Cash Money rapper Lil’ Wayne is sparking more controversy after disrespecting a fallen Civil Rights icon in Future’s new song ‘Karate Chop.’
Lil’ Wayne, who is featured on the track, raps, “Beat that pu**y up like Emmett Till.” Lil’ Wayne can be heard laughing after uttering the line.
“Karate Chop” is not the first song Lil’ Wayne disrespected the slain Chicago teen.
Lil’ Wayne previously disrespected Emmett Till in 2007 on “Da Drought 3” mixtape in song “Swizzy.”
In “Swizzy,” Lil’ Wayne raps, “Beat up ya block yeah I get my Emmett Till on.”
These lines are highly offensive given the story behind Emmett Till.
Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year-old African American Chicago teen murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after allegedly whistling at a white woman. The teen was in the Mississippi Delta region visiting family members.
The event took place after Till allegedly showed friends a photograph of himself in an integrated school. Till said he had a white girlfriend to the young boys’ disbelief. Till was dared by some of the local boys to talk to a white woman who was running a store.
A few days later after the incident, the woman’s husband Roy Bryant and half brother J.W. Milam arrived at the teen’s great-uncle’s house and took him to a barn, tortured him and gouged out one of his eyes. They shot the Chicago boy in the head, tied a cotton gin fan around his neck with barbwire and threw his body in the Tallahatchie River. His body was recovered three days later.
Till’s mother held an open casket funeral for the world to see the brutal nature of her son’s murder. Bryant and Milam were brought to trial for Till’s death and later acquitted. A few months later, the two boldly admitted to killing the teen in a magazine interview. Bryant and Milam were protected by double jeopardy, which prevents a defendant from being charged with the same crime after being acquitted.
Lil’ Wayne’s disrespect of Till’s legacy is disheartening, especially during Black History Month. But this should be used as an opportunity to educate, rather than vilify.
There will be thousands of young adults rapping the lyrics to Wayne’s verse. Hopefully, someone knowledgeable on the story of Till will pull a young person aside and educate them.
Additionally, we hope someone will pull Lil’ Wayne to the side and educate him also.
What are your thoughts on the Lil’ Wayne line? Is it offensive? Sound off below
Listen to ‘Karate Chop’ below
Listen to “Swizzy” below
Want to #ShareYourKnowledge? Sign up to become a member of kollegekidd.com by clicking here.
For Updates, Be sure to Follow kollegekidd.com on Twitter @_KollegeKidd by clicking here.
You can also stay up-to-date by liking kollegekidd.com FaceBook Page by clicking here
