Rick Ross Responds to Date-Rape Lyric Controversy, Petition Launched Demanding Reebok Drop Rapper as Spokesman

Musician insists there is simply a "misunderstanding" over a particular rhyme in the song "U.O.E.N.O"

By Peter Gicas Mar 29, 2013 4:10 PMTags
Rick Ross, GrammysLarry Busacca/WireImage

Rick Ross is trying to set the record straight after coming under fire over lyrics in the song "U.O.E.N.O" that appear to condone date rape.

"Woman is the most precious gift known to man. And there was a misunderstanding with a lyric, a misinterpretation," the rapper said during a radio interview on 93.3 in New Orleans.

"I would never use the term rape in my records, in my lyrics. And as far as my camp, hip-hop don't condone that, the streets don't condone that, nobody condones that," added Ross.

He concluded by saying, "I just want to reach out to all my queens that's on my timeline, all the sexy ladies, the beautiful ladies that have been reaching out to me with the misunderstanding: We don't condone rape, and I'm not with that."

Ross was defending the following questionabale lyrics on the track: "Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it / I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it."

Meanwhile, a petition has been launched to encourage Reebok to drop Rick Ross as its spokesperson.

"We are appalled that Reebok would pay a spokesperson who brags about enjoying drugging and raping a woman," said Nita Chaudhary, cofounder of the women's rights group UltraViolet, in a statement. "Reebok devotes a lot of time, energy and money to marketing to women—and now they are paying a man who is literally bragging about raping us while absurdly insisting it can't possibly be rape if he doesn't use the word 'rape.'"

So far, the petition, started by UltraViolet, has garned 51,000 signatures in less than 15 hours after going live.