Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy landed himself fin hot water with U.S. troops over the weekend after he released a video for his controversial new song, “Let’s Be Real,” which contains anti-military lyrics. And after feeling the flames of outrage, Soulja Boy has now apologized for the song.
On the track, Soulja Boy takes jabs at the FBI and the United States Army, rapping, “F–k the FBI and the army troops … fighting for what? Be your own man … … I’ll be flying through the clouds with green like I’m Peter Pan.”
Shortly after the song’s release, many members of the public and armed forces rose in outrage against the song, including a retired Marine and current L.A. County Veteran’s Advisory Commissioner, Fred A. Flores, who demanded an apology from the “ungrateful” artist.
“It’s a very offensive statement … especially with the 10th anniversary of 9/11 coming up,” said Flores, who has two children currently serving in the military, to TMZ. “He should apologize to all armed forces. [The rap] is very irresponsible, especially for a person who is an entertainer for the youth of our country.”
Accordingly, Soulja Boy released a letter of apology to the American troops and their families on Sept. 6 via Global Grind.
“As an artist, I let my words get the best of me. Sometimes there are things that we feel, things that we want to express, and when we put them on paper and speak them out loud, they can come out wrong. When I expressed my frustration with the U.S. Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them. So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics,” wrote Soulja Boy.
“As a young man who grew up in the post-9/11 era, I have watched our country fight two wars that seem like they are never going to end. I have seen thousands and thousands of our brave men and women get killed in battle and often times, I think for what? A lot of people in this country are struggling to make ends meet and I think a lot about what if we had never gone to war. Where would our economy be? Our schools, our after-school and work programs, our streets? I mean, damn, 48 people got shot in New York City just this past weekend … in 3 days … I’m not saying that it is just because of a bad economy, but at a certain point we have to take care of our own people.”
“In no way would I ever want to offend those who are protecting our freedoms … a lot of homeboys who I grew up with, a lot of people who come from the neighborhoods we live in … In no way do I want to hurt any of our honorable soldiers who put their lives at risk, regardless of how they feel about the two wars we fight in. I am just frustrated that we haven’t been able to bring you all home quick enough and my frustration got the best of me. I am deeply sorry.” –nicholas robinson
