking about Emmitt Smith. I’m talking about a lot of people around me, credible people, that you’ll be like, ‘Man, you don’t even know who Emmett Till is?’ He raised awareness to people who didn’t even know Emmett Till, to young kids who never even knew what happened to him…At the end of the day, he [Lil Wayne] brought positive light. When situations like that do happen, I don’t think he, in any way, form or fashion, did it out of disrespect towards the family.”
Peep the interview below and tell us what you think about Future’s perspective on Lil’ Wayne’s Emmett Till lyric:
Nothing but ignorance. These people don’t know who Emmett Till is because they don’t ever open up a book and READ. I’m disgusted.
Cosign!!! This goes to show how much we have lost touch with our own history!!!!! Sad state for us as a people to be in! And thats why they do not value themselves or their race because they do not understand!!!
It’s pretty sad when your own father is ignorant about one of the most significant moments in black history.
Agreed. All I can do is shake my head.
Totally agreed!!! At the end of the day when history is written, Lil Wayne will be a footnote in the realm of music, Emmett Till will still have more relevance as a catalyst for the Civil Rights movement. Future needs to go sit his ignorant a&* somewhere.
He should have kept his mouth closed. LOL.
Ignorance! Jesus please take the wheel! I’m so disappointed in the youth right now. How the hell do you not know who Emmett Till was? I just don’t get how disconnected these people are from black history. Sad.
What the hell? Future please sit down. if Lil Wayne taught people an important piece black history that they should have known already, our whole race really is doomed.
Ciara, please come get your man.
This is definitely one of those moments where it was best to say nothing. He meant well, but he sounded ignorant. If these kids and grown folks don’t know who Emmett Till is, they clearly aren’t reading enough books. I read about Emmett in high school. If you can be on the blogs everyday reading about celebs, at least read about your history.
If you don’t read, you won’t know who Emmett was. It’s as simple as that.
Pathetic. If these parents aren’t teaching their kids about the struggles of the black race that got us here today, I’m concerned for the future of our culture.
Damn, his dad is ignorant as hell. I’ll give a young person a pass, but an old fool is worse than a young one!
Oh well, thank you Lil Wayne for giving fools a much needed black history lesson. *rolls eyes*
FAIL.
Lol…exactly.
Future, please sit down. All he did was confirm that not enough black people read books or have an interest in their history. And that’s pretty sad.
This is the result of the public schools removing as much history on African Americans as possible from the text books. Things have changed since we were in school y’all. And if you didn’t go to a black school, you probably didn’t read about no Emmett Till. That’s why it’s the responsibility of the PARENTS to teach their young black kids what the books won’t teach them. Not just about our history outside of MLK and Rosa Parks, but also about the real world! We’re failing our children more than the public schools are.
This dude Future is just ignorant. And his quote shows his father is ignorant too. Generations of black folks are just passing this ignorance down their bloodlines and its sad how this is happening.
Ciara needs to get her man ASAP!
Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and now Future are going to make it even harder for corporations to have rappers endorse their brands.
This is so sad. No knowledge of ones own history. Ignorance at it’s finest………..It saddens me that the ignorant ones are the ones making all this money.
I agree!
IKR Im AMAZED HE SOUND LIKE A ZOMBIE SO OF COURSE HIS BRAIN IS DEAD N TO THE IGNORANT ONES MAKE ALL THE MONEY CHILE SHUT UR MOUTH U KNOW U SAID IT RIGHT!!!
Are you serious dude? How dumb is this statement he made. All I know brotha Malcolm X would have put him in his place for such ignorance. Oh yea lets not forget this is the same dummy that missed out on money cause his girl Ciara didnt like the limo. What a genuis
Read on and research African American history! My 13 year old brother knows who Emmett Till is, and he learned that years ago!!!! It is ok and cool to read a book.
And this is who Ciara wants? That makes her an idiot just like him. Plus this reinforces why I don’t listen to the crap that he and Lil Wayne and every other so-called rapper (for lack of a more fitting word) makes. Just stupid…
Read a book or better yet watch the movie you and your daddy!!!
I’m not sure if he was trying to defend lil shame (I mean Wayne) but he just made himself look so incredibly ‘ ignorant! So if your father didn’t know who Emmit Till was that makes it better? Or because industry people didn’t know who he was it makes it better? No, it just makes them as dumb as you. Future .. you already treading on thin ice, your not anything too special as far as your music is concerned. Stop doing interviews if you don’t have any intellect to share because this stupidity.
He just embarrassed himself, his father, and his circle. Who doesn’t know about Emmitt Till? If nothing else, they should’ve seen “Eyes on the Prize” as a child. His daddy is right ignorant.