Pepsi will drop rapper Lil Wayne after he made a crude reference to civil rights martyr Emmett Till in Future’s song “Karate Chop, released in February. The reference to Till, a 14 year old boy who was tortured and lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman in 1955, drew criticism from various sources including fans, Lil Wayne’s record label, fellow musicians, and the Till family.
Pepsi’s dropped the YMCMB artist days after an advert for Mountain Dew was described as the most racist commercial in history. The commercial featured Felicia the Goat, who attacks a white waitress after she fails to bring large amounts of Mountain Dew. Felicia eludes the police in the second spot and then, in the final commercial, Felicia is seen standing in a police lineup with five black men. The battered waitress is intimidated by Felicia and runs out of the police station screaming.
Wayne sent a letter of apology to the family, but it was not regarded as an apology because they felt it wasn't formal enough. The 30 year old has been pressured to make a statement to the family because of the ongoing negative publicity and attention which has affected his endorsement with Mountain Dew. As of today, that endorsement with Mountain Dew is no more. Pepsi, which produces the popular soda, has dropped Lil Wayne. In a statement released , they said
Wayne’s offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand.
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