Rick Ross Dropped by Reebok After Date-Rape Lyric Controversy

Shoemaker bows to public outcry and cuts ties with rapper

By Natalie Finn Apr 11, 2013 9:58 PMTags
Rick Ross, Reebok AdReebok

Rick Ross is no longer the face of Reebok Classic.

The Adidas-owned athletic-wear company has cut ties with the rapper in the wake of controversy over lyrics he contributed to the Rocko tune "U.O.E.N.O."—including a line that suggests a flippant attitude toward date rape—and what Reebok perceived to be his lack of concern when critics called for an apology.

Which Ross gave, but it was apparently too little, too late.

"Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick Ross has failed to do so," Reebok said in a statement.

"While we do not believe that Rick Ross condones sexual assault, we are very disappointed he has yet to display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse. At this time, it is in everyone's best interest for Reebok to end its partnership with Mr. Ross."

"Thank you @Reebok for doing the right thing! / Reebok DUMPS Rick Ross," read a tweet from women's rights group UltraViolet, which organized a protest last week in front of Reebok's flagship store in Manhattan calling for just such a result.

Ross has yet to tweet or otherwise respond to Reebok's decision.

In "U.O.E.N.O.," he rapped, "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 is a street term for MDMA, a crystalline or powder form of the drug Ecstasy.)

"I dont condone rape.Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS," he tweeted following the UltraViolet protest.

Rocko, meanwhile, told New York's Hot 97 yesterday that he'll be releasing a new version of "U.E.O.N.O." without Ross' contribution, according to Billboard.

"I don't want to take him off," the rapper said. "But one thing that's set in stone is he's always going to be on that song. It doesn't matter who I put on the song, that's going to always be the original version. It's not like I can do another version and call it the original."