Sexyy Red apologises for “distasteful” MLK post
Rapper Sexyy Red has been forced to apologise to the family of late civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King Jr due to a photo she posted in an attempt to honour the activist on MLK Day.
To celebrate his life, the Missouri rapper posted an AI-generated image of herself and Dr. King in a nightclub, and, unsurprisingly, the late activist’s family were not impressed or pleased with Sexyy Red’s actions as they perceived it to be tampering with his legacy.
Taking to social media, King’s youngest daughter, Dr Bernice King, addressed Red’s photo, labelling it “distasteful” and requested that it be removed immediately. Sexyy Red took the picture down and, going one step further, issued an apology.
King’s message read, “This is intentionally distasteful, dishonouring, deplorable, and disrespectful,” she wrote. “To my family and my father.” She also emphasised how, far from the image, Martin Luther King Jr dedicated his life to improving the rights of Black Americans like Sexyy Red.
After taking down the image, as requested, Sexyy Red quote tweeted Bernice King’s post and made it clear she had made a mistake, writing, “You ain’t wrong, never meant to disrespect your family my apologies.” The ‘Pound Town’ rhymer also wanted to make it clear that she didn’t intend to dishonour anyone, writing, “Just reposted something I saw that I thought was innocent.”
Sexyy Red has been involved in a lot of controversy since her emergence, whether it’s her highly provocative and sexually lyrical content or her endorsement of Donald Trump. Still, more recently, however, Red has been trying to put the focus back on her music.
However, the rapper also drew attention with another social media exchange which was more positive. ‘Grenade’ Bruno Mars recently announced that he would like to make a “strip club anthem” with Sexyy Red, writing, “I’m headed to the studio right now to make a strip club anthem so I can celebrate and properly act up this weekend. Someone please help me get in touch with Sexyy Red” on Instagram.
Sexyy Red immediately responded to Bruno Mars on X (formerly Twitter), and it seems like the two are speaking behind the scenes. Now, fans are hoping they will collaborate on a new song sooner rather than later.