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Rick Ross has not been having the best couple of weeks. After getting unceremoniously dropped by Reebok yesterday thanks to the controversy surrounding lyrics that alluded to date r@pe, the Miami rapper has issued an official statement, apologizing to women and his fans, among others. 

Finally admitting that the words he uttered were a mistake (unlike in his past attempts), Rozay said the following:

“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”)

For those who haven’t been keeping up, in mid-February, Rocko released a song called “U.O.E.N.O.” which featured Ross rapping the following: “”Put molly all in her champagne/ She ain’t e’en know it/ I took her home and enjoyed that/ She ain’t e’en know it.”

The backlash took a while to bubble before women’s rights group Ultra Violet joined in, calling for Reebok to cut ties with its spokesman, which if finally did yesterday.

Ross also took to Twitter to say he feels no ill will towards Reebok’s decision. “I want to thank Reebok Classics for their hard work and dedication over this past year.Good partners,good shoe.continued success,” he tweeted.

What do you think of Ross’ apology? Is it too little too late? Or has he finally shown contrition? Is that enough? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Photo: Reebok