PepsiCo has dropped troubled rapper Lil Wayne just 2 days after his publicist wrote an “apology” letter to the family of 14-year-old civil rights icon Emmett Till.
PepsiCo, which distributes Mountain Dew, said in a statement late Friday that Wayne’s offensive comparison of Till to a violent sexual act on Future’s “Karate Chop” remix did “not reflect the values of our brand.”
In the “apology” letter, the publicist wrote, “Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner.” and concluded with, “…my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community.”
But Till’s family dismissed the letter, saying it was a step short of an apology.
Pepsico had signed Wayne to promote Mountain Dew. The soft drink giant also sponsored Wayne’s upcoming “America’s Most Wanted” concert tour, featuring rappers T.I. and 2 Chainz.
The split came 2 days after PepsiCo removed a television commercial created by Odd Future frontman Tyler the Creator, featuring a goat reciting stereotypical slang phrases. The ad was criticized for being racist and for promoting violence against women.
According to a source, PepsiCo execs were “on edge” and “in an uproar” over Lil Wayne’s latest seizure on Tuesday night. The unnamed execs reportedly called Wayne a “PR nightmare.”
The rapper’s publicist, Sarah Cunningham (the one who probably wrote the “apology” letter), said that the “amicable” parting of ways was due to “creative differences.”
“That’s about all I can tell you at this time,” she said.
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