Block B's rapper Zico recently debuted as a solo artist with his track "Tough Cookie," much to the excitement of fans. As it turned, out, however, not everybody was pleased with the single.
After the song's release, Zico and his record label Seven Seasons received negative comments over alleged homophobic slur and use of derogatory words in the track, KpopStars reports. Add to that the controversial display of the confederate flag on the song's MV.
The use of derogatory word "f*ggot" has caused an outrage among conservative observers who showed their disappointment by commenting on the YouTube video, as well as in online forums.
MWave reported that the group's agency, Seven Seasons finally spoke to address the issue on November 11. The record label issued a statement of apology to those who were offended by the words used in the lyrics.
"The word f****t was not intended to ridicule homosexuals as it was only used for the purpose of his deep, musical narrative. If we would have known that the word would carry such derogatory meaning towards homosexuals, we would have strictly censored it."
Seven Seasons also explained that the aggressive terms used in "Tough Cookie" are commonly used in many hip-hop and rap songs in Korea. According to them, what made the matter more sensitive is the fact that Zico is a member of a K-pop idol group.
Seven Seasons added, "Just as Zico himself freely does music, he does not have any prejudice or negative intentions against anything regarding homosexuality and respects sexual minorities. We want to once again state that we had no intention of using the word f****t to insult homosexulas. We send our deepest apologies to everyone who felt offended by this."
Moreover, the display of an image of confederate flag in one of Zico's outfit in the MV also caught the attention of international netizens. As noted by Allkpop, the flag is a symbol of racism.
Meanwhile, Enews reported that Zico, together with his Block B members, will be performing at the 2014 Blockbuster Encore Concert on November 22 and 23. The event will be held at the SK Handball Stadium in Olympic Park.
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