Seems like BET is not looking to take the burden of the backlash regarding Lil Wayne and Drake’s performance at the 2009 BET Awards that aired live last Sunday (06.28).
The performance that included vulgar language and preteen girls dancing and singing to the rapper’s lyrics on stage and on camera, has been at the forefront of a lot of criticism from the show’s viewers and even celebrities. Both Drake and Lil Wayne performed their hit single’s “Best I Ever Had” and “Every Girl”, songs that have strong sexual references.
According to All Hip Hop, a representative from the BET network contacted them to release an exclusive statement denouncing Lil Wayne’s performance and basically reaffirming that the network had nothing to do with it whatsoever.
BET Networks deeply regrets the performance by Young Money at the BET AWARDS ’09 (featuring Lil Wayne, Drake, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine). Elements of the performance were unplanned and should not have happened.
In response to the large number of open letters sent to the network to show their discontent with Lil Wayne and Drake’s performance, representatives from the network have confirmed that they will be editing out Drake and Lil Wayne’s performance so that it will not air on the re-run’s of the award show. ( view video here )
The performance, put together prior to the shocking death and subsequent tribute to Michael Jackson, became a subject of much scrutiny — mainly aimed at BET earlier this week.
The scrutiny, due to the fact that Lil Wayne’s daughter and other teenage girls were on stage while the rapper was using immense profanity and sexually tinged lyrics, has now been addressed in Drake’s fresh interview with Complex Magazine.
In his sit down with Complex, Drake takes on the backlash, stating:
“That, actually—to be honest—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. 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-in-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne’s daughters and her friends coming out on stage.”
While addressing the BET performance, Drake also confirms that he did indeed injure himself and was thus sitting on the stool for that reason alone. But it is Drake’s response to a question that involves BET’s planning (Watching it at home, the BET Awards seemed to be a mess. Did it seem that way in person?) that is most interesting:
“Well, I can only speak for my portion of it. I had asked for something very specific for my performance and none of those were met, as far as production value, so… I understood my situation, as far as sitting in one place, and figured there was a way to make it interesting. But when I looked around and noticed that none of that was going on, I kind of just realized that it was going to be a loss for me. But at the end of the day, it is what it is.”
For any parents and other viewers offended by the performance, Drake says “To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn’t intended to offend anybody.”
Source: Sohh
