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The letter, addressed "Dear Till Family," appeared on the Internet this week. "It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist's song has deeply offended your family," Wayne writes. "As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your hurt, as well as the letter you sent me via your attorneys." Wayne says moving forward he will not reference Till or the family in his music "especially in an inappropriate manner." He tells the family he supports Epic's decision to take down the unauthorized version of the song and to not include the reference in the official version. He also says he has removed the song from his catalog and will not perform it live. "I have tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy," Wayne writes. He concludes, "my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community." He signs the letter with his real name, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. Wayne's publicist said Thursday night that there would be no immediate comment. This is not the only time a rapper's advertising partner has felt pressure in recent weeks. PepsiCo this week pulled a Mountain Dew commercial directed by Odd Future leader Tyler, the Creator, that was deemed offensive for its portrayal of black people and violence against women. And Rick Ross lost his deal with Reebok last month after he rapped about raping a woman who had been incapacitated by drugs. Ross apologized for the lyrics. Gordon-Taylor said her family was disturbed by Tyler's Mountain Dew commercial, especially in light of recent problems with Wayne's lyrics. "It goes full circle and comes back to accountability and responsibility," she said. "(Company officials) have to be held accountable or responsible for what they are promoting, for what they're attaching themselves to." ___ Online:
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