Rick Ross Responds To Reebok, Releases Formal Apology Statement

    Less than 24 hours ago, Rick Ross was dropped from an endorsement deal with shoemaker and apparel brand Reebok. Following a two weeks of protests and apologies song lyrics (“U.O.E.N.O.”) interpreted as condoning rape, The Miami, Florida-based rapper was dismissed due his “values” not coinciding with the brands. In the wake of yesterday’s news (April 11) the Maybach Music Group founder has released the following statement, according to HotNewHipHop.com:

    “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 paint pictures 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”)

    Additionally, the star went on his Twitter to thank Reebok, wishing the brand further success:

    RELATED: Slim Thug & Earl Sweatshirt Criticize Reebok For Dropping Rick Ross

    266 thoughts on “Rick Ross Responds To Reebok, Releases Formal Apology Statement

    1. Reebok need to pick up the phone and call Ja Rule right now! True sneakerheads will totally cop a Reebok classic remix with the undisputed ruler of hiphop…..Baby!

    2. Oh yeah, NOW Rozay is conscious. Give it a day or two, he’ll be back to “money, bitches, and guns”

    3. If he were to reflect his true heart, he would be rapping about his police life and discouraging crime.

      1. He wasn’t a cop cop, you cyber idiot. One year as a C/O at 19. Imagine if Ross looked in your closet. What dark secrets would he find, huh Erik Estrada?

    4. His statement left me speechless.never thought a rapper like ross could write something like that IF he did then good for him

      1. C’mom bruh… You should already know how this type of shit goes down. He gets his publicist or hires a Public Relations firm to craft a sincere apology statement. I don’t believe for one second that Ross wrote this, or that he is even sincere. If he was sincere about regretting the lyric, he wouldn’t have waited until the issue hit his pockets to show any remorse for it. I’m one of his fans that he really disappointed by not handling this like the “real” nigga he says he is.

    5. I didn’t agree with the lyrics when I first heard them. I can’t speak on what Ross was thinking when he wrote those lyrics or if he is sorry or not because I am not him. With that being said I guess Ross will now be the new “Chris Brown”…Everybody Hate’s Will.

    6. i apologized now give me back my deal and play my song (Boxe Chevy) on the radios, Roozaaaaaay! #BAWSE!

    7. cant be mad about that apology. got kicked off and instead of airin them out, understood.. one of the only things i c an say i respected about dude

    8. Exactly THIS a couple of days or weeks earlier, and he’d be out of trouble.
      Instead of repeatedly saying the lyrics were misinterpreted…

    9. “As an artist, one of the most liberating things is being able to eat mad pizzas” #firstdraft

    10. “I don’t believe for one second that Ross wrote this, or that he is even sincere”

      You’re acting like one of his victims. He made a mistake, and apologized for it. Seriously… Be a real man and move on with what sounds like a pathetic life for you.

    11. at the end, this has made so many headlines about Rick Ross. in a way, he took a W on this one. rappers love controversy, and controversy loves them

      1. Naw this aint’ the same…NOBODY LIKES CONTROVERSY THAT COSTS THEM MONEY….Ross next albums sales are going to tank….just watch…not that they were ever that great anyway..but you get what i’m saying

      2. ETK has half a point… and half a brain… but that’s neither here nor there…

        The rest of the point is; RAPE controversy, just slightly below paedophilia on the negative PR list, is the worse controversy to be associated with.

        Damage limitation from the label will be in overdrive mode!

        And I’m out..

    12. rick ross did not write that… he isnt that articulate so i cant gauge if he is being sincere but it had to be done to help stop the bleeding of his public image…so hey guess this is the best we’re gonna get.

    13. NOTHING WILL EVER MAKE YOU PEOPLE SITTING ON YOUR COMPUTER HAPPY. THE MAN GAVE AN APOLOGY, TAKE IT & MOVE ON. GET FUCKIN LIVES & LIVE THEM, QUIT WORRYING BOUT WHAT THIS MAN IS DOING & DO YOU.

      1. yet you’re worrying about other ppl. GET A FUCKIN LIFE & LIVE IT QUIT WORRY BOUT WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING & DO YOU

    14. “God Forgives, I Don’t”

      Yet again rick ross contradicts himself and everything he says he stands for. Fakest rapper in history next to tyga

    15. I just got paid $6784 working off my laptop this month. I was shocked when my neighbor told me she was averaging $95 p/h, and she convinced me to try. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out. The potential with this is endless. This is what I do, Wow55.COM

    16. REEBOK DROPPED HIM FOR IMAGE PURPOSES that’s it, they don’t want that outside their store, especially since they made 3 quarterly LOSSES, THEY COULDN’T CARE LESS ABOUT WHAT HE SAYS, ITS ALL ABOUT THE DOLLAR$$. How many people have actually lived with Ross or been around him his whole life, or seen how he lived before hiphop? how many get their info from news outlets or what 50 cent said? DON’T ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ or HEAR! How are people still so naive!! WAKE UP!

      I bet you all think the earth is still flat too!! doughnuts!

    17. Like I believe this nigga has the capability of putting together a coherent paragraph like this. More like Rick Ross’s publicist releases formal apology on behalf of Rick Ross.

      For real though, somebody please revoke this fake ass CO’s “bawse” card. This nigga not only got punked out of a concert by some GD’s, he was forced to apologize for a lyric he said after the fact he was fired. Doesn’t sound like “bawse” shit to me. Nigga probably in the bed with a box of tissues and a half gallon of haagen dazs as we speak. Weak ass nigga.

    18. So someone who can’t even put spaces after his sentences can write an apology worded as such? Okay. Forgiven.

    19. Ok… how did Ross know it was against the law?? Thats right, he helped watch over cats that did, are accused of doing that same shit… Dude, stop. Your heart is not wanting to get shot at… your heart was missing for a minute and forgot that abuse was wrong… cause that brain of your’s is trying to run game… but your heart ain’t in it. Be honest for once and just sit back in the in the office and let them REAL cats that do this rap thing.

      You have officially made yourself a laughing stock… “Nah, not me getting that award to oversee””… “Not my name that I took and made my life reflect in song”… “Not my intent to bring harm to harm the most cherished women in the world.” Christ… STOP!

      I’m not a fan at all but I will respect the hustle game. You were old when you started this rap career. I would have loved to have done what you have done but you went wrong in trying to tell the story of others and come to find out your former hobbies… dudes who are correctional officers hang with cops and the like… I can’t can’t dig a pig.
      I give you credit for doing something I only dreamed about… but I would have been true to my position and not make it than to lie and make. You made your bed… enjoy the rest.

      Peace goes out.

    20. people get offended over anything you say nowadays. i wish he would not have apologized and came out with a statement referring to our civil liberties instead. not condoning the lyric, but molly is not a date rape drug regardless so this whole thing is beyond silly. go listen to the marshall maters lp if you want to hear a lot worse, this controversy surrounding this is so stupid

      1. ^ You right, they can’t drop him he aint broke the contract, they will just switch him up for bit..

      1. Ayo what is this peanut butter jelly with no bread. Huh! What’s this filth? Niggas asking me which label I’m signing to. I’m the CEO of Diplomat Records, I sign myself. Get your cake right!

      2. My flow is novocaine, my bars is hurricanes (Katrina)
        I got hell-a cain, mac in the melon range
        Hop out and shells exchange
        I wanna see these niggaz die die, make they mom feel hell-a pain
        Walk around like I got a broom in my pants
        Na that’s a fuckin’ A-K, heavy tool in my pants, damn
        Man these cowards better stay in they lane
        And if they ain’t getting the picture, it ain’t in the frame
        VVS’s stay in my chain (bling) they in my ring (There they go)
        You must of wrote your will already if your sayin our names
        Hell Rell, Mr. Ruger Ruger, I’m a shooter shooter
        You hung with the girls you double dutch or hoola-hooper
        Hop skip and jumpin, block clickin and jumpin
        Glock clickin and dumpin, it’s the mighty Dips

      3. Listen I’m quite known, nice chrome, a cyclone niggaz
        Ya sight blown, Right-o, my white stones glitter
        Left hand bling, the right one shiver
        Stallion, medallion, a ice cold picture
        The white stone flipper
        That white tone, nights home, getting’ rid of the weight like lipo mister
        This psycho sicker
        That ain’t crackin’ ya pimp, you got a rat as a friend like Mike on Thriller
        This ain’t nothing to me, a scrapper at its best
        No rapper could impress, man I’m crack right out the jets
        You rappin indirect
        But it’s lookin like a movie shoot
        How they sendin all these damn actors at the set

      4. I’m Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Bob Backlund
        Paul Akin, ha ha, who they think they car jackin
        You dump and a dump, I slumped and I slump
        They mad my car’s like an elephant, the trunk in the front
        See ya dude react, Hud six threw me back, a few they clapped
        But I ate those, them shits is Scooby Snacks
        I ain’t see stars, I’m a G pa
        Threw the Lam’ in 6th, Drove to the E.R.
        Had to make it hot
        Feel like Pac I know it’s set up
        Them old niggaz know I’m bout to take they spot
        Ain’t no A.B. – I.O.U.
        Y.B. That’ll get ’em up in I.C.U.
        Like I see you at the BP, shot ’em off G.P.
        Guns from VA, PA, down to D.C.
        D.O.A. if you short up on my P.C.
        C-74 switched ’em over to P.C.
        Like Chuck D, we the ’06 P.E.
        Fuck me why, I’m in the ’06 G.T.
        All about them G’s B, we the B.G.
        Byrd Gang Dipset, D.I.P. see
        Like KRS-One, the great B.D.P.
        You wanna join the crew, then you must see me, flee!

      5. yall niggas wack. we alrdy know who the best is.. im dead and still sell more than all you lmaoo COME WITH MEEEEE hail maryyyy

      6. I’ma put that white dress on her while i’m late registrating after being a college dropout on my way to graduating

      7. Everyone here better be thankfull i’m workin, if not i’da been droppin bombs to kill all yall wack lame ass mothafuckass

    21. i don’t know why he apologized when they dropped him. i would never apologize being at his situation. i hope now them feministic hoes are all happy

    22. Rape and pillage your village, women and children” – Jay-Z in Monster. So Ross alludes to rape, Jay-Z flat out says he rapes women and children and no one says a word??? Talk about a double standard. People and companies are so ridiculous. And Reebok was OK with Ross talking about selling drugs and shooting people but now have a problem with some talking about slipping a girl a molly? ok I understand everything now.

      1. That’s because there was a theme to the song, that in describing the qualities of a monster. There is no double standard especially when the sound of the Monster Song had a horror/halloween theme to it. The rappers in that song also tried to relate to fictional murders like Jason or Micheal Myers but you don’t actually see them killing innocent people do you?

        There is no double standard in what your saying. Rick Ross DID write those lyrics in his song, with no theme to the song, so those lyrics stick to his image. He made a choice in releasing that song and I actually think its good that their songs (Lil Wayne as well) are being pulled from the radio since they are mostly garbage and those same rappers make Rap in general look bad.

        Oh and Rick Ross will NEVER be a new biggie.

      2. People did complain and raise a ruckus, however, if you rely on CNN and BET for your news, you wouldn’t know. They don’t cover boycotts and protests as that would mess with their money…

      3. I’m surprised at ETK’s weak perspective…

        I’m starting to think he’s a white guy. Any way – the other two guys killed him so I don’t need too…

    23. I’ve dissed Rick Ross for everything from his shameless fake corny mob boss image to his recycled sound for 3 years now. But, I give him credit for showing some humility here. He should’ve left that line in the booth but he made a mistake and apologized for it. He showed class and I salute that. We all make bad judgement calls and should be forgiven. Salute to the fat cop today. I’ll be hating again tomorrow!

      1. What… A whole month after the fact …. GTFOH

        Nigga Please – the lawyers at label pulled rank!

      2. werd cosign @grind. it was a man move..tomm when he talks about street shit itll feel more normal again lmao

    24. he now need to write some song about appreciating women and go premiering this song to them feministic UltraViole(n)t hoes to their headquarters.

    25. Rick Ross Projects

      Port of Miami: 7/10
      Trilla: 7/10
      Deeper Than Rap: 8/10
      Teflon Don: 10/10
      Rich Forever: 10/10
      God Forgives, I Dont: 9/10

      Bawse!!!!!!!!

      1. Those ratings are rather generous:

        Port of Miami: 4/10
        Trilla: 4/10
        Deeper Than Rap: 7.5/10
        Teflon Don: 8.5/10
        God Forgives, I Don’t: 7/10

    26. Every person who has a grown up mind would say that lyric wasn’t in good taste. Its not like there is any wit or humour in the context or delivery. Its actually a lazy lyric.

      The older i get the more i appreciate a track,i don’t just follow an artist!

      Rick Ross has had some tracks i respect as good music,same as Kanye. But when it comes to respecting what they stand for as a person. A grown man! They have loose morals! pick and choose what they stand for and who they actually are, way too much.

      Conforming too much for money seems to be a rappers biggest problem in 2013.

      1. Well said.

        I would add the full apology is welcome – but the fact its over 2 weeks late puts Ross firmly in that camp you describe of “conformity rappers”!

    27. Why’d it take his weak ass this long to apologize lol? Nigga shoulda came correct when he was called out. He tried frontin like it meant sumthin else lol! Maybe if all these fake ass rap niggas had game with women, theyd could get pussy without E or blowin bandz on em.

      1. The last time yo dumb ass seen Eminem in a commercial pushing something that’s not his album? Fool aint got endorsements. Companies would never endorse someone as hostile as eminem.

    28. ok guys take it easy now. william roberts lied about his past, but so did I, I was born in Kenya. Now im the president. and shout out to ray-j and that i hit it first, that shit is dope

      1. Ayo mr. president will there be a time where young niggaz like me won’t have to sell crack on these streetz just to get by?? Show us some love my nigga and send us some of them papers so we can get it on. Peace

      1. Me and the mollies are coming over. You know what time it is. I’m going deep, I’m going deep, I’m going deep, I’m going deep, I’m going deep, I’m going deep…

      2. hahahahahaha!!! Your fat ass got 2 inches of hard dick. If you had a son he’d go deeper than you on the day he is born!

    29. what a big fat faggot, for real. its awesome watching him choke on his words. his “real” heart is still at the CO facility cause his fake ass rhymes arent doing nothing but lockin up fools minds. 50 should be all over this, he must sold out too. i never comment, im drunk, so you know this is truth. peace

    30. not only that i guarantee he didnt even write that “apology” either. if you aint real get out the game cause otherwise you gonna end up like this, or having seizures, or flying to cuba in order to gain enough attention to drop a trash single. or wearing a dress on SNL. all of the above. the american dream

      1. so jay flew to cuba just so he could drop a single about the negative reaction to him going to cuba? fuck out of here

    31. Shit is easy to make a classic track. Get a bangin ass beat, get someone that can actually rap (like Nas, Rozay or Hov), make sure it’s catchy to the ear but isn’t talkin about stupid shit, bang, classic joint. Too bad too many niggas can’t craft a good song.

      Bawse!!!!!!!!!!

    32. Ross lost all credibility. I know he’s a man but he’s supposed to have the appeal as a hard rapper.

    33. Apologising for your art is some weak ass shit. He’s a bitch who will tuck his tail when the pressure is on. What a useless cunt.

    34. JA RULE
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      JA RULE

    35. why apologize? Did NWA, Geto Boys, Biggie Eminem etc apologize???

      What hapened to you guys in the states? Getting soft and sentimental? Freedom of speech!!!!!!!

    36. Officer Ricky is a joke and so are his supporters still saying the same old shit “HE MAKES GOOD MUSIC I DON’T CARE ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE”

    37. c’mon guys, hes the closest we have to biggie nowadays, lets cut him some slack, who cares about his personal life he makes decent music

      1. i hope u die for saying his name with biggies rick ross is a fake plus a piece of shit biggie was a real ma fucka

    38. fat fuck lol u ain write that shit so cut the bullshit.your intellect level isn’t that high Officer Ricky…lets end his career now plz

    39. This is what the rappers of today sound like to me when they give interviews:

      Interviewer: How’s it goin’?

      Random Rapper: Aww, man, you know livin good, eatin good. We gettin it, we gettin it. *insert record label name*, we a movement. We gone eat regardless. At the end of the day, real talk.

      I: Ok ……. So what do think about this whole N. Korea fiasco?

      RR: Aww, man, he’s a good artist. I like that Food & Liqour.

      I: No, nigga, the situation in North Korea, what’s you take on that?

      RR: Aww man, you know, everything happens for a reason. At the end of the day, the chickens comin home to roost, ya heard. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, ya dig. That’s real talk.

      I: Are you on drugs?

      RR: Nigga, you ain’t?

      I: I’m on the job.

      RR: Job, like work, like a real job?

      I: Of course

      RR: Ewwwwww, no, just no

    40. Damn its a fucking song….its entertainment ….so when a rapper boasts about being in a gang or selling drugs or murking someone should they get dropped from anything ???gtfoh…understand whats real people and stop letting music or any other form of entertainment influence your life….

      1. i know man it crazy. people act like telling impressionable kids that its perfectly acceptable to date rape women is a problem or something. i

    41. “Is it how my chain swings? Tired of ma face
      Tellin’ lies, getting niggas wives tied up and raped”

      -Rick Ross on the song ‘Gunplay’ from 2009’s Deeper Than Rap

      nigga aint sorry he has talked about rape numerous times

    42. wtf. this nigga actually went out a apologized for lyrics in his raps?? What a bitch. No respect for Rick Ross. Eminem, Pac, Snoop, Nas..every other great hiphop artist has stood behind their lyrics.

      Rick Ross is a bitch nigga.

      1. you know he was pissed and probably burned all his reebok shit but his people cant have him out here taking any more L’s so they wrote him an apology and told him to keep it moving

        God Forgives, I Don’t MY ASS

    43. As soon as Ja Rule gets out of prison he will drop the greatest album ever which will be called Jamatic with the hit single ‘Ja State of Mind’

    44. If you think Ernest`s story is exceptional,, five weaks-ago my sister in law got a cheque for $8481 grafting sixteen hours a week from their apartment and they’re friend’s step-sister`s neighbour has done this for nine months and got more than $8481 part-time from there mac. follow the tips at this address, http://www.bic5.com

    45. me and ja rule have ran trains of his hoes a bunch of times, his dick is bigger than mine but we’re still cool

    46. one time when i was in queens, me and ja saw some niggas jumping his homies with ak’s, than the next thing you know you see ja smashing those bitch made hoes face in to the concrete with his fists, it made me realize ja is a messiah

      1. anyone can bone ross’s chicks. one was an escort we all seen her gettin fucked in that tape. the other will give it up for a fur coat ask 50

    47. Now, the double standard. Think about it like this, when a man and woman meet, whos in charge of whos getting laid tonight? Does the man call the shots? Does the man get to say Hey baby, guess what? Were having sex tonight? Whos in charge of that? Its the women because why? Women are usually not as craving for sex as men are. SOME are, yes, some but the majority of the time, theyre not as worried about when theyre getting laid next because men chase the women. An attractive woman can stand in a club and twerk her ass for 15 minutes and get 5 guys who wanna hit her (sexually speaking of course). A guy, what does a guy have to do to get a girl? Oh, hes gotta be funny, good looking, charming, hes gotta have manners, hes gotta have a decent sized package to get the job done, hes gonna have to do something like loosening her up by maybe buying her some drinks. Like, the list for guys is much more then women, is it not? So when a guy can sleep with 5 girls in a 2 week period, of course hes going to get praise by other guys and be called a player and a ladies man because why? BECAUSE ITS DIFFICULT! A girl can sleep with 5 guys in one night no problem if she wanted to, easily. So when a girl does it, yeah, its going be a bit of a double standard but it makes sense, doesnt it? Also, think about this, a guy has sex with a girl, nothing about him changes. When a girl has unsafe sex with a guy, the chemicals in her juicy juice that makes her so nice and wet form a chemical connection with the guy that has no effect on him but does effect her. It allows her to pick out his scent in a crowd which adds to pre-wetting of her vagina. Yes, this is true. Last reason why this is held over girls and can be a double standard is because with guy that enters her, she becomes not as tight, NO GUY wants to fuck a girl that is not tight. Its something you as a guy look forward to when youre undressing her and warming her up. Its like unwrapping a present and instead of finding that G.I. Joe toy you wanted, you got one of these. When youre undressing her, and are about to have sex, you are expecting that pussy to be tight as fuck for you.

      I know the double standard while yes is a bit prejudice against women and punishes them for having the same sexual desires as men but it makes sense when you think about it the way I did.

      THAT ALL SAID
      Maybe if some people who dont like this whole double standard worked on their relationships instead of calling it quits and finding the next guy or girl to fuck and solved their problems, theyd need only fuck 1 person.

      Use logic guys, dont be stupid

      This logic has been brought to you by Krypt

      1. you were on the right track until you started talking about vaginas… from then on you made no sense

      2. i was following you until the vagina line. Then i felt weird reading an essay on sexual dynamics by a high school freshman. Dude, women’s vagina’s don’t get stretched out from having sex anymore than your butthole gets huge from pooping everyday. LOL

      3. That was the worst thing i have ever read. What on earth are you on? What is logical about what you said? You fuking moron hahaha ! Whats funny is you think your intelligent !!!

    48. so reebok condones murder, selling drugs etc.? The only reason he is apologizing is because he is now losing $$. The only reason reebok dropped rick ross is because now they are in risk to lose $$; thats only because rape is socially unacceptable. Rick ross is completely wrong for that lyric but Reeboks just as big of a bitch and apparently have all of the same other ‘values’ as ricky rozay the bawse. haha

      1. You are right, but if we want change, we should be more encouraging and less dismissive of these steps in the right direction, no? Is there not a chance that losing the money actually made him reflect on what he’s putting out there, leading to a sincere shame? He IS a father and a real person. Maybe Reebok was motivated by money, but I imagine a lot of people that work there shared the sentiments of those who spoke out. And it was a good decision (i feel) that may have a domino effect on corporate support for artists, perhaps finally opening the door to some new trends and new artists getting a chance. When this shock value starts to backfire as a cliche as well as income loss, and go out of fashion, a new wave of quality artists may surface.

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