Rick Ross Apologizes To Fans, Reebok Over 'Rape Lyric' Outcry

[NelsonG]

By Maurice Bobb

Rick Ross, according to his last album title, God Forgives, I Don’t, doesn’t forgive like the man upstairs. But the MMG CEO may be changing his tune after taking to Twitter Thursday (April 4) to apologize to women’s rights groups--and women in general--in the hopes that they’ll forgive him for what they are calling pro-rape lyrics on “U.O.E.N.O.," where he rapped: “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.”

“I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS,” Ross tweeted just a few hours ago, adding, “Apologies to my many business partners,who would never promote violence against women. @ReebokClassics @ultraviolet.”

Protesters gathered Thursday at Reebok’s flagship store in New York City to protest the Bawse’s lyrics in the hopes that Ross, who has an endorsement deal with the sneaker giant, will be dropped from its roster of endorsers.

Ultra Violet, a women’s right group, claims to represent 400,000 men and woman who aim to “combat sexism everywhere,” and hopes to present over 71,000 signatures to Reebok urging the sneaker company to end ties with the "Touch'N You" MC.

“By holding Rick Ross up as something to aspire to, Reebok is sending the message that raping a woman is cool--and that's a dangerous message to send the boys and young men that Reebok markets to,” said Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet on the site. “This is what rape culture is. Reebok needs to know that we won't stand for this. Will you sign the petition telling Reebok that rape is NEVER okay and they should drop Rick Ross right away?”

Rozay tried to make amends for his lyrical transgressions before, when he addressed the situation during an interview with Q 93.3 in New Orleans.

"There was a misunderstanding with a lyric, a misinterpretation," he said. "I would never use the term 'rape' in my records and as far as my camp. Hip-hop don't condone that, the streets don't condone that, nobody condones that. So I just wanted to reach out to all my queens that's on my timeline, all the sexy ladies, the beautiful ladies that have been reaching out to me with the misunderstanding: We don't condone rape, and I'm not with that."

Ross also said that "Woman is the most precious gift known to man," but his followers are not buying his previous statements or his apology via social media. And judging by the negative outcry from people on Twitter, this may be the incident that finally does hold the rapper back.

@Vivaciously_Val "this is supposed to be an apology?? oh. RT @rickyrozay I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS"

@CLJB "You're my boo but do better. Do better."

@Christiana1987 "What you described was rape. No grey area here. Do better. “@rickyrozay: I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape."

@3RoseScott "Sis we didn't interpret anything, you outright say you're going to slide someone a Molly and she didn't eem know it. @rickyrozay"

?@MoreAndAgain "If you can't apologize properly #STFU is an option. RT @rickyrozay: I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS"

?@shakedancer "@rickyrozay problem here is that what you were describing is rape and there's no other way to interpret it."

?@BDAHT “Dese ni--as” might can’t hold @rickyrozay back, but “dem lyrics” doing a decent job right now."

@franklanzkie "Dawg you said you took her home, had sex with her & she didn't know it. That's rape my nigga. @rickyrozay"

@beauty_jackson "That's not an apology Wonder Boobs @rickyrozay"

@StephBMore "These fake ass apologies tho lol RT “@rickyrozay: I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS”

@lomonur "Interpreted as"? What a lame ass (non-)apology. RT @rickyrozay I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS"

@kim_tastiic "Ross only apologized because he was going to losing sponsors @DeeJayCess"

[url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2013/04/04/rick-ross-apologizes-to-fans-reebok-over-rape-lyric-outcry/]View the full article[/url]