Rick Ross Issues Formal Apology For 'Date Rape' Lyrics

After an online petition by women's rights organization 'UltraViolet' caused for Reebok to fire Rick Ross as their spokesmen, the Maybach Music superstar has issued a more in-depth apology

Women’s rights group UltraViolet called for Reebok to drop the Maybach Music mogul as its spokesman and organized an online petition, collecting around 100,000 signatures. On Thursday, Reebok officially severed ties with Rozay, which prompted backlash from some of his peers in the hip-hop community.

In the statement, a regretful Rozay owns up to his mistake and apologizes to women who have been abused. “My choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my trueheart,” he wrote.

Read his formal apology below.

“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 paintpictures 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”)

Source: Rap-Up