BET APOLOGIZES FOR LIL WAYNE PERFORMANCE
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BET has expressed remorse over a performance by Lil Wayne, Drake and Young Money Records that involved underage girls during songs "Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl."
The songs, which have overt sexual references, were performed during the Sunday BET Awards '09 show as a bevy of young girls danced on stage. The group of girls consisted of Lil Wayne’s daughters and her friends.
In an exclusive statement, BET has responded to the criticism and the public outcry over the segment.
“BET Networks deeply regrets the performance by Young Money at the BET AWARDS ’09 (featuring Lil Wayne, Drake, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine),” a BET representative told AllHipHop.com exclusively. “Elements of the performance were unplanned and should not have happened.”
In the aftermath of the show, many have expressed outrage over the outing by Young Money, which was set amid a show dedicated to the late Michael Jackson.
Activist and filmmaker Byron Hurt lambasted the network earlier in the week in an open letter to Debra Lee, the President and Chief Executive Officer of BET Holdings, Inc.
“In a culture where one out of four girls and women are either raped or sexually assaulted - and where manipulative men routinely traffic vulnerable women into the sex industry - it is not okay that BET allowed this to happen,” Hurt said. “BET owes its entire audience - particularly girls and women around the world - an apology for its failure to intervene.”
A representative said generally the company has found such opinions useful.
“We value and appreciate the feedback from our viewers and have edited Young Money’s performance for all BET Awards ’09 encore presentations.”
Drake has apologized and taken responsibility for the performance, admitting it was in poor taste.
"That...was a terrible idea that I'll never do to myself again. But I was being pressed from different areas to perform, and I think what really happened at the BET Awards is with the passing of Mike, the climate really changed, as far as the award show goes,” he told Complex. “I don't think it called for us to perform "Every Girl" and "Always Strapped," and I think it was an award show filled with tributes and music and these genuine heartfelt speeches. And to sort of climax out of a very tongue-n-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne's daughters and her friends coming out on stage -- it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn't planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is. I believe in Wayne and myself and it's nothing we can't bounce back from. To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn't intended to offend anybody."
An edited version of the show will re-air on Monday July 6. The BET Awards saw a 61-percent increase in viewers this year fueled by the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Ten percent of all turned on television sets watched the show Sunday, a remarkably high number.
The songs, which have overt sexual references, were performed during the Sunday BET Awards '09 show as a bevy of young girls danced on stage. The group of girls consisted of Lil Wayne’s daughters and her friends.
In an exclusive statement, BET has responded to the criticism and the public outcry over the segment.
“BET Networks deeply regrets the performance by Young Money at the BET AWARDS ’09 (featuring Lil Wayne, Drake, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine),” a BET representative told AllHipHop.com exclusively. “Elements of the performance were unplanned and should not have happened.”
In the aftermath of the show, many have expressed outrage over the outing by Young Money, which was set amid a show dedicated to the late Michael Jackson.
Activist and filmmaker Byron Hurt lambasted the network earlier in the week in an open letter to Debra Lee, the President and Chief Executive Officer of BET Holdings, Inc.
“In a culture where one out of four girls and women are either raped or sexually assaulted - and where manipulative men routinely traffic vulnerable women into the sex industry - it is not okay that BET allowed this to happen,” Hurt said. “BET owes its entire audience - particularly girls and women around the world - an apology for its failure to intervene.”
A representative said generally the company has found such opinions useful.
“We value and appreciate the feedback from our viewers and have edited Young Money’s performance for all BET Awards ’09 encore presentations.”
Drake has apologized and taken responsibility for the performance, admitting it was in poor taste.
"That...was a terrible idea that I'll never do to myself again. But I was being pressed from different areas to perform, and I think what really happened at the BET Awards is with the passing of Mike, the climate really changed, as far as the award show goes,” he told Complex. “I don't think it called for us to perform "Every Girl" and "Always Strapped," and I think it was an award show filled with tributes and music and these genuine heartfelt speeches. And to sort of climax out of a very tongue-n-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne's daughters and her friends coming out on stage -- it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn't planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is. I believe in Wayne and myself and it's nothing we can't bounce back from. To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn't intended to offend anybody."
An edited version of the show will re-air on Monday July 6. The BET Awards saw a 61-percent increase in viewers this year fueled by the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Ten percent of all turned on television sets watched the show Sunday, a remarkably high number.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Damnstraight on -
LMAO Right
Madison said:
TOO LATE!
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Permalink Reply by Moving In Silence on -
BET awards today and the VIBE awards back in the day are they done by the same ppl?
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Permalink Reply by Amel on -
EXACTLY! It took criticism for them to issue an apology. If they really cared about those little girls and their viewers, they would have IMMEDIATELY came forth with an apology. This is why I'm so over BET and I don't care for black awards shows. And it's a shame because I don't think a lot of these black artists even care to have black support. They can be the most self-serving gimme more type of people. I regret I even gave Lil Wayne my hot little 99 cents to download Get Money.
Madison said:
TOO LATE!
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Permalink Reply by Starr on -
Drake is so full of himself. He is fading quickly in my mind. I am so disappointed with BET that I don't even think I will watch it anymore- period. That "tribute" to MJ on the awards show really broke my heart. They really need to do something major to make up for that. It was downright embarrassing.
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Permalink Reply by PJbiz on
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I had just started feeling Drake's song, a little head bopper, but done when I saw that and WAYNE shame on you!! All the parents need remedial parenting classes..stat. BET ain't been right for a long while now, they can't even keep track of their published show schedules...It will say Bet Gospel in the tv guide and what...one more airing of some Tyler Perry trash. No love at all for them.
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Permalink Reply by Cookie Pie on -
I saw the lil Wayne performance and truthfully , it was a big disappointment ( Drake ) , and I didn't approve of the little girls being on stage but I think it is being blown way out of proportion ! It was wrong and timed badly but I guess the sadness of the night overshadowed most of the dumb sh*t that happened on that show ! I don't understand why people are still talking about it .....
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