Rick Ross has addressed criticism of his guest verse on "U.O.E.N.O," a Rocko track released last month that also features Future, in which Ross delivers the line: 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. Ross defended the verse in a statement issued to Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex and an an interview with New Orleans radio station Q93. The statement:
I know I’m a man, but I respect Women to the utmost, And Things like Date Rape shouldn’t be glorified…with that being said, I don’t think taking Rap lyrics as straight facts is ever the way to go. I mean that is really setting a president we do NOT want to set, then every rapper could be indicted for Drug dealing, Murder, etc, etc. Hip Hop is Art, and we have to look at it as art. Yes We want to see these artists as the realest people ever, but they are the Voice we want to hear when we want to know what’s going on out there, and in reality some people Do these things, And Shouldn’t it be brought to light so young Women can protect themselves?!?! This Is actually really good the conversation is going…Ross has actually helped to protect Our Women from the Creeps that would hurt them!!!!
In his conversation with Q93, Ross called the negative response to "U.O.E.N.O" a "misunderstanding."
I wanna make sure this is clear—that woman is the most precious gift known to man. There was a misunderstanding with a lyric, a misinterpretation where the term rape wasn't used. You know I would never use the term rape in my records. As far as my camp, hip-hop don't condone that, the streets don't condone that. I just wanted to reach out to all the queens that's on my timeline, all the sexy ladies, all the beautiful ladies that had been reaching out to me with the misunderstanding. We don't condone rape and I'm not with that.
While Ross' intended message, that he doesn't condone rape, is stated clearly, this isn't an apology befitting the offending act. One Rap-Up commenter says it well: "So either he is saying it's not rape unless you call it rape or he doesn’t fully understand what rape is. Either way that was a wack ass apology. Misunderstanding? How is drugging someone and having sex with them without their knowledge not rape? It’s so sad how some men don’t fully understand (or acknowledge) what rape is."
It's also disappointing that, after offering up such a feeble explanation, the Q93 DJ asks Ross, "Do you think the public is too judgmental about lyrics?" The DJ mentions Lil Wayne, whose guest verse on Future's "Karate Chop," featuring the line Beat that pussy up like Emmett Till , was retracted by Future's label Epic on the same day "U.O.E.N.O" was originally released.
