You have to find Rick Ross' public relations skills severely lacking, when all is said and done.
The rapper has been given numerous opportunities to apologize for his hellacious lyrics on Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O." Ross attributed the controversy to a public misunderstanding. If he has transformed into some sort of Orwellian lyricist who uses club rap and women as a metaphor for society as a whole, then he may be right. But because that's impossible and Rick Ross is still Rick Ross, there's no possible way to interpret this lyric as date rape.
The fact that we know what type of character Ross is made it that much more awkward when he finally apologized only after getting dropped by Reebok. In his apology statement, he began by saying: "Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the world."
Here's the thing: It's only William Roberts II who's being described here. Roberts suddenly stripped himself of his trap-god, grandeur fantasies in an attempt to become sincere. The problem is Reebok singed a contract for a Rick Ross endorsement, not a Roberts co-sign.
As such, Reebok should've known exactly what it was going to get with Rick Ross when the company made the deal. When you really think about it, the controversial lyrics are right along the lines of what the Rick Ross character would say. A bit of a stretch, maybe, but this is a figure who rapped lines like, "She a p***y ho until she give me p***y ho."
That's why it seemed like a save-our-own-ass type of maneuver when Reebok decided to drop Ross. If you're going to use a mainstream artist to endorse your product, you immediately should be thinking about what he/she represents; that's the face of your product.
You're embracing all the positive/negative characteristics of the artist, and unfortunately, Reebok couldn't handle the heat when protesters lined up in front of its flagship store. Its plan had backfired. So now we have a respected sneaker company that just lost its face and a rapper who has one more incident to add to his latest career blunders.
If I were in Reebok's shoes, I would take a time machine back to when Ross was about to sign the contract, grab those papers and walk the heck out of that room (after apologizing to Ross, of course). Because that's impossible, I probably would've cut his endorsement deal, too. As messed up as that lyric was, I would've admitted to screwing up because I knew what I was getting into when signing Ross.
Ross' lines were inappropriate, but you have to wonder how much of the controversy is contextual. Would the lyrics have drawn so much attention if he were still actually releasing good songs? Consider how artists like Eminem and Tyler, The Creator have thrived despite explicitly referring to rape. Eminem's "As the World Turns" has him fully indulging in those fantasies.
The hip-hop community has to consider why such lyrics are so prevalent in the genre. Reebok, on the other hand, has to rethink its marketing strategy after taking this huge 'L.'
I mean, c'mon, man. You have to listen to "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" and think that a character who "sells dope straight out the iPhone" may not be the most wholesome figure or representative of what a "Classic" is.
Email: brian.josephs@ubspectrum.com
