Reebok has ended its partnership with the Miami rapper Rick Ross because of a controversial track in which he appeared to boast about drugging and raping a woman. Ross, a Grammy-nominated rapper who was a spokesman for the brand's Classics line of sneakers, denied that the lyric condoned rape and issued an apology on Twitter. Some radio stations dropped the record from their playlists while parents', women's rights advocates and other rappers strongly objected to the song. UltraViolet, a women's activist group, gathered in front of the Reebok Fitness Hub on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and attempted to submit a petition of 72,000 signatures, which quickly grew to 100,000 signatures, encouraging the brand to cut its ties with the rapper. In a statement, Reebok said that although it did not believe that Rick Ross condoned sexual assault, it was very disappointed because he had failed to display an appropriate level of remorse.

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