PepsiCo has ended a deal with Lil Wayne to promote soft drinks brand Mountain Dew.
The move follows controversy over rapper Wayne's lyrics referring to civil rights martyr Emmett Till, The AP reports.
Till was attacked and killed in 1955. The 14-year-old Mississippi resident was targeted for reportedly flirting with a white woman.
The lyric in question appeared on Future's 'Karate Chop', on which guest Wayne raps: "Beat that p***y up like Emmett Till."
Till's family were among those to condemn the lyric and criticized PepsiCo's partnership with Wayne.
Reverend Wheeler Parker Junior, who is Till's cousin and witness to his abduction, said: "It's mindboggling to me that they partnered with him in the first place.
"Major corporations should scrutinize who they endorse, don't let greed or money determine who you sponsor."
In a statement, PepsiCo said that Wayne's "offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon" does not reflect the values of the brand. The company declined to comment further.
Wayne's publicist Sarah Cunningham said that the deal fell apart due to "creative differences", but added that it was "amicable".
This is the second race-related controversy the Mountain Dew brand has been involved in this week.
PepsiCo was forced to withdraw a Mountain Dew advert created by Tyler the Creator after outcry over its alleged racist and misogynistic overtones.
The move follows controversy over rapper Wayne's lyrics referring to civil rights martyr Emmett Till, The AP reports.
© PA Images / Jordan Strauss / AP
Lil Wayne promotes his TRUKFIT clothing line
Till was attacked and killed in 1955. The 14-year-old Mississippi resident was targeted for reportedly flirting with a white woman.
The lyric in question appeared on Future's 'Karate Chop', on which guest Wayne raps: "Beat that p***y up like Emmett Till."
Till's family were among those to condemn the lyric and criticized PepsiCo's partnership with Wayne.
Reverend Wheeler Parker Junior, who is Till's cousin and witness to his abduction, said: "It's mindboggling to me that they partnered with him in the first place.
"Major corporations should scrutinize who they endorse, don't let greed or money determine who you sponsor."
In a statement, PepsiCo said that Wayne's "offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon" does not reflect the values of the brand. The company declined to comment further.
© PA Images / Gerald Herbert / AP
Lil Wayne at a skateboard park he helped to fund
© WENN / FayesVision/WENN.com
Wayne's publicist Sarah Cunningham said that the deal fell apart due to "creative differences", but added that it was "amicable".
This is the second race-related controversy the Mountain Dew brand has been involved in this week.
PepsiCo was forced to withdraw a Mountain Dew advert created by Tyler the Creator after outcry over its alleged racist and misogynistic overtones.
