Petitions call on Rick Ross, hip-hop industry to take responsibility for ‘rape’ lyrics
theGRIO REPORT - Recent petitions have been launched on RapRehab.com and Change.org calling on hip-hop star Rick Ross to take responsibility and apologize for his lyrics referencing date rape on his new single, 'U.O.E.N.O. (You Ain't Even Know It)'...
Recent petitions have been launched on RapRehab.com and Change.org calling on hip-hop star Rick Ross to take responsibility and apologize for his lyrics referencing date rape on his new single, “U.O.E.N.O. (You Ain’t Even Know It).”
The MMG artist raps 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.”
Molly refers to the drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy, however many molly capsules contain methylone — an active ingredient in the recently-publicized bath salts.
Released shortly after the conclusion of the Steubenville, Ohio rape case, in which two high school football players were convicted of sexually assaulting an intoxicated 16-year-old girl who was unable to consent, the track has generated countless discussions on violence against women.
Social media strikes back
Hip-hop fans, bloggers, and women’s rights activists have been expressing their outrage about the new single via social media over the past few days.
Change.org, a petition platform, is calling on Ross to “publicly apologize for glorifying ‘date rape.'”
The online petition also notes that even if they are “just lyrics,” the rapper’s words are still influential. “People will listen to your songs and try to live how you live” reads the petition.
RapRehab.com, founded by music rights activist Paul Porter, has also begun a petition asking for Ross to take responsibility for lyrics “that encourage drugging a woman to force her into sex.”
It’s bigger than Rick Ross
Porter spoke to theGrio about the need for the industry as a whole to take responsibility. “The problem is not only with the content and date rape, but the problem is that it goes through a corporate structure.”
“Going after Rick Ross is like stepping on the toes. It’s time to go for the heads,” Porter said. “The people who green-light the projects. It shouldn’t be broadcast material.”
Porter noted Lil’ Wayne’s controversial reference to civil rights martyr Emmett Till last month, and said “this month is Rick Ross. What is really troubling is that it is about date rape. He is the poster child for date rape on this song.”
Responsibility and repercussions
The RapRehab petition’s hashtag, #RRR standing for “rape, Rick Ross and responsibility,” started trending on Twitter last night, grabbing the attention of many users on the social network.
The music rights activist credits 103.7 WUVS The Beat in Muskegon, MI as the “first major radio station to pull the [Rick Ross] record” off the air.
A few other stations have since pulled the single.
Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.
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