Lil' Wayne Dropped, Loses Mountain Dew Endorsement Deal Over Controversial Lyrics Concerning Civil Rights Figure, Emmitt Till, After Seizure And Hospitalization

Lil' Wayne has been officially dropped from an endorsement deal with Mountain Dew because of song lyrics in which he references civil rights figure, Emmitt Till.

The lyrics in question appeared in Wayne's contribution to Future's 'Karate Chop' remix, that was leaked in February, in which he raps about he he'll, "beat that p***y up like Emmitt Till," according to US Weekly.  Till was a teenager in Mississippi who, in 1955, was brutally beaten to death after allegedly whistling at a white woman.

These lyrics caused particular upset among members of the Mamie Till Mobley Foundation, which honors the memory of Till's mother as well as his haunting legacy, US reports.  They stated that the word choice caused them, "utter shock, disappointment and sadness."

The foundation released a YouTube video that reprimanded Wayne's crude use of Till's name and called for Mountain Dew to sever ties with him as well, according to MTV.  "We also support blocking and banning the endorsements," a representative of Till said on camera.  "I've maintained through February, Don't do the Dew.  His biggest endorsement is through Pepsi's Mountain Dew.  Stop buying it, stop lining his pockets.  People are outraged because they feel that he should apologize to our family."

Pepsi, the parent company of Mountain Dew, issued an official statement on Friday, May 3, that stated that they had severed ties with Wayne and had dropped the joint "DeWeezy" campaign that they had with him, according to US.  "We do not plan any additional work with Lil Wayne moving forward," the company said in the statement. "His offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand."

Fans on twitter seemed to be divided on Mountain Dew's decision to sever ties, according to RapFix.  Some applauded them for defending Till''s legacy while others saw the decision as negative censorship.

After the song had been released Wayne did, in fact, issue an apology.  "As a recording artist, I have always been interested in word play," he said in a written apology, first published by MissInfo.TV, according to US.  "My lyrics often reference people, places, and events in my music, as well as the music that I create for or alongside other artists. ...It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist's song has deeply offended your family. As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure."

He continued on to say that he would refrain from using references to Emmitt Till or his family in future songs and that he has "tremendous respect" for those who have made an impact on civil rights and "paved the way" for public figures like himself, US reports.

Airickca Gordon-Taylor, Executive Director of the foundation, responded to Wayne's apology in an interview with TMZ, according to MTV.  "While it's commendable that he has vowed to respect the legacy of Emmitt Till and his memory to 'not use or reference Emmitt Till or the Till family in his music,' this statement falls short of an apology as none is mentioned." she said.

The Mamie Till Mobley Foundation continued to strongly oppose Wayne and the Mountain Dew endorsement deal.  "Just as Mamie Till Mobley didn't endure the pain of losing Emmett Till alone, many people have stood in solidarity with our family, even if it wasn't the most popular stand to take," Airickca Gordon-Taylor, Executive Director of the foundation, said in a statement, according to US. "This decision was monumental, we commend Mountain Dew for taking action towards better social responsibility, and now I finally feel that we can exhale and focus on our beloved Mamie Till Mobley's charge... Let's get on with the business of positive thinking and living."

In addition to losing his endorsement deal this week, Wayne, who has a history of epilepsy, suffered a seizure last Tuesday night as well, Yahoo! reports.  He was taken to Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles and was released on Wednesday morning.  He has assured fans that he is fine.