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J Cole and Drake apologise for autism lyric
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 23 July 2013
American hip hopper J Cole has apologised for a line he rapped on Drake’s recent track ‘Jodeci Freestyle’, after a protest led by a UK charity. He and Drake have also made the decision to remove the offending lyric from the song.
Both Cole and Drake came under fire earlier this month for the line “I’m artistic, you niggas is autistic, retarded”. A petition set up by British charity Anti-Bullying Alliance saw over 4500 people add their name to the protest, forcing the to artists to respond.
For his part, Cole said that he felt that rappers were too readily pressured to apologise for controversial lyrics these days, but that in this case he was very much in the wrong and an apology was definitely needed.
In a post on Sunday, he wrote: “This apology IS necessary. In a recent verse on the song ‘Jodeci Freestyle’, I said something highly offensive to people with autism. Last week, when I first saw a comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realised right away that what I said was wrong. I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better”.
He added: “I want to educate myself more on autism, and I’ll gladly own my mistake and serve as an example to today’s generation that there’s nothing cool about mean-spirited comments about someone with autism. People with this disorder and their loved ones have to go through so much already, the last thing they need is to hear something as ignorant as what I said. I understand”.
Drake, meanwhile, also apologised yesterday, noting on his blog: “J Cole wrote a beautiful and moving apology to individuals and families affected by autism who were understandably hurt by a verse in ‘Jodeci Freestyle’. I share responsibility and offer my sincerest apologies for the pain this has caused. Individuals with autism have brilliant and creative minds, and their gifts should not be disparaged or discounted”.
He concluded: “This was a learning lesson for both of us, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to try to right this wrong. J Cole and I believe that it is the right, responsible, and respectful decision to remove the lyric from the song”.
It is estimated that one in every 100 children in the UK displays symptoms somewhere on the autism spectrum, such as difficulties with social and language skills, as well as repetitive behaviours, affecting the way they relate to people and the world around them.
