T.I. Gulps Pepsi/Lil Wayne Lyrics Controversy: “[Weezy] Ain’t Mean No Harm” [Video]

Written By S. Samuel

Grammy-winning rapper T.I. recently weighed in on PepsiCo Inc.'s decision to severe ties with his pal Lil Wayne over controversial Emmett Till lyrics.

Lil Wayne
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While Tip could understand PepsiCo’s ultimate plan of action, he also rallied behind Tunechi and said Weezy meant no offense with his “Karate Chop” remix bars.

“Endorsements come from corporations,” T.I. said when asked for his take on controversial lyrics hurting hip-hop artists’ endorsement deals. “Corporations, that’s outside dollars. You know what I’m saying? That’s money that you would not normally be making if you were not associated with this brand. So if you’re going to be associated with this brand, you’re going to have to be associated with this brand and have them, you know, be associated with pride in whatever it is you do. So, it’s kind of like you got to be mindful of the things you say if you choose to take in money from outside sources. But me knowing [Lil Wayne], I know [he] ain’t mean no harm in what he said. He was just kicking flav. You got to really be in our life and of our lifestyle to understand how we can kinda unplug and — be on our own sh*t sometimes.” (“Hoodrich Radio”)

A few days ago, reports of Pepsi Co. Inc and the Till family planning a face-to-face meeting bubbled online.

PepsiCo Inc. officials will meet Wednesday with members of Emmett Till’s family and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton continued to press for the meeting last week after the company’s partnerships with Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator, of Odd Future to promote Mountain Dew sparked controversies. The meeting to be held at PepisCo headquarters in Purchase comes as an outcry over offensive lyrics increases. Reebok recently ended its partnership with Rick Ross for similar reasons. Sharpton said last week that corporations have a civic responsibility when deciding who they partner with. (Huffington Post)

The Pepsi/Wayne break-up news spread across the Internet late last week.

PepsiCo is cutting its ties with Lil Wayne after the rapper made a crude reference to civil rights martyr Emmett Till in a song. Lil Wayne, one of the biggest stars in pop music, had a deal to promote the company’s Mountain Dew soda. Earlier this week, PepsiCo also pulled an online ad for the neon-colored soda that was criticized for portraying racial stereotypes and making light of violence toward women. The ad was developed by rapper Tyler, the Creator. (Billboard)

Both Wayne’s camp and PepsiCo Inc. immediately issued statements on their publicized separation.

PepsiCo Inc. said in a statement late Friday that Wayne’s “offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand.” It declined to provide any further comment. A publicist for Lil Wayne, Sarah Cunningham, said that the split was due to “creative differences” and that it was an amicable parting. “That’s about all I can tell you at this time,” she said. (Mercury News)

Check out T.I.’s interview:

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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