Responding to Anti-Bullying Alliance's demand, the rapper apologizes for his 'highly offensive' and 'hurtful' line in his and Drake's recent collaboration.
- Jul 22, 2013
AceShowbiz - Drake and J. Cole's collaboration, "Jodeci Freestyle", has sparked a controversy as it contains an offensive line that says, "I'm artistic, you n***as is autistic, retarded." The line, sung by Cole, angered Anti-Bullying Alliance.
The organization teamed up with autism activist Anna Kennedy to start an online petition against the rappers and demanded them to officially apologize and remove the offensive lyric from the song. They set a goal of 5,000 signatures. So far, they have garnered more than 4,000.
Responding to the organization's outrage, Cole has issued an apology letter. In the letter, the 28-year-old artist admits that his line is "highly offensive" and he is "embarrassed" about it. "I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful," he adds. "What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better."
Cole goes on to gush about the Autism community and parents with Autistic children, saying, "I'm moved and inspired by your passion, and I'm amazed at how strong you are as a unit. I have now read stories online from parents about their struggles and triumphs with raising an Autistic child and I admire how incredibly strong you have to be to do so. It's touching."
"To anyone suffering from Autism, either mildly or severely, I am sorry. I'm bound to make mistakes in my life, but in my heart I just want to spread Love," he continues. "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."
"To the parents who are fighting through the frustrations that must come with raising a child with severe autism, finding strength and patience that they never knew they had; to the college student with Asperger's Syndrome; to all those overcoming Autism. You deserve medals, not disrespect. I hope you accept my sincere apology," Cole says.
