Miami, FL – News broke only yesterday that the Miami-based rapper Rick Ross was dropped from his endorsement deal with Reebok. After much controversy and two weeks of protesting over lyrics of a song that he interpreted on U.O.E.N.O., Reebok finally decided that their values did not coincide with Ross and reluctantly dropped his endorsement.

After the endorsement drop was official, Ross decided to issue an apology statement to Reebok and his fans:

“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”)

Later in the afternoon, Ross went on to wish Reebok “continued success.”

Keep posted to 24HourHipHop.com for more updated news as this story continues to develop.

-Zenn Lee

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